quick string material question (nickle v. stainless)

[Couch Slouch]

I live in Hawaii (by the beach too) so there is a lot of salt and what not in the air around here. That being said, nickle rounds don't go for very long without suffering from corrosion here and I was thinking about changing to stainless steel.

Mainly I was curious as to what I can expect from stainless strings. Will they sound different or behave differently?

If it helps, I play mostly hardcore punk, crossover, thrash metal, and death metal.

Thanks,

Slouch

[mario222]

I'm not sure what effecct salty air has on stainless steel but try them anyway. For the type of music that you play they should do nicely. In my experience stainless is a litle more scooped in the mids than nickel with a brighter more agressive tone(great for metal).

[P-BASSLOVER]

Stainless is louder and more corrosion resistant, but harder on the frets.
As far as midrange, it all depends on the brand of string. DR Fat Beams have good mids as well as Lo-Riders. Both are stainless. Elixirs have good mids and are corrosion resistant because of the Nanoweb coating. They last and feel great, but they have mellow highs. These might be the best of both worlds for you.

[JustDavid]

+1 for coated. We are on the ocean here, & the word on Coated is "costs twice as much, lasts 4 times as long". A BIT mellower a sound though.

[P-BASSLOVER]

Originally Posted by JustDavid

+1 for coated. We are on the ocean here, & the word on Coated is "costs twice as much, lasts 4 times as long". A BIT mellower a sound though.

Do you play a passive or active bass?
Do you use a outboard preamp like a SansAmp or Agular Tone Hammer?
If you do you should be fine with Elixirs.

[Couch Slouch]

I have a Jackson bass with an internal preamp.

Coated sounds interesting, but I heard the coating can flake off and get all over, is that true or is it just a myth?

[lowendgenerator]

IF you play with a pick, that coating will eventually start to wear away, I would put my money on some stainless steel, DR Lo-Riders work great for metal.

[Couch Slouch]

Yeah I play pretty aggressively with a pick. I know it isn't needed for death metal but I definitely prefer the pick for thrashy stuff with lots of speed picking.

I've heard Lo-Riders are a lot stiffer than other strings, is it noticeable?

[lowendgenerator]

Originally Posted by Couch Slouch

Yeah I play pretty aggressively with a pick. I know it isn't needed for death metal but I definitely prefer the pick for thrashy stuff with lots of speed picking.

I've heard Lo-Riders are a lot stiffer than other strings, is it noticeable?

I'm quite aggressive in my playing too. The Lo-Riders are a bit stiffer, but it's not uncomfortable. I play in drop C, and with the exception of a .115 for the C, I use the standard .045, .065 and .085 strings tuned a whole step down. They hold up beautifully under heavy abuse.