Are some strings temperamental with D-tuners?

[Nedmundo]

I received two Hipshot Bass Extenders yesterday for my MIA P and J. I installed first on the P, which had Dean Markley Blue Steels. The old E string broke during tuning, so I installed a new one.

It simply would not return to pitch after flipping down, even after dozens of tests following the instructions. It usually came back sharp, but sometimes flat. I let it sit overnight, figuring the new string needed to settle in. So today I tried several more times, stretched the string a little more, played awhile, put it down, played again, and tested some more. At long last it seems to be working. At least I hope it is.

On to the Jazz. I installed a set of Fender nickelwounds, .45-.110tw. (I normally use a .100 E, but had this set around and figured the heavy gauge would be a good match for the Extender.) After installing the strings, I set intonation on all, raised the saddle on the E to compensate for the taperwind, and tried the Extender. After just a handful of tries, it seems to be working fine -- more reliably than the one on my P bass that sat for a day and was played more.

What gives? I'm assuming some strings react more to the tension changes from the Extender, and might not be a good match. If so, I'll avoid them, because I don't want to go through this on my P-bass again, especially if I have a gig coming up. (It's a major bummer, because I love the Blue Steels otherwise.)

On the flip side, are there any strings folks recommend as especially stable with the Extender?

[Volk]

http://www.hipshotproducts.com/faq.htm#78

Look at the faq, they have a whole procedure if it's coming back flat. If that doesn't work than it may that they are, I can't say. All I know is that it works fine on my fretless with roto flats.

[tplyons]

I've never had a problem with any strings and Hipshots. How familiar are you with the tuning procedure? It's long and complicated, but once your strings settle in there's no problem.

Also, what kind of nut are you using? Something natural is likely more binding, preventing the tuning from being accurate. Try pencilling in that groove 'til it's black.

[Nedmundo]

Originally Posted by tplyons

I've never had a problem with any strings and Hipshots. How familiar are you with the tuning procedure? It's long and complicated, but once your strings settle in there's no problem.

Also, what kind of nut are you using? Something natural is likely more binding, preventing the tuning from being accurate. Try pencilling in that groove 'til it's black.

Thanks for the tip on the graphite. It sure helps stabilize my Strat, so I'll try it here, and I bet nut friction is part of the problem. As the strings are settling in, it's getting much better. I think that was the major issue.

And I'm getting fairly quick with the tuning procedure too, which is somewhat of a pain. I'm concerned about doing it in the middle of a set as my bass adjusts to the club's climate, but I guess I'll get used to that too.