SEE the difference between SS, nickel plated and nickel

HitByABlimp · #1 08-13-2010, 03:12 AM

I was wondering if there is an easy way or trick to distinguish stainless steal, nickel plated or pure nickel strings from one another. And I mean when they have been on a bass for a while. I was thinking about things like coloration, corrosion, that kind of stuff. Or is the only way a microscope or chemistry set

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DanRJBrasil · #2 08-13-2010, 04:11 AM

nickel strings get rusty very fast a good ss string takes a long time to get rust on it

plangentmusic · #3 08-13-2010, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanRJBrasil

nickel strings get rusty very fast a good ss string takes a long time to get rust on it

I've used nickel strings most of my career and even have a set on an old P that I haven't changed in years. Never once did I detect rust.

tom once dead · #4 08-13-2010, 04:45 AM

Ive found nickles to be a little more shinny.

Shmone · #5 08-13-2010, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom once dead

Ive found nickles to be a little more shinny.

+1
Might be just my imagination or a specific set of strings but to me nickels seem to be shinier and maybe SS as more of a grayer metallic gray kinda color if that makes any sense

Meatrus · #6 08-13-2010, 05:11 AM

Stainless steels are normally a fair bit more grey in colour, and Nickels will look like they are chrome plated. Some arent so obvious, but its normally easy enough to tell the difference when close. I dont think pure nickels will appear any different than nickel plated.

Also as said above Nickels can corrode (turn black in places normally), not that they always will though. Stainless sets shouldnt rust at all unless there was a problem with the batch, or have been kept underwater or something.

Bass-Adrenaline · #7 08-13-2010, 06:07 AM

If you have the two next to each other the color is quite different. I can say which looks like what since that will vary from string type to string type.

HitByABlimp · #8 08-13-2010, 11:49 AM

aaaaahhh that's it! Nickel-oxide is black and stainless (iron) red-brown right??
I'm trying to determine what strings my bass currently has on it. It has some red-brown rust on one of the strings. They are also more grey than silver.
Best guess would be they are SS strings then??

MonetBass · #9 08-13-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plangentmusic

I've used nickel strings most of my career and even have a set on an old P that I haven't changed in years. Never once did I detect rust.

Same here. What, do you keep your basses outside?

LowB-ing · #10 08-13-2010, 12:42 PM

Who makes pure nickel strings? I thought all nickel strings were actually nickel plated?

Double Agent · #11 08-13-2010, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowB-ing

Who makes pure nickel strings? I thought all nickel strings were actually nickel plated?

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Meatrus · #12 08-13-2010, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HitByABlimp

aaaaahhh that's it! Nickel-oxide is black and stainless (iron) red-brown right??
I'm trying to determine what strings my bass currently has on it. It has some red-brown rust on one of the strings. They are also more grey than silver.
Best guess would be they are SS strings then??

Pretty hard to guess without seeing. If they were steel they shouldnt rust at all. Nickels normally turn black in places before rusting. Stainless stays fresh looking IME.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonetBass

Same here. What, do you keep your basses outside?

Welcome to the UK, where everything is damp

. Seriously though it will depend on a lot of things, sweat, humidity, and of course age of string amongst other things. Most of the Nickel strings I have had, have ended up looking dark in frequently played places.

DanRJBrasil · #13 08-14-2010, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plangentmusic

I've used nickel strings most of my career and even have a set on an old P that I haven't changed in years. Never once did I detect rust.

maybe is the humidity where I am at, but nickel strings don't last me 3 months till they are covered with rust, ss strings also get rust but that a long time about a year, i am not that cheap a regular ghs, ddadario strings here cost about 60 dollars and out monthly minimum wage is about 250 dollars

SurferJoe46 · #14 08-14-2010, 07:54 PM

ONLY ferrous metals rust.

Nickel does NOT rust - but may form a very slight oxide-coating over it to keep further oxidation from happening.

I don't think you can ever say you've seen a US five-cent piece rust have you? Even though by formula a US nickel is only 25% nickel and the rest is copper - you won't ever see the nickel rust.

IF your strings are NPS and you've worn through the nickel plating - then you WILL see iron oxide (which is red or dark brown) - or rust if the strings inside that coating are just generally steel. But it's NOT the nickle that is rusting.

Unless your strings are getting to over 400ºC, there is fat chance that you can even generate NiO - or nickel II-oxide.

Non-stoichemectrically produced NiO can possibly have a dark - almost blackish color - but it is rare and not obvious to the layman anyway.

Stainless steel alloys also almost always contain nickel with the chromium that is usually associated with that stainless (actually 'rustless') quality as a rust preventative in the steel to which it is alloyed. That's why it's called 'stainless steel' for the non-rusting capacity of the nickel and chromium to which it is alloyed and it contains.

Food-quality stainless steels on the other hand - those that are used for kitchen surfaces and pot and pans do not contain nickel as nickel is poisonous if allowed to be leeched out of the metal and get into foods prepared on it.

If you have pure nickel strings there's no way they will ever rust.

If the surface on any NPS string is not worn through - it will not rust either. I cannot speak for the density of the nickel plating/coating on strings without a certification of alloy by the manufacturer.

If you see red rust or dark brown - that's iron oxide (the formula for iron oxide depends on if it is Iron (II) oxide, which would be FeO, or Iron (III) oxide, which would be Fe2O3.) and it means you have a very active oxidation process going on and it will be a short time until either the string breaks or just goes dead/limp and you have to change it.

For a few summers while I was in college I performed First-Article Inspection for a very large cryogenic pump and liquid gasses handling company and I know a lot about stainless alloys; you may have used or seen their welding gear.