LOL no worries
Yeah, the name certainly pins the tone, for the most part. If they weren't so loose feeling I would have stuck with them.
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Brightest Nickel Rounds
- Thread starter Lo-E
- Start date
LOL no worries
Yeah, the name certainly pins the tone, for the most part. If they weren't so loose feeling I would have stuck with them.
Okay; almost two months in and I just used the LaBellas for another rehearsal last night. The rehearsal studio has a new (used), better bass cab than before and I can now say with confidence that I still like these strings after two months of use and that they have retained their tone in that time.
These are, in fact, bright nickel rounds and will go on to the finals, whenever that happens.
Now it's time to move them to another bass and see what I have left in the pile before I place another order with Jason. That'll happen some time this week.
These are, in fact, bright nickel rounds and will go on to the finals, whenever that happens.
Now it's time to move them to another bass and see what I have left in the pile before I place another order with Jason. That'll happen some time this week.
- Dec 8, 2012
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I just installed Elixer Nanowebs on my bass and realized I only had three, so I went to the shop and bought a single G string (Dean Markley), and the Dean is definitely brighter. Hoping it stays bright because I love the tone of that string. When I get some money I'm hoping to try the Dean Markley "Helix" strings.
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I've been extremely remiss here (as usual). I still have those LaBellas on the bass - it's six months now - and was actually thinking of changing them this afternoon.
I got way too busy to order any strings and the band I usually use that bass with took some time off so now I have to get back with the program and try some more strings, stat.
Just for the record, the LaBellas still sound pretty good, but they're starting to get a little too dead.
I got way too busy to order any strings and the band I usually use that bass with took some time off so now I have to get back with the program and try some more strings, stat.
Just for the record, the LaBellas still sound pretty good, but they're starting to get a little too dead.
Okay, so I moved on the idea quickly before I got distracted!
Next contestant is Sfarzo Signature Pro Series nickel rounds.
Sfarzo is a small, California-based string manufacturer. They're not very well known, but they make a nice product, usually at a very good price, too. I've used their 5-string sets on my Alleva-Copollo J-bass from time to time and liked them on that bass, so I thought I'd see how they do in this application.
First impression: These strings feel great. They have a really nice, smooth feel and a comfortable, medium tension. The sound, on the other hand, isn't really what I'm looking for at all. These suckers are scooped and warm. Something more along the lines of Sunbeams. It's a nice sound, and I may move them over to a fretless bass where I'm more likely to enjoy them, but they definitely don't exhibit anything I'd call a bright sound.
I kind of suspected this was going to be the case, but I wanted to give them a chance because I like the company. I called them once to ask a question and the guy on the phone was really nice. The package refers to them being an "alloy", but they're not really specific about what that alloy might be. I'll keep them on the bass a couple of weeks. I have some rehearsals and a gig lined up, so I'll be fair about it and give impressions on how they behave, but I don't think these will be finalists by any stretch. They are, on the other hand, very nice if anyone's looking for a warm sounding nickel round!
I'm running out of strings to try.... I really need to call Jason. Like, soon.
Next contestant is Sfarzo Signature Pro Series nickel rounds.
Sfarzo is a small, California-based string manufacturer. They're not very well known, but they make a nice product, usually at a very good price, too. I've used their 5-string sets on my Alleva-Copollo J-bass from time to time and liked them on that bass, so I thought I'd see how they do in this application.
First impression: These strings feel great. They have a really nice, smooth feel and a comfortable, medium tension. The sound, on the other hand, isn't really what I'm looking for at all. These suckers are scooped and warm. Something more along the lines of Sunbeams. It's a nice sound, and I may move them over to a fretless bass where I'm more likely to enjoy them, but they definitely don't exhibit anything I'd call a bright sound.
I kind of suspected this was going to be the case, but I wanted to give them a chance because I like the company. I called them once to ask a question and the guy on the phone was really nice. The package refers to them being an "alloy", but they're not really specific about what that alloy might be. I'll keep them on the bass a couple of weeks. I have some rehearsals and a gig lined up, so I'll be fair about it and give impressions on how they behave, but I don't think these will be finalists by any stretch. They are, on the other hand, very nice if anyone's looking for a warm sounding nickel round!
I'm running out of strings to try.... I really need to call Jason. Like, soon.
Have you even tried Dunlop Super Bright Nickels?! I feel like your endless journey of searching for the right string will come to a halt when you Try em out!
As several others have pointed out!
No, I haven't tried them.... Yet.
This thread has dragged on for so long (completely by my own doing) that the Super Brights didn't exist yet when I started it. Several strings have hit the market, in fact.
The Super Brights are at the top of my list to try and I'll be ordering more strings very soon.
The Sfarzos did a two hour rehearsal last night and felt really good. I still felt they were too scooped and warm, but they did okay after some judicious amp tweaking. I'll keep them on the bass for a gig I have on Wednesday. After that I'll probably move them to another bass.
Daddario XL are awesome when new, they're bright but still carry lots of mid content, the problem with them is longevity. If you can afford new strings frequently and don't want to loose any fundamental I would recommend them.
The Dunlop superbrights are brighter for longer but have a "scoop"iness to them, they are perfect for my Vigier Passion bass and other "rear pickup basses" (stingray, thumb bass...), it's a matter of taste and budget.
The Dunlop superbrights are brighter for longer but have a "scoop"iness to them, they are perfect for my Vigier Passion bass and other "rear pickup basses" (stingray, thumb bass...), it's a matter of taste and budget.
The Sfarzos played a gig last night and confirmed my previous impressions: great feel and a nice sound, but not a bright sound.
Don't get me wrong about these; they're not muddy or dark, they just tend more toward the warm side of the fence. There's still articulation, but no strong push in the treble or upper mids.
I'll move these on to another bass soon in order to keep things moving ('cause we all know how good my track record is in that department!). I already know that Sfarzos have good longevity. I had a set on my fiver for about a year and they still sounded pretty good for most of that time.
Don't get me wrong about these; they're not muddy or dark, they just tend more toward the warm side of the fence. There's still articulation, but no strong push in the treble or upper mids.
I'll move these on to another bass soon in order to keep things moving ('cause we all know how good my track record is in that department!). I already know that Sfarzos have good longevity. I had a set on my fiver for about a year and they still sounded pretty good for most of that time.
I’m glad it’s helpful!
It’s been a couple of years since I updated it. I moved on to other projects and have been using other basses so the need for really bright strings for that G&L sorta got back-burnered.
I guess I’ll continue the experiment some day....
Gonna bump this YEARS later to ask yet again if you've tried the Dunlop SBN yet
First time user myself, and also on one of my darker basses I was looking to brighten up (gotta love them rosewood boards...)
Have to say I'm impressed! Though I am someone who enjoys lower tension. Head to head with the infamous XLs here's my comparison:
XL: Stiffer, overall brighter, ages faster and decline sharper (but not nearly as fast as EB), more articulate, piano like tone that can really sing.
SBN: More balanced sound. Less overall highs, but still enough detail to keep me interested. Less coarse texture, but with enough gripyness to not be slippery. Still sound nice as they age. Also, on a weird note, they SMELL amazing
These two will probably be my go-to strings going forward. That is, if I ever get around to trying the GHS Bassics that also seem like they should be on OPs bucketlist thanks to the description of a few renowned TBers.
Dunlop super brights are on the bright side, and they have lower tension IME. I did not find them too overly bright compared to the Ernie Ball Slinky set I use, but they flex more.
Disclaimer: I don't have a lot of experience with different strings.
Honestly, I still haven’t tried them. I had good intentions; I bought a set of Super Brights only to realize that I had accidentally bought stainless steel.Gonna bump this YEARS later to ask yet again if you've tried the Dunlop SBN yet
First time user myself, and also on one of my darker basses I was looking to brighten up (gotta love them rosewood boards...)
Have to say I'm impressed! Though I am someone who enjoys lower tension. Head to head with the infamous XLs here's my comparison:
XL: Stiffer, overall brighter, ages faster and decline sharper (but not nearly as fast as EB), more articulate, piano like tone that can really sing.
SBN: More balanced sound. Less overall highs, but still enough detail to keep me interested. Less coarse texture, but with enough gripyness to not be slippery. Still sound nice as they age. Also, on a weird note, they SMELL amazing
These two will probably be my go-to strings going forward. That is, if I ever get around to trying the GHS Bassics that also seem like they should be on OPs bucketlist thanks to the description of a few renowned TBers.
I settled in with D’Addario XLs on that bass and stopped my search.
IME it has been SIT Foundations I put on my '78 StingRay.
They were very bright, zingy, and chimey shimmer on the top end, and they were also very elastic. They lasted 6.5 years on that bass! I was amazed how bright they still were when I too em off, but at that point I was afraid they would just break from age.
I really need to revisit nickel these and see if I can get any kind of stupid long life again. But I do have two Wals strung with stainless Foundations for well over 2 years now!
They were very bright, zingy, and chimey shimmer on the top end, and they were also very elastic. They lasted 6.5 years on that bass! I was amazed how bright they still were when I too em off, but at that point I was afraid they would just break from age.
I really need to revisit nickel these and see if I can get any kind of stupid long life again. But I do have two Wals strung with stainless Foundations for well over 2 years now!
