Nickel question

[Dan1099]

I while ago, i threw a set of D'Addario XLs on my bass, and, while I liked the tone, they were turning my fingers black from playing them. Any idea why they were doing that? Are all nickels this way, or just the XLs? Or was it just a fluke?

[WesW]

I've had that happen with a couple different kinds of nickel strings.

[bgavin]

I've had this too, with flats.

Give it some time to wear in/off before making a decision to off the strings.

I wipe my strings (TI Flats) down after each gig, and have used alcohol butt wipes on them occasionally to get the finger oil off the exterior.

[bluemonk]

This often happens with a new set of nickel flats. Rub them down with a soft cloth (even before you put them on and then after, too). It doesn't take long to wear off.