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GHS Balanced Nickel strings

#941
I have 3 basses. A Squier ProTone P5 (soap bars) W/BF's, a newer Squier P5 w/BN's, and a custom built active w/jazz pups loaded w/PW's. The Protone/BF sounds a bit "tame" with not quite enough "bite". The P5/BN's cuts better but they are still too bright for me. The jazz/PW's let me dial in a great tone for me, and I can get a bunch of other nice tones as well At this point the PW's are my favorite, but I realize the differences in the basses, "sort of" invalidates what I have written. I'd love to be able to swap them around, just to see, but the diff. tuner configurations, and 1 bass is a 4, and 2 are 5's, make that impossible. Note: all strings are WELL broken in. Such problems being a bass player! :D
 
#942
Joedog said:
I have 3 basses. A Squier ProTone P5 (soap bars) W/BF's, a newer Squier P5 w/BN's, and a custom built active w/jazz pups loaded w/PW's.
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My P bass has been wearing PWs since last June. They will be replaced by BFs in the next couple of months and BNs sometime in the new year. So, that's all three on one bass.

My other two basses are both wearing PWs, and no more messing around with those.
 
#943
Mr Ralph said:
Like the best of all worlds between round, half round and flat.
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Well that's exactly what I'm on the never ending search for on my P! Have you played the TI flats? Any similarity in tension?

I think Pure Nickel is going to be the ticket in the end and gut instinct tells me it's going to be the Balanced Nickels of the TI Jazz rounds. The problem...or expensive part...is that I'm going to have to try both to know.
 
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#945
I just installed a set yeaterday on my new to me G&L JB-5. I am loving these strings so far, extremely even across all strings, and the low B is really well defined. Great tone, plus extremely easy to intonate... If these last I can see them being my go-to string from here on out!
 
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#947
I have Balanced Nickels on my G&L LB100 (as well as my JB) and they are as great on the LB100 as on any other bass. I'm just waiting for them to really break in and drop a bit more of the zing.
They are truly wonderful strings!
I have no experience with the Round Core Boomers.
 
#948
First set of BN's on the way. Putting them on my Moollon P Classic IV to start with when they get here Friday. First go with a pure nickel string as well as first go with the balanced tension aspect of a set.
 
#949
Slapped the BN's on my Moollon P yesterday. Put about 5 hours in on them so far. These strings are good...really good. Warm, punchy tone. Very clear and articulate as well. Tension on the mediums is perfect. They're taught...but not stiff. There's a springiness to them that I really like. Exactly as Moody mentioned in the demo...They don't overdrive themselves like other rounds do and that's been an issue with rounds on the Moollon that has a hot and growly PUP. If these do as well as I think they will at rehearsal tomorrow I've got a new favorite round wound.
 
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#950
Mr Ralph said:
I have been wanting to try these. I am using Pure Blues and TI jazz rounds. How does the smoothness/texture of the Balanced Nickel compare to these?
Thanks
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I'm late but...The BNs are not as smooth feeling as the TI Jazz Rounds, mainly due to the diameter of the TIs I imagine. But I think the BNs are noticeably more smooth that most, if not all rounds. Certainly all I recall trying over the decades. I have a set of DR PBs, but haven't installed them on anything yet, so I've got nothing there! But if you are looking for a great feeling set of rounds, the BNs are something you should try.
 
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#951
Can anyone compare the 4L-NB vs the 4M-NB sets in terms of tone and feel?

I've been running flats for over a decade but recently got the rounds bug again, and I'm trying to find a set that really speaks to me. I just got a set of the GHS Balanced Nickel Lights (4L-NB) in, but haven't swapped them as I put a new set of Dunlop nickel plated rounds (45-105) on last weekend that I'm still trying out. Really curious to feel the lighter gauges, as I'm not sure I've ever played that light of a set before. Maybe 45-100. FWIW, my main bass is a Lakland Skyline 44-64 (pbass) with a Curtis Novak pb-v pickup, and I play a mix of blues, country, soul/funk, classic rock, and jazz.
 
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#952
Brad Easley said:
I just got a set of the GHS Balanced Nickel Lights (4L-NB) in, but haven't swapped them as I put a new set of Dunlop nickel plated rounds (45-105) on last weekend that I'm still trying out. Really curious to feel the lighter gauges, as I'm not sure I've ever played that light of a set before.
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I've only tried the light set, which I found to be surprisingly firm (not stiff) considering the relatively small gauges and the round core.

When you say "Dunlop nickel plated rounds (45-105)", are you talking about their regular NPS rounds, not the Super Brights?
 
#953
michael_t said:
When you say "Dunlop nickel plated rounds (45-105)", are you talking about their regular NPS rounds, not the Super Brights?
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The regular Dunlop NPS. My local music store had them on hand and I've been using the Dunlop flats for awhile, so I figured why not. I've since heard rave reviews on here about the Super Brights. May give them a shot at some point as well.
 
#954
Brad Easley said:
The regular Dunlop NPS. My local music store had them on hand and I've been using the Dunlop flats for awhile, so I figured why not. I've since heard rave reviews on here about the Super Brights. May give them a shot at some point as well.
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The 4M-NB (44-106) would probably be closer to the regular Dunlop 45-105 in overall playing feel, while the Super Bright Nickels 45-105 would be even more flexible and looser-feeling than the 4L-NB.
 
#955
michael_t said:
The 4M-NB (44-106) would probably be closer to the regular Dunlop 45-105 in overall playing feel, while the Super Bright Nickels 45-105 would be even more flexible and looser-feeling than the 4L-NB.
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Yeah, I'm thinking I might like the lighter gauge of the 4L set, but I'll probably wait until next week to try them out. I've got a gig Friday night and don't want to be acclimating to a different feel on short notice.

Thanks for your input!
 
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#956
Well, I'm got antsy to try them and put them on. First impressions, I absolutely love the feel and tone! I'm certain I've never played a set of bass strings this light before, so I didn't realize how much I would like them. But it's also worth noting that I play electric guitar as well, and I think the lighter gauges makes it feel more like guitar in terms of expressive techniques like bending and vibrato. It's just a lot easy to play and sounds better for lead and chords. For basslines, it's different in a good way but not necessarily a better way, if that makes sense. Like they have a lot of harmonic content and depth, but lack some of the tight punch of heavier/higher tension strings. That's to be expected from what I'd read. In any case, I think I'm going to enjoy playing these and will follow up after I've had some time to break them in and really get used to the feel.
 
#959
basss said:
Has anyone compared BN's to Dr Hellborg? Both are pure nickel over round core. I've been digging the BNs on my p bass but might try the Hellborgs just for the heck of it.
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Very different strings, IMO. The BNs are medium-low tension, have great harmonic content, and are present in the upper mids when new but “warm up” and darken as they age. The Hellborgs are all about fundamental, with very little harmonic content, and I’d say they’re a medium-high tension string.
Lots of Nickel talk here :
Pure Nickel Alchemists Union
 
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#960
Thanks! I had the Hellborgs on a long time ago but honestly don't remember a whole lot. I've been going for a 'dryer' sound lately, looking for a focused, clear round wound sound with less snarl. They sound like something I'd like.
 
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