Stainless string properties?

[Nomadic Herder]

A couple months ago, I decided to try some stainless steel Rotosounds on my bass, instead of nickel Ernie Balls. Is it just me, or do the stainless steel strings feel rougher and stiffer? The material itself almost seems harder. I love the sound though.

[VoodooChile]

i just got a set of fodera stainless steel and to say the least i can barely see my fingerprints. stainless steels are usually alot rougher just because basically but they also are alot brighter. unfortunately they also eat up frets.

[seamus]

I'm guessing you're using the 66's. I'ts not just you, I find stainless Rotos are among the most coarse strings out there. I also agree they sound good though, a lively rock string.

Stainless will almost always feel rougher to some degree over nickel. Stainless and nickel have some differences in composition, which in turn gives them different properties. This makes for some distinct differences with regard to feel and sound.

[Nomadic Herder]

Originally posted by seamus
I'm guessing you're using the 66's. I'ts not just you, I find stainless Rotos are among the most coarse strings out there. I also agree they sound good though, a lively rock string.

Stainless will almost always feel rougher to some degree over nickel. Stainless and nickel have some differences in composition, which in turn gives them different properties. This makes for some distinct differences with regard to feel and sound.

Yes...the 66's they are. And its glad to know Im not alone.

[BigBohn]

FYI: It takes years of playing more than 4 hours a day to even consider refretting for frets, but you can recrown your frets multiple times til you need to refret them. stainless steel eats up the frets more that nickels do, BUT not much, just a little more. just think about it. 2 pieces of metal, the string and fret, and coming in contact with eachother many times, one will give, you choose if its the string or the fret, either way its very easy and cheap to replace/repair.