Ernie Ball are known for their quality products but, just like with every other cobalt strings, these rust pretty easily with a little bit of humidity, even if you take care of them. (wash your hands before playing, wipe your strings after done playing etc.) It’s not the brand’s fault, but I just wouldn’t recommend my fellow bass players to get any cobalt strings ever, especially if you are on a budget and want to use a pack of strings for a few months because these are also quite pricey compared to other strings. There isn’t a HUGE difference between the sound of these and regular Slinky’s. However if you are a gigging musician who changes their strings every now and then either way, that wants to try these out, go for it.