Original Flexocor & Original Flat-Chrome

[Dave Whitla]

This thread has been idle a while, but I just put Orig Flex G, D, & A on my old bass and am experiencing the harsh sound on the G that has been referred to here.
My question is, do these strings break in after a bit, and if so roughly how long should I expect it to take, or is a permanent feature of the string?

Also wondering if I should install the black rubber ring thingy??

Any help would be appreciated!
Dave