Fender 7150 Pure Nickel rounds appreciation thread

[Phaidrus]

As the title implies, I like them a lot.

Having only one flats and one rounds bass, they check all the boxes for a versatile string set.

Warm and grindy, good fundamental and quite a few overtones, right amount of tension and flex (the 45-105 set), smooth to the touch, durable, ball ends in nice Fender colors, fair price. They won't wear your frets and you can slap them too! What's there not to like?

Vive les 7150s!

 

[andare]

Do they make less finger noise than the 7250s or Rotosounds?
I make so much noise with rounds and I can't seem to fix my technique. The only rounds I was quiet with were Dean Markley Blue Steels but I'd love to try these pure nickel Fenders cause I'm a sicker for old school tones.

 

[Phaidrus]

Do they make less finger noise than the 7250s or Rotosounds?
I make so much noise with rounds and I can't seem to fix my technique. The only rounds I was quiet with were Dean Markley Blue Steels but I'd love to try these pure nickel Fenders cause I'm a sicker for old school tones.

The pure nickels are indeed quieter, in terms of fret noise, than typical nps or steel rounds. This can to an extend compensate for a less clean technique but they're not as noise-free as flats. To my ears they do not sound straight old school, they rather have a more full bodied / less sparkly tone than the 7250s but they're not dead sounding by any means. Being pure nickel they're also kind to the frets, which is a bonus, especially when one frets with a bit more force than needed. Give them a go, they're interesting strings.

 

[Yahboy]

The pre-2010 Mexico 7150 has smoother feel and less stiff compared to current daadario made 7150.

The old 7150 also has thiner outer warp which produce less fretting noise compared to new one.

Older are better to me.

Meanwhile gold silk on the old one has classy look.

 

[michael_t]

What's there not to like?

They don't come in 40-60-80-100, do they?

 

[andare]

The pre-2010 Mexico 7150 has smoother feel and less stiff compared to current daadario made 7150.

The old 7150 also has thiner outer warp which produce less fretting noise compared to new one.

Older are better to me.

Meanwhile gold silk on the old one has classy look.

You don't happen to have a pre-2010 set of 7150s for sale, do you?

 

[Phaidrus]

They don't come in 40-60-80-100, do they?

They don't, as far as I know, only M (45-65-85-105) and ML (45-65-80-100).

 

[Pier_]

What's there not to like?

I'm using them with a P51 Japan, and I'm not sure I like them

why? I feel them too "grippy", compared to the 7250M or other strings and, maybe because I'm mostly used to them, even more than Rotosound Swing66...

the sound is nothing special to me, they are maybe warmer than NPS at the beginning, and age in a slightly different way, being still usable.
I have them on since almost a month, did a couple of rehearsals, a gig and some hours at home, and they still have that roundwound vibe to them, but with a warmer sound.

however, that surface is annoying, I can't stand them too much, and to me it's a problem, because I thought that a "pure nickel" string would've been smoother and less grippy.

in the "pro" section I can say that the tension is pretty good, they intonate perfectly even on the two-saddles bridge of the 51 (the only set so far that intonate every string on that bass...), and they are really nice played with a pick.

 

[Timothy Brosnan]

They don't, as far as I know, only M (45-65-85-105) and ML (45-65-80-100).

They used come in light .040-.100, and extra light .040-.095. Too bad, because those are the gauges I like, that’s why I stopped using them.

I think you'll be quite happy with them.

They don't, as far as I know, only M (45-65-85-105) and ML (45-65-80-100).

 

[Phaidrus]

I'm using them with a P51 Japan, and I'm not sure I like them

why? I feel them too "grippy", compared to the 7250M or other strings and, maybe because I'm mostly used to them, even more than Rotosound Swing66...

the sound is nothing special to me, they are maybe warmer than NPS at the beginning, and age in a slightly different way, being still usable.
I have them on since almost a month, did a couple of rehearsals, a gig and some hours at home, and they still have that roundwound vibe to them, but with a warmer sound.

however, that surface is annoying, I can't stand them too much, and to me it's a problem, because I thought that a "pure nickel" string would've been smoother and less grippy.

in the "pro" section I can say that the tension is pretty good, they intonate perfectly even on the two-saddles bridge of the 51 (the only set so far that intonate every string on that bass...), and they are really nice played with a pick.

Agreed on the tone assessment. As regards tactile feel, I think they're more or less of average grippiness. Before the 7150s I had a set of Pyramid pure nickels on my Pbass and they weren't much different in terms of feel, perhaps just a touch more refined. Ditto for their tone, the Pyramid were audibly thinner / more delicate sounding, not in a bad way, but I find the 7150s have a fuller tone and presence. They may be nothing special, as you mention, but I suppose this is what I like about them. They tick most boxes without being special or excessive in of them. Hence a good fit for a Pbass. Less is more.

 

[Pier_]

As regards tactile feel, I think they're more or less of average grippiness.

I've never tried other "pure nickel", so I don't know. I find them rougher than NPS (like the 7250M I tried immediately before on the same bass), and also a friend of mine, who tried my bass a couple of weeks ago, noticed that it felt grippy.

usually this kind of feeling goes away after some playing hours, like it does with stainless steel strings (I'm used t the Rotosound), but it's been a month, and I still find them grippy

if it wasn't for this "feature", they could be my favourite rounds. in fact I don't understand why many users here on Talkbass describe them as "high tension" strings, they are nothing more than average in tension.

 

[Yahboy]

You don't happen to have a pre-2010 set of 7150s for sale, do you?

The last new in pack set i sold 8 months ago.

 

[Rayjay]

I have an 8-year old Fender Custom Shop bass with the factory strings still on. They sound great. But I thought this was the set that came on it until I just looked it up, and the website says most basses come with nickel-plated steel strings.....so now I'm not sure.

I was going to snap a few sets of these but I also see no more 40-100 which is my jam.

 

[SeayBass]

The first 7150 i ever tried was the last of the old stuff. I FELL IN LOVE. HARD.

... The next Fender 7150 I bought was, unbeknownst to me, the newer, daddario made string, which I do not actually like. I WAS HEARTBROKEN. And I still am.

Chicago Style strings are good nickel strings, and available in the lighter gauge. They're sold at Chicago music exchange and on Reverb. They're made by labella.

 

[Stan_da_man]

The pre-2010 Mexico 7150 has smoother feel and less stiff compared to current daadario made 7150.

The old 7150 also has thiner outer warp which produce less fretting noise compared to new one.

Older are better to me.

Meanwhile gold silk on the old one has classy look.

That was 15 years ago... rose tinted glasses flying off the shelves.

 

[Stan_da_man]

They don't come in 40-60-80-100, do they?

They used to but Fender discontinued that gauge.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Chicago Style strings are good nickel strings, and available in the lighter gauge. They're sold at Chicago music exchange and on Reverb. They're made by labella.

The Chicago Style Nickels are great strings.