Quote:
Originally Posted by Metal Mitch  I've only seen this with "pure nickel" strings, which are nickel-iron alloy. I think it's iron. Never seen it with SS or NPS. |
Au contraire, mon ami ~
Every set of the Fender 7250 NPS strings do that to me - constantly. I just put up with it on my VM-Jag, as I like the sound they produce.
My ROTO 77s do it somewhat - but the Elixir NANOs haven't made a mark on my fingers yet.
Nickel won't hurt you if you don't lick your fingers and the taste will be terrible. There can be some discomfort if you get the oxide in your eyes - but nothing permanent as far as I know.
I did some research, made a few phone calls and e-mails, and generally will now proceed to bore you with what
I think is very interesting information.
Some fascinating folk lore about nickel::
Early alchemists thought there was copper in the ore and tried to extract it, unsuccessfully.
The name 'nickel' is a transliteration from the German myth that there was a somewhat malevolent evil spirit (eg: Old Nick) residing in the mining area, possibly living in the ore, and he forbid extracting the copper from this metal with sorcery and magic.
The Chinese and early Teutonic tribes used nickel and believed to be 'white copper'. Many times it was thought to be used as a silver substitute, since it polishes very nicely and actually looks a lot like silver to untrained eyes. It found it's way into art work and jewelry by this same accidental misunderstanding too.
Nickel is 'ferromagnetic' {It is one of the four elements that are ferromagnetic around room temperature, the other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium.} - in that it is attracted to a magnet like iron and steel, although at a lower rate of attraction. This is why it is used in guitar strings and magnetic devices.
Strange - the alloys in a US 'Nickel" or 5¢ coin, is worth 9.6¢ in 2003-2006, and it is possibly the only coin that the US Federal Gummermint has set a law about to make it illegal to extract the alloy from it. The value of nickle has fallen much lower than that at the mo.
About the toxicity of nickel from Wikipedia:: Quote:
Toxicity
Exposure to nickel metal and soluble compounds should not exceed 0.05 mg/cm³ in nickel equivalents per 40-hour work week. Nickel sulfide fume and dust is believed to be carcinogenic, and various other nickel compounds may be as well.[39][40]
Nickel carbonyl, [Ni(CO)4], is an extremely toxic gas. The toxicity of metal carbonyls is a function of both the toxicity of the metal as well as the carbonyl's ability to give off highly toxic carbon monoxide gas, and this one is no exception. It is explosive in air.[41][42]
Sensitized individuals may show an allergy to nickel affecting their skin, also known as dermatitis.
Sensitivity to nickel may also be present in patients with pompholyx.
Nickel is an important cause of contact allergy, partly due to its use in jewelery intended for pierced ears.[43] Nickel allergies affecting pierced ears are often marked by itchy, red skin.
Many earrings are now made nickel-free due to this problem. The amount of nickel which is allowed in products which come into contact with human skin is regulated by the European Union.
In 2002 researchers found amounts of nickel being emitted by 1 and 2 Euro coins far in excess of those standards. This is believed to be due to a galvanic reaction.[44]
It was voted Allergen of the Year in 2008 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.[45]
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I don't have any idea of the amount of nickel a bass player is exposed to with this metal in the strings - but hand-washing is certainly indicated.
I wonder why there's no
MSD on guitar strings?
Well - anyway - I guess I've told you 'way too much info, but I had all this free time and I did some research.
I called ROTOSOUND in Temecula, California a few minutes ago and talked to someone who actually gave me the e-mail address of their representative in The UK.
I have now fired off an inquiring e-mail to
ROTOSOUND in the UK about the nickel and string-to-human-contact criteria.
More information to come.
