Nickel and Steel Shootout!

[SGT. Pepper]

Do you like nickel, or do you like steel?

[Tony G]

I love the brightness and sound of a great steel string like DR Hi-beams and other similar strings. Nickle sounds great out of the box, but quickly become too dull for my tastes.

[HMZ]

I like the sound of steel but use nickel. I used steel for years and my fingers were always cracked and bleeding and I finally just gave them up. I have been using nickel for the last few years and my fingers have been fine.

[Microbass]

i used a set of DR Lo Riders a while ago, and they sounded great after enough playing... but i'm worried about the wear they'll do to my frets (my frets are super worn down, i have no intention of having replaced/crowned)... As I wear out my last set of Slowounds, I'm thinking perhaps SS DR's are in my future.

I don't know...

[HMZ]

Originally Posted by Microbass

i used a set of DR Lo Riders a while ago, and they sounded great after enough playing... but i'm worried about the wear they'll do to my frets (my frets are super worn down, i have no intention of having replaced/crowned)... As I wear out my last set of Slowounds, I'm thinking perhaps SS DR's are in my future.

I don't know...

DR makes nickel low riders which will have less wear on frets then steel.

[SGT. Pepper]

Originally Posted by HMZ

I like the sound of steel but use nickel. I used steel for years and my fingers were always cracked and bleeding and I finally just gave them up. I have been using nickel for the last few years and my fingers have been fine.

Me too. I like the sound of steel but prefer nickels because they are easier on the frets. My fingers are pretty toughened after 10 yrs of playing. I just don't want to wear out and chew up my frets. DR's are suppose to be fret friendly and ProSteels fell pretty good for a steel string but they are still hard on the frets.
Bass makers should start using stainless steel frets so you can use whatever string you want.

[CElton]

I just got a new 55-02 strung up with Lakland steels and it sounds really good, but I think I will put a set of Sunbeams or SIT Rock Bright nickels on it when the time comes. I like more growl than the piano string type sound.

[kayakbass]

Steel with frets, Nickel on fretless

[Asomodai]

Optima Gold strings for me

[SGT. Pepper]

Half and Half. Were at 50-50 in the poll. I wouldn't have guessed it to be so close.

[knarleybass]

DR Hi-Beams for me, at least on my fretted basses, nickel for the fretless bass. I love that snappy brightness.

[MonetBass]

My hands kill steel strings in about two days, so I use nickels.

[SGT. Pepper]

Originally Posted by OKStateBass66

My hands kill steel strings in about two days, so I use nickels.

Your one in about a thousand. It's usually the opposite. You must have a very strong PH in your sweat or something.

[NKUSigEp]

I love the mellowness of a nickel string but after a few weeks of hard playing its dull sounding.

I'm not a fan of a fresh pack of steels but after they've been on their long enough, they warm up a bit and lose that edge and will stay that way for a while. So...my vote went to steels.

[SGT. Pepper]

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

I love the mellowness of a nickel string but after a few weeks of hard playing its dull sounding.

I'm not a fan of a fresh pack of steels but after they've been on their long enough, they warm up a bit and lose that edge and will stay that way for a while. So...my vote went to steels.

I like steels when they are a month old too. I just wish they didn't kill your frets or I would use them more. Like I said earlier, I wish bassmakers would use stainless steel frets so you can use any string you want.

[MonetBass]

Originally Posted by SGT. Pepper

Your one in about a thousand. It's usually the opposite. You must have a very strong PH in your sweat or something.

Why yes, I do. I found out the hard way after buying some Blue Steels. By the next week I could barely hear the darn things. One of the guys at the music store where I worked said, "You have high sweat acidity. Use nickels." Bingo.

[Koki]

Nickel plated steel are the way to go

[HELLonWheels187]

I like nickel because they die faster and the seem to have a warmer tone.

[AHbassist]

I like both, for me steel is good for slap and fingerstyle, and nickle is good for pic and fingerstyle

[JimmyM]

I like nickels because they don't wear out frets as quickly and they feel smoother than steels. Plus they're usually cheaper.