Do Stainless Steel strings need to be changed more often than nickel?

[vindibona1]

Only after I bought it did I realize that my Sandberg Ken Taylor bass came with SS strings in a light gauge, no less. I love it just as it is and wouldn't even think of using different strings. But what I noticed is that the SS strings seem to discolor more rapidly than nickel strings and, while it could be my imagination, seem to lose their initial zip a big sooner.

I bought this bass in February and am now on the second set of strings. So it appears that if I change strings now it would be about every three months. My basses with nickel seem to stay close to the original tone, feel and color for much longer, sometimes a year or more.

What is the consensus here about SS strings and optimal changes before string changes?

 

[bwildt]

My instruments with roundwounds all wear DR SS Lo-riders. One of the reasons is that I dislike changing strings all the time on multiple basses and the Lo-riders seem to last a long time (for me). Now these are not an extremely bright strings to start with, but have a nice low-mid presence. I like both of these characteristics.

BTW, if you like the sound and really don't like to change strings, I have basses wearing TI Jazz Flats that have been strung up for a little over 20 years. The sound just doesn't seem to change.

 

[Moving Pictures]

Hi Beams last a long time for me. Same with SS Lo Riders. The zip does wear off after a couple weeks, sooner if I play and gig a particular bass regularly. I like it when the initial zip wears off. Our expectations on string tone will influence our perceptions on the sound. Also I don’t remember Hi Beams discolouring on me Maybe that’s a personal chemistry thing. Some of react to nickel and others to other materials.

 

[vindibona1]

Thanks for your replies. I love a lot of DR strings. I have Sunbeams on my Jazz basses, I had Pure Blues for a time on my Yamaha. Great strings. I tried Black Beauties on my Yamaha and those were just a mistake. I think they're still on there and I've been too lazy to change them back out to something else. The Sandberg is just so great that unfortunately I'll probably never perform with the Yamaha again and will probably end up selling it. It's so similar in specs to the Sandberg, but the difference between them when playing is undeniable.

 

[michael_t]

What is the consensus here about SS strings and optimal changes before string changes?

It all depends on one's definition of what's considered an optimal tone. Some like it fresh and zingy while others like it nicely worn-in. It's a very personal thing. You should let your ears tell you how often they should be changed.

 

[trothwell]

To the extent I can generalize an answer, I find nickel strings tend to get unacceptably dull sooner than steel strings.

 

[GTHintz]

Only after I bought it did I realize that my Sandberg Ken Taylor bass came with SS strings in a light gauge, no less. I love it just as it is and wouldn't even think of using different strings. But what I noticed is that the SS strings seem to discolor more rapidly than nickel strings and, while it could be my imagination, seem to lose their initial zip a big sooner.

I bought this bass in February and am now on the second set of strings. So it appears that if I change strings now it would be about every three months. My basses with nickel seem to stay close to the original tone, feel and color for much longer, sometimes a year or more.

What is the consensus here about SS strings and optimal changes before string changes?

Just some things to note,
Generally stainless lasts longer, are stiffer feeling, brighter especially at first, are great if you have a sensitivity to nickel. There are tons of strings out there and they all have something unique going on. Its always best to try different strings and remember the ones that you like best. If you're killing off these strings its likely because your skin chemistry wears them faster or simply the well broken in tone just doesn't go well with your bass, your tone, and what you're trying to do.

 

[Geri O]

D’addario EXL Nickels and Pro Steel stainless strings both seem to go about 8-10 weeks.

I like the initial zing, then the not-quite-as-zingy tone afterwards. And both types seems to wear about the same.

 

[iiipopes]

For me, SS do need changing more often. My hand perspiration chemistry kills nickel, a primary ingredient of the alloy of the winds. Nickel plate simply sloughs it off. I have corroded real Gibson '57 guitar humbucker solid nickel covers; I have rusted cobalts and wound strings with Alloy 52 winds (GHS Progressive, Pressurewounds, and others). I can gig a set of stainless, and the next rehearsal they will be nothing but thunk. When I used to do Fri-Sat twofer gigs, I always had spare E strings because whatever formulation, the E string would go thunk at the end of the first night of the gig. Currently, I get the most longetivity out of DA XL170BT sets. YMMV.

 

[vindibona1]

For me, SS do need changing more often. My hand perspiration chemistry kills nickel, a primary ingredient of the alloy of the winds. Nickel plate simply sloughs it off. I have corroded real Gibson '57 guitar humbucker solid nickel covers; I have rusted cobalts and wound strings with Alloy 52 winds (GHS Progressive, Pressurewounds, and others). I can gig a set of stainless, and the next rehearsal they will be nothing but thunk. When I used to do Fri-Sat twofer gigs, I always had spare E strings because whatever formulation, the E string would go thunk at the end of the first night of the gig. Currently, I get the most longetivity out of DA XL170BT sets. YMMV.

I suppose I am more fortunate to have an alkaline pH. I have silver plated trumpets. my #1 was made in 1973 and the silver is still like new. Same thing with my 1981 C trumpet. I gave one of my trumpets to my teen daughter and within weeks she ate the silver down to bare brass. I bought another trumpet from a young man who bought it in his late teens and his pH was so acidic it started to erode the brass itself after it ate through the silver plate. I know what skin acid can do to strings and other metals.

I think string wear for me largely comes from skin being shaved off into the winds. I can revive the strings for short time, with either slapping the loosened strings or with an US cleaner. I think I might try the US cleaner on the current set of strings as I have replacement sets on hand in case anything happens that prevents me from re-stringing them.

 

[GIBrat51]

Only after I bought it did I realize that my Sandberg Ken Taylor bass came with SS strings in a light gauge, no less. I love it just as it is and wouldn't even think of using different strings. But what I noticed is that the SS strings seem to discolor more rapidly than nickel strings and, while it could be my imagination, seem to lose their initial zip a big sooner.

I bought this bass in February and am now on the second set of strings. So it appears that if I change strings now it would be about every three months. My basses with nickel seem to stay close to the original tone, feel and color for much longer, sometimes a year or more.

What is the consensus here about SS strings and optimal changes before string changes?

I'd have to say... it depends. How much you play; how hard you play; and you, yourself. I don't use rounds if I can help it; nickels or stainless. The only rounds I have on one of my 23 basses right now, are nickel wound, but they're TI JR324 Jazz Rounds. And, like TI Jazz Flats (which I also use), they're pretty much the exception to most categories. I mostly use flats - which, with few exceptions, have a stainless outer wrap. And, IME, some of them last longer than others. I've had La Bella DTFs, for example, that were at least 11 years old when I changed them - but, there was nothing really wrong when I did. They just looked... shabby; so, when I cleaned the bass up to give it back to the guy I got it from (long story), I put a new set on. OTOH, I had a set of D'Addario Chromes that did actually die after about 6 years. Nickel wound flats? They vary a bit, too. Roto RS77 Monel Flats, IME, seem to die fairly quickly - for flats; around 3 years, for me... TIJFs, OTOH? I haven't managed to kill those things yet. Some people can kill them - but, some people can kill strings just by looking at them cross-eyed, apparently. Other people have had the same set of TIJF's on a regularly gigged bass, for 20+ years. So, it just depends...

For me, SS do need changing more often. My hand perspiration chemistry kills nickel, a primary ingredient of the alloy of the winds. Nickel plate simply sloughs it off. I have corroded real Gibson '57 guitar humbucker solid nickel covers; I have rusted cobalts and wound strings with Alloy 52 winds (GHS Progressive, Pressurewounds, and others). I can gig a set of stainless, and the next rehearsal they will be nothing but thunk. When I used to do Fri-Sat twofer gigs, I always had spare E strings because whatever formulation, the E string would go thunk at the end of the first night of the gig. Currently, I get the most longetivity out of DA XL170BT sets. YMMV.

Like I said, string life can depend on you - a LOT. Unlike @iiipopes, my hands hardly ever sweat. Hard manual labor, under a summer sun, and wearing leather gloves, is about the only time they do. My body chemistry, as compared to @iiipopes', is very neutral. When I did use "regular" round wounds - nickel, steel, or stainless - they lasted a lot longer for me, than they seemed to do for most people around here. Strings - like, say EB Slinkys - that people constantly complain about because they seem to die about the time they got them intonated? I've had them last for 18 months or more...
Like I said; how long your strings last - whether they're stainless or nickel - depends on how much, and how hard, they get played - and the body chemistry of the person playing them. So... it just depends...