What difference does it make whether the strings are made of Steel or Nickel? - Page 6

totallyfrozen · #**101** 09-07-2010, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONYX

...(and I've been told that I'm dreaming on this one) nickel strings just feel " softer" to me. Stainless has a harsh, cutting quality to it, especially on the roundwounds. My fingers tend to drag on stainless--I don't have this problem with nickel.

Yeah, I know I'm a decade late in this thread, but I just started reading up on this because I'm trying to get a certain type of sound...

Anyway, I don't think you're dreaming. I feel the same thing on the strings as you do. I feel it in my plucking fingers not my fretting fingers. When I first tried SS strings they felt rough and harsh; nickels felt softer. Now, I'm used to SS--flats, I should clarify--and they feel more smooth and flexible to me than they first did. Nickels still feel softer on my plucking fingers than stainless do, though.

THORRR · #**102** 09-07-2010, 11:55 PM

Nickel is a softer metal
Stainless is a harder metal
And you CAN feel the difference, if even subconsciously, I promise you. Here's how you can prove it to yourself.
I'm a Jeweler for 30 years (and bass player for 40

) and can tell the difference between 14kt gold and 10kt gold by feel alone.

Grab your or your wife's wedding ring (if it's gold) and rub your thumb across its surface. You'll notice a
"waxy" feel to it. That's not oil you're feeling, that's the velvety feel of the soft gold surface. It's almost like rubbing a beeswax candle "feel". Now try the same thing on the back of a stainless steel spoon. You'll feel the difference immediately.

Same with guitar and bass strings. Nickel, though a very hard metal, will be easier on your fingers than stainless steel. Of course they have different tone qualities, so you'll have to enter that into the equation, but now you know you CAN feel the differenct in hardness of metals.

JimmyM · #**103** 09-08-2010, 12:36 AM

interesting...this thread started in 2000. i wonder how many of the people who originally posted back then are dead.

hanx · #**104** 09-08-2010, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THORRR

Nickel is a softer metal
Stainless is a harder metal
And you CAN feel the difference, if even subconsciously, I promise you. Here's how you can prove it to yourself.
I'm a Jeweler for 30 years (and bass player for 40

) and can tell the difference between 14kt gold and 10kt gold by feel alone.

Grab your or your wife's wedding ring (if it's gold) and rub your thumb across its surface. You'll notice a
"waxy" feel to it. That's not oil you're feeling, that's the velvety feel of the soft gold surface. It's almost like rubbing a beeswax candle "feel". Now try the same thing on the back of a stainless steel spoon. You'll feel the difference immediately.

Same with guitar and bass strings. Nickel, though a very hard metal, will be easier on your fingers than stainless steel. Of course they have different tone qualities, so you'll have to enter that into the equation, but now you know you CAN feel the differenct in hardness of metals.

hrmmm... now i kinda want gold strings...

hanx · #**105** 09-08-2010, 01:59 AM

what about the toxicity of nickle though? didn't some euro coins get discontinued cos the had too much nickle, and it's one of the heavy metals?

THORRR · #**106** 09-08-2010, 11:02 AM

You'll know if your body is reacting to the nickel if your fingertips are turning black or dark grey after playing just a little bit. It has to do with your body's Ph factor.

If you perspire a lot in your hands, you could get a nickel reaction also. - depends -

Not sure just how toxic it all is, just that some get a reaction to different metals. I saw a lady once who ran her wedding ring across her cheek and you'd think she was using a green crayon! She was reacting to the copper in the 14k gold alloy.

Others do the same thing and get a black line and that's a reaction to the nickel in the alloy. Pretty weird to see!

I think if I had a sensitivity to nickel I'd just switch to coated strings. EZ fix.

totallyfrozen · #**107** 09-08-2010, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

interesting...this thread started in 2000. i wonder how many of the people who originally posted back then are dead.

Always a ray of sunshine aren't you, Jimmy.

JimmyM · #**108** 09-08-2010, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by totallyfrozen

Always a ray of sunshine aren't you, Jimmy.

don't tell me you never thought about it

invalidprotocol · #**109** 09-10-2010, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THORRR

You'll know if your body is reacting to the nickel if your fingertips are turning black or dark grey after playing just a little bit. It has to do with your body's Ph factor.

If you perspire a lot in your hands, you could get a nickel reaction also. - depends -

Not sure just how toxic it all is, just that some get a reaction to different metals. I saw a lady once who ran her wedding ring across her cheek and you'd think she was using a green crayon! She was reacting to the copper in the 14k gold alloy.

Others do the same thing and get a black line and that's a reaction to the nickel in the alloy. Pretty weird to see!

I think if I had a sensitivity to nickel I'd just switch to coated strings. EZ fix.

I'm one of these individuals that has a reaction to nickel. I kill sets very quickly but still use them though. Some brands seem to last longer than others but I can't stand coated strings. Steels last considerably longer for me but I only like them on my jazz.

**BullHorn** · #**110** 10-12-2010, 09:36 AM

To me nickel strings have too much low-mids and sound wonky and times. I'm also allergic to nickel so....

iceboxbass · #**111** 10-12-2010, 10:30 AM

I've been using GHS Precision stainless steel flatwounds now for two years. I've tried nickel rounds but I don't care for their sound, looseness or feel. I've used SS FW on Fender Jazz bass, Spector 4 and 5 strings. I love the big and mellow tone the SS FW produces. The strings feel like silk! They don't tear up my fingers or my frets. It's probably the difference in SS FW vs SS rounds. I play in 2 different bands a week and I practice 1-2 hours each day and play with my bands twice a week. I hadn't any problems with my GHSs SS FW going flat or dead. They last a very long time! I wouldn't use anything else!

hanx · #**112** 10-12-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceboxbass

I've been using GHS Precision stainless steel flatwounds now for two years. I've tried nickel rounds but I don't care for their sound, looseness or feel. I've used SS FW on Fender Jazz bass, Spector 4 and 5 strings. I love the big and mellow tone the SS FW produces. The strings feel like silk! They don't tear up my fingers or my frets. It's probably the difference in SS FW vs SS rounds. I play in 2 different bands a week and I practice 1-2 hours each day and play with my bands twice a week. I hadn't any problems with my GHSs SS FW going flat or dead. They last a very long time! I wouldn't use anything else!

I heard lots of good things about GHS steel flats, keen to try them, but no one seems to supply them to Australia. A lot of US retailers won't ship GHS to Oz, and locally i can only get their ground-wound brights.

ay ideas how i can get some?

BassNoob1 · #**113** 01-04-2011, 04:31 PM

I'm allergic to nickel, so I have to play steel strings.

Buxtehude · #**114** 01-05-2011, 05:34 AM

I dont understand all the complaints about finger shredding with steels. I just did an 8 hour show rehearsal with DR highbeams (steels) and fingers are fine. Steels do make slides a bit draggy however.

iceboxbass · #**115** 01-05-2011, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

don't tell me you never thought about it

Is that when TB started?!

boynamedsuse · #**116** 01-05-2011, 02:42 PM

As mentioned a decade ago, the hardness difference between steel and nickel makes no difference when compared to the hardness of your finger tips. What has not been brought up yet (I believe) is that there is a difference in smoothness between plated metal and bare metal. Plating will tend to fill in any surface irregularities and level the surface on a microscopic level, so it makes sense that a plated string would seem easier on your fingers.

Mr. Earl · #**117** 03-21-2011, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monkey

In my experience, nickel strings are not quite as bright as steel. I've heard some people use them because they are not as hard as steel, and won't wear frets out as fast. I couldn't say about the fretless issue, even though that is all I play, because I always use flats or tapes on mine.

Never use Roundwounds on a fretless unless you want to do neck work later. I used Rotosounds on my 78 fretless Rick and ended up getting the neck fixed from all of he gouges in it.