Ernie Ball Power Slinky Cobalt (.011–.048) review: the Eb-standard Cobalt set

Cobalt voicing through a Les Paul or Strat-style guitar with passive humbuckers or single coils:

The Cobalt voicing change is exactly the same character regardless of gauge in the line, what changes between Regular, Power, and Beefy Slinky Cobalt is tension and tuning fit, not voicing. Detailed voicing comparison at Cobalt vs nickel Slinky: the voicing difference, measured.

Power Slinky Cobalt is the Eb-standard answer in the Cobalt range. The Cobalt 6-string lineup in tuning order:

• E standard: Regular Slinky Cobalt (.010–.046).
• Eb standard / occasional Drop D: This set, Power Slinky Cobalt (.011–.048).
• E with light top, drop-D rhythm: Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Cobalt (.010–.052).
• Drop C# / Drop C: Beefy Slinky Cobalt (.011–.054).
• Drop C / Drop B / C standard: Not Even Slinky Cobalt (.012–.056).

Full picking guide at Cobalt Slinky gauges explained.

Slash (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators) is the canonical user. Slash has been an Ernie Ball artist since the 1980s and was a documented Cobalt beta tester at the line's January 2012 launch. He has stated on record that Cobalts "sound and feel better than anything I've ever played." His primary tuning across his catalog is Eb standard on Gibson Les Paul; Power Slinky Cobalt is the gauge fit for that tuning on a 24.75-inch scale.

Cobalt line roster: Who plays Cobalt Slinky strings.

• Eb standard (Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb) on 24.75" Les Paul / 25.5" Strat. Sweet spot.
• Drop D from an Eb default without changing strings. The .048 low string handles Drop D firmly.
• E standard with firmer feel. If your bending vocabulary wants .011 stiffness in E.
• Hard rock, classic rock, blues-rock, modern rock. The cobalt push helps the lead voice cut through dense band mixes.

• Drop C and below. The .048 flaps in Drop C; step up to Beefy Slinky Cobalt (.011–.054) or Not Even Slinky Cobalt.
• Floyd Rose set up for .010s without a spring-tension recalibration.
• Players who prize light bending feel above all else. Stay on Regular Slinky Cobalt or Hybrid Slinky Cobalt.

Coming from .010s, the .011 plain top adds roughly 4 pounds of single-string tension; total set adds about 8–10 pounds. Most setups handle this without a truss-rod adjustment, but check relief after the first day of play. Nut slots usually accommodate the bumps without filing. Intonation should be reset.

Break-in: 30–45 minutes of play before the initial top-end brightness settles in.

Power Slinky Cobalt is the set Slash has chosen for his Eb-standard rig since the Cobalt line launched. It's a sensible default for any rock or blues-rock player whose home tuning is Eb on a Les Paul or 25.5-inch scale: the gauge brings the Eb feel back to the comfort zone of .010s in E, and the cobalt wrap makes the upper-mid push that helps the lead voice carry through a high-gain rig.

Pick it over nickel Power Slinky if you A/B them and prefer the cobalt voicing. Pick nickel if you prefer the slightly smoother top end. Match the wrap to your taste; match the gauge to your tuning.

• Voicing comparison: Cobalt vs nickel Slinky: the voicing difference, measured.
• Cobalt range gauge guide: Cobalt Slinky gauges explained.
• All 5 Ernie Ball wire lines: Slinky vs RPS vs M-Steel vs Paradigm vs Cobalt.
• Eb standard tension math: Eb standard tuning.
• Artist rig: Slash's Cobalt rig, sourced.
• Cobalt line roster: Who plays Cobalt Slinky strings.