DUNLOP SUPER BRIGHT NICKELS

[Aidil]

Thanks. I should've specified stainless steel for both. They're both the same guages also (45-65-85-105) so I wondered what the difference between them is. I just tried the MM ss set on a whim and I really like them and the regular ss super brites are $5 cheaper a set. I should probably just try them and see

I used to have the MM Super Brights (45-125) and now I have the regular SS Super Bright on the same bass, but in different gauge (40-120). I like the latter cause they are very flexible and easy to pop when playing slaps. I know the lighter gauge must have affected my judgement, but still I have no desire of trying the comparable 45-125 regular SS Super Bright.

Please do tell us when you've compared both of the same gauges.

The MM's have a slightly thicker core wire, making them stiffer-feeling than the regular Super Bright Stainless Steels.

This is exactly what others have said about the differences of the two. I should've able to compared both MM SB and SS SB in same gauges, but somehow despite I'm used to use 45-105+130B with other strings, I went straight to 40-120 when changing to the regular SS SB.

 

[dougjwray]

My main "P-Bass with rounds" since 2009, an SX with a great neck, a very resonant alder body and a DiMarzio pickup, has been starting to sound a bit too modern and "on steroids" for the music I've been playing lately.
I was getting close to buying a different pickup when I remembered that I had a set of barely-used Dunlop Super Bright Nickels in my trusty "strings archive" box. I'd had them on a different bass, but found them a bit wimpy.
Well, I put them on the SX, and they tamed the strident mids and highs beautifully.
I'll use the bass at this Friday's gig to see how the combination works in the real world.

 

[Freaklight]

One of the worst strings i have ever used in my bass.
It sounds quite nice, bright with low tension in the beginning with amazing growl.
They died pretty quick!!!
I would say something like the ghs.
Strange thing is that i have one normal dunlop nickel set (not the super bright) and after six months is more alive than the 10 days super bright set.

 

[FirewalZ]

Like others, i like the low tension and feel of Super Brights as well as the crunchy mids on a Jazz. However, i keep going back to Sunbeams

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

One of the worst strings i have ever used in my bass.
It sounds quite nice, bright with low tension in the beginning with amazing growl.
They died pretty quick!!!
I would say something like the ghs.
Strange thing is that i have one normal dunlop nickel set (not the super bright) and after six months is more alive than the 10 days super bright set.

They don’t die
And go thud

they settle in and balance out

dead goes thud
dead has no definition and lack of upper harmonics or/ top end

so all you hear is the fundamental
Again-
Thud thud thud

 

[Yahboy]

One of the worst strings i have ever used in my bass.
It sounds quite nice, bright with low tension in the beginning with amazing growl.
They died pretty quick!!!
I would say something like the ghs.
Strange thing is that i have one normal dunlop nickel set (not the super bright) and after six months is more alive than the 10 days super bright set.

On my personal experience,both DBN and GHS nickel die far faster than SBN. The DBN actually sound like well broken in nickel round wound fresh from pack. The GHS boomer nickel just last less than a week.

 

[GTHintz]

I wonder how these will do on fretless. I was sad to find that after about a year of being played my blue steel b string is finally dying. This bass seems to need mellower strings so I'll see how it goes. The worn in blue steels really sounded good on there. Like $15 shipped is so hard to beat so I'll be posting it when I get them strung up.

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

I wonder how these will do on fretless. I was sad to find that after about a year of being played my blue steel b string is finally dying. This bass seems to need mellower strings so I'll see how it goes. The worn in blue steels really sounded good on there. Like $15 shipped is so hard to beat so I'll be posting it when I get them strung up.

If you want blue steels

the company went in another direction
(Apex strings)

 

[tindrum]

I wonder how these will do on fretless. I was sad to find that after about a year of being played my blue steel b string is finally dying. This bass seems to need mellower strings so I'll see how it goes. The worn in blue steels really sounded good on there. Like $15 shipped is so hard to beat so I'll be posting it when I get them strung up.

I’ve found no string that can equal the Super Brights for fretless playing. Firstly their low tension really make a lot of techniques effortless to pull off. Most importantly the midrange frequency inherent in SB’s REALLY bring out the “mwah”. Seriously nothing comes close.

 

[GTHintz]

I’ve found no string that can equal the Super Brights for fretless playing. Firstly their low tension really make a lot of techniques effortless to pull off. Most importantly the midrange frequency inherent in SB’s REALLY bring out the “mwah”. Seriously nothing comes close.

That sounds good. This is such a new direction from my normal tone. Instead of brightness, punch and a heavy crushing tone I'm looking for musical, and less bright but still just enough of everything. If all goes well I might go back to Dunlop on my other fretted basses. It's hard to beat blue steel on my Warwick though.

 

[JimmyM]

One of the worst strings i have ever used in my bass.
It sounds quite nice, bright with low tension in the beginning with amazing growl.
They died pretty quick!!!
I would say something like the ghs.
Strange thing is that i have one normal dunlop nickel set (not the super bright) and after six months is more alive than the 10 days super bright set.

That's exactly what I love about them Even when they go dead, they have plenty of zing for me to get over when I need it, and plenty of thump when I need it, too. But yeah, their new string zing isn't the longest lasting I ever heard.

 

[Adagietto]

But yeah, their new string zing isn't the longest lasting I ever heard.

Thank goodness.

 

[Hundred proof]

The Super Bright Nickel are my go-to for rounds … currently on my 83 Peavey T45

 

[Grinderman]

I use standard (regular?) Dunlop nickel rounds and stainless flats. I haven't seen or heard anything compelling enough to cause me to try their Super Bright nickel strings as possible replacement for what I'm satisfied with already. I've considered it momentarily a few times but never made the move.

 

[JimmyM]

I use standard (regular?) Dunlop nickel rounds and stainless flats. I haven't seen or heard anything compelling enough to cause me to try their Super Bright nickel strings as possible replacement for what I'm satisfied with already. I've considered it momentarily a few times but never made the move.

A lot of people like the more trad nickels with tighter tension. You're not alone. I'll never go back to them, but I used them for decades.

 

[Grinderman]

A lot of people like the more trad nickels with tighter tension. You're not alone. I'll never go back to them, but I used them for decades.

This topic is probably one more indicator that I'm in the set-in-my-ways old man stage.

 

[tindrum]

A lot of people like the more trad nickels with tighter tension. You're not alone. I'll never go back to them, but I used them for decades.

Here lately I’ve really been enjoying the regular Dunlop stainless strings. Tension wise they are a little more flexible than an average hex core round but far from stiff. Kinda in between DR Hi Beams and LoRiders on the tension spectrum. Tone wise they are very similar to LoRiders. Really balanced, nice sounding strings. Only $15.99 a set on JustStrings.com so they are a tremendous value as well. Still nothing better on my fretless than Dunlop SB Nickels though.

 

[GTHintz]

Well I got around to getting my fretless strung with the sb nickel. I went with 45-125. I noticed that they are definitely flexible. They have some grabbiness too. I'm cool with it but I know some people would not appreciate it. I feel like the tone is nice out the box. They have a similarity to both the stainless Dunlop and blue steel in tone which is good because I like it. I'm curious to see how these settle and if I don't kill them within a week or so. Maybe my body chemistry has changed since I last used nickel and it won't be a sharp decline followed by the deadest tone within days. I can see that these react better to a softer touch than other strings I'm used to. I dig in and I'm not exactly as satisfied with that sound but I'm not going to blame the strings for that. Got these as a dirt cheap expiriment so I'll be giving an update once they settle.

 

[tindrum]

Well I got around to getting my fretless strung with the sb nickel. I went with 45-125. I noticed that they are definitely flexible. They have some grabbiness too. I'm cool with it but I know some people would not appreciate it. I feel like the tone is nice out the box. They have a similarity to both the stainless Dunlop and blue steel in tone which is good because I like it. I'm curious to see how these settle and if I don't kill them within a week or so. Maybe my body chemistry has changed since I last used nickel and it won't be a sharp decline followed by the deadest tone within days. I can see that these react better to a softer touch than other strings I'm used to. I dig in and I'm not exactly as satisfied with that sound but I'm not going to blame the strings for that. Got these as a dirt cheap expiriment so I'll be giving an update once they settle.

I hope they work out for you. A softer attack is definitely necessary due to their flexible feel. Their low tension really makes for a very expressive, almost “liquidy” fretless tone. Sinuous might be a good descriptor. The notes have a quick attack and leap off of board and the sustain is really unmatched. And hey if they don’t work for you it’s not an expensive experiment! If they do you’re golden.

 

[GTHintz]

I hope they work out for you. A softer attack is definitely necessary due to their flexible feel. Their low tension really makes for a very expressive, almost “liquidy” fretless tone. Sinuous might be a good descriptor. The notes have a quick attack and leap off of board and the sustain is really unmatched. And hey if they don’t work for you it’s not an expensive experiment! If they do you’re golden.

I found them on eBay for like 12$. It was rediculously cheap for a new set with a bstring. I'm hoping that as they settle I'll have a fatter midrange and it won't just sound too muddy. One thing with fretless is that I like my tone to sound fat and I notice most twang muahh stuff comes out in the mids so I'd love to emphasize that. Blue steels are good for that too because they love to fatten up and the mids really come out. That's why they sound so amazing on my Warwick because that bass loves low mids and high mids for bite. I'm still curious to try blue steel nickels on the fretless and standard Dunlop stainless on the Warwick just to see what difference I'm getting. But the only thing I would do over with the super brights is I would go up a gauge just so it's a little stiffer which is probably the perfect spot for how I play. I've become a lot more dynamic in my attack these days but I still hammer the strings sometimes. My Warwick tends to do great when you dig so I found my match right there. Other basses it's hit or miss and I definitely believe in figuring out how to make each bass talk to you and they all need something a little different.