Fodera's Nickel Strings???

Yup they make 'em

Fodera 5-string sets

Click "buy" and there's will be a place you can choose "Steel" or "Nickle". Also, they can make you any guages you want in any style they offer. I'm using a 4-string set of Anthony Jackson exposed core strings in Jamerson guages. They feel great, smooth and the compresion winding (round windings run through a roller, flattening them out a bit) gives they a slick feel. The lady at the factory said they had never made a set with those specs, EVER. They arived in about a week.

My set is steel, so I can't really coment of the nickle sets, but I imagine they're similar. As for longevity, they still sound the same as when I put them on months ago (well the same as they did after they settled in). I think squishing the windings helps keep dirt out from between them. I'm guessing it pushes the windings closer together.

I havn't tried the other strings you mentioned, so I can't comment there, but again, yes they (Fodera) do make nickle strings. Oh yeah, I really like my set, and it doesn't really sound like any other set I've tried, it's its own thing. Balanced sounding and a bit refined but not bitingly bright like some other brands.

Hope this helps a bit.

~Paul