What difference does it make whether the strings are made of Steel or Nickel?

[fuNKmaster83]

a lot of guy s say nickel or steel... most nickel strings are actually nickel plate steel!!! that is very important cuz nickel plate doesn't sound any thing like pure nickel wrap

i use pyramid rounds with pure nickel wrap and nothing out there sounds like it!!!

[metallibass95]

Well I was just talking from my experience on one, because I had too bright of a sound on my Ernie Ball nickels and wanted a more old school smooth sound and somehow the Rotosound steel strings gave me the exact sound I was looking for. I think steels are brighter than nickel because everybody on here has said that. But from my experience it seems backwards. Yea i'm really confused now, lol. I don't think there is an exception to any rule or anything but I just dunno cause I know what I experience and it doesn't seem right according to how you guys say nickel and steel strings are supposed to be. Any help on this situation would be greatly appreciated because right now i'm totally in the dark about this.

[Impostor]

Well, I can't grasp what's the problem. You didn't play many different steels, right? Just one oldschool set, which is not bright because it shouldn't be. That's your experience. It doesn't tell you that all steels should be smoother than nickels. And, indeed, most of them are not. And once you got your favourite set, you found your tone - why should you ever care for any other strings?

[metallibass95]

yea that could be true man. I mean the ernie balls were just bright and twangy. The rotosound steels werent so bright, but the low end really growled and the highs were really smooth. And i've not tried all steel strings, just Rotosounds because I guess as far as steels go thats really the only brand i've cared to try. I could try Ernie Ball steels though. So according to the general rule of steel being brighter than nickel, would Ernie Ball steel strings be brighter than the nickel ones?

[Vapor Trail]

Originally Posted by fuNKmaster83

a lot of guy s say nickel or steel... most nickel strings are actually nickel plate steel!!! that is very important cuz nickel plate doesn't sound any thing like pure nickel wrap

i use pyramid rounds with pure nickel wrap and nothing out there sounds like it!!!

Hey fuNKmaster, how is the tension with the Pyramids? Aer you able to get some action with those? I've been very curious about these strings.

[Impostor]

Originally Posted by metallibass95

I could try Ernie Ball steels though. So according to the general rule of steel being brighter than nickel, would Ernie Ball steel strings be brighter than the nickel ones?

I tried Ernie Ball Power Slinkies once. They got very 'modern' tone, very bright and clean though not sizzly at highs, and pretty even between strings. I must also admit that was a .050" set, so the standard .045's may be a bit different. Their tone could be best described as piano-like. Unfortunately, their tension is exactly the same - literally piano-like, I guess they should be played with hammers not fingers ;^) Forget about deep bends and expressive vibrato and be ready for much more hurt in your fingertips if you choose them.

[metallibass95]

Originally Posted by Impostor

I tried Ernie Ball Power Slinkies once. They got very 'modern' tone, very bright and clean though not sizzly at highs, and pretty even between strings. I must also admit that was a .050" set, so the standard .045's may be a bit different. Their tone could be best described as piano-like. Unfortunately, their tension is exactly the same - literally piano-like, I guess they should be played with hammers not fingers ;^) Forget about deep bends and expressive vibrato and be ready for much more hurt in your fingertips if you choose them.

Yea my main experience comes from ErnieBall Power Slinkys and Rotosound steel strings. But i'm not talking about power slinkys or any other ErnieBall nickel string, I was talking about ErnieBall's steel strings. I wonder what they are like.

[Impostor]

Whoops, that's right. Slinkies are nickel wound. In fact, it's been several years since I played them, so I simply forgot that - though I remember quite well both their tone and touch, which are pretty steel-like. Very atypical for nickels, you know.

[metallibass95]

Originally Posted by Impostor

Whoops, that's right. Slinkies are nickel wound. In fact, it's been several years since I played them, so I simply forgot that - though I remember quite well both their tone and touch, which are pretty steel-like. Very atypical for nickels, you know.

Yea the ErnieBall nickels are pretty unique strings. But then again from what i've heard the ErnieBall nickels are almost identical to Dean Markley nickels because Rob Trujillo always used the Dean Markley nickels but actually on his 5 string basses he had a hybrid of Dean Markley and ErnieBall strings, so my assumption is that they might pretty much be the same.

[Dice0o0Dice]

so would one consider nickel or stainless for an acoustic? I like nickel on my electric, but im considering the purchase of an acoustic in a near future. Any tips?

[Impostor]

Originally Posted by Dice0o0Dice

so would one consider nickel or stainless for an acoustic? I like nickel on my electric, but im considering the purchase of an acoustic in a near future. Any tips?

I guess if you buy an acoustic and discover broze-plated strings on it, that'll be a good hint ))

You may also consider trying nylon tape wound ones from LaBella. Depends on what sound you want to get from your acoustic.

[PattiMichelle]

Originally Posted by swolves

ok here it is again,
stainless are brighter and last longer than nickel.
and pure stainless and pure nickel are completly nonferrous(that means there not magnetic at all)

Wikipedia: "...[nickel] is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, the other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium."

So that is the reason they use nickel. And whether or not stainless is magnetic depends on the alloy and heat treatment. 400-series (ferritic) stainless is magnetic, but not 300-series (austinitic) stainless. I think at least one other series of stainless is magnetic. But I have no idea what stainless string manufacturers actually use, or who is scamming by using low-quality stainless. I guess price is generally a guide in many (most?) cases?

[hanx]

what's with D'Addario - Chromes? are they actually chrome or just steel and chrome is a brand name?

[hanx]

does anyone get an allergic reaction to nickel? I've heard it can be an allergen.

I tend to have kinda temperamental skin, it's fine on a good day, but if my hands are dry and cracked they react. Like most of the time i can wear latex gloves in the lab but if i have cracked skin my hands flair up nasty.

I haven't noticed any problems on my basses already strung with nickel or nickel plated, but i haven't played them enough to work up a sweat or get blisters.

I won't bother changing out my old nickel strings on any that are already there, but maybe i should stick to steel for any new ones i get?

[Robo Bass]

Originally Posted by Dave Siff

I've found a big difference in feel between nickel and steel. I use nickel strings, but one time I decided to try stainless steel, and they chewed up my fingers. I mean, I get blisters from nickel strings, but the stainless steel strings turned my fingers into ground chuck.

[This message has been edited by Dave Siff (edited June 28, 2000).]

What doesn't kill you will make you stronger!

[KingRazor]

I've been using D'addario steels and they don't chew up my fingers at all.

[Luckydog]

Originally Posted by Impostor

Steels are generally way brighter than nickels. Generally, but not necessarily. I mean, that's totally right of D'Addario, Elixir and Ernie Ball steels - all of them brighter than any nickels - but less so of, say, LaBella Deep Talkin' Bass, which are not sizzly at all. I never used Rotosounds, but, according to what you say, they may be kind of exception from general rule.

Elixir are coated nickel plated steel, not SS.

[SonourBrum]

Thanks Funkmaster!!! One of the main reasons why anyone can't make sweeping generalizations about strings is because they are starting out with a sweeping generalization when mentioning their make-up. Can we please for arguments sake in the future call a nickle plated string a nickle plated string and NOT A NICKLE!!! A nickle plated string is considerably different than one that is not plated. Plated strings will tend to have more Stainless qualities than one that is not plated... as will nickel alloys! Why? Because they have copious amounts of Stainless Steel properties in their make-up! Some more or less than others... This is why you can't say a nickel is brighter when you really mean that a nickel plated or nickel alloy string is brighter. I believe this is where much of the confusion lays. Please correct me if you think I'm wrong!

[floatingaxe]

Originally Posted by hanx

what's with D'Addario - Chromes? are they actually chrome or just steel and chrome is a brand name?

I play Chromes. It's a brand name, I'm pretty sure that they are nickel. Not sure if they are plated or solid.

[Beginner Bass]

Originally Posted by PattiMichelle

Wikipedia: "...[nickel] is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, the other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium."

So that is the reason they use nickel. And whether or not stainless is magnetic depends on the alloy and heat treatment. 400-series (ferritic) stainless is magnetic, but not 300-series (austinitic) stainless. I think at least one other series of stainless is magnetic. But I have no idea what stainless string manufacturers actually use, or who is scamming by using low-quality stainless. I guess price is generally a guide in many (most?) cases?

Holy necro-posting, Batman!