Different strings less volume

[magic8161]

I bought a set of DR HI-BEAMS 4 months ago, And I like them alot. but being a bass player I wanted to try something else. So today I put on a set of D'Addario XT Nickle Plated and my volume dropped considerably. is there a reason for this? The DR HI-BEAMS sound so much more punchier and louder.

 

[michael_t]

I bought a set of DR HI-BEAMS 4 months ago, And I like them alot. but being a bass player I wanted to try something else. So today I put on a set of D'Addario XT Nickle Plated and my volume dropped considerably. is there a reason for this? The DR HI-BEAMS sound so much more punchier and louder.

Coated nickel-plated steel vs. non-coated stainless steel... Just different ways different materials interact with magnetic pickups. You might want to experiment with the pickup height to see what happens.

 

[GTHintz]

Nickel is generally more mellow than anything stainless. What you experienced is pretty typical. Well hopefully they sound good enough that you'll be able to enjoy them for a bit. I wouldn't expect them to stay as bright as hi beams do. Something I noticed is that anything Dr I've played does tend to stay bright longer than most strings out there.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Coated nickel-plated steel vs. non-coated stainless steel... Just different ways different materials interact with magnetic pickups. You might want to experiment with the pickup height to see what happens.

The coating is immaterial as far as interaction with the pickups goes. (It does damp high frequencies ever so slightly, which could translate to less perceived volume, but in a less dramatic way than the OP seems to be experiencing; I'm willing to bet the DR stainless steel being more magnetically active than the D'Addario NPS is the main factor, by far.)

 

[HaphAsSard]

Plus, the OP doesn't mention gauges. (They never do, do they?) The ferromagnetic mass of the string on one side, tension and flexibility on the other (width of excursion inside the field) also play complex, interacting parts.

 

[magic8161]

They are 45--100. I ment to get the NY ones but got theses by mistake. I used them on a show this weekend and they wernt bad at all, Just a bit more mellow then im used to. But then again I used GHS Preassure wounds my whole life.