GHS Balanced Nickel strings

[IPA]

ok, here we are about 2 weeks on, still great

These might be the best all around rounds I've played so far? Well done, GHS.

 

[DieTired]

ok, here we are about 2 weeks on, still great

These might be the best all around rounds I've played so far? Well done, GHS.

Yeah I’m still a huge fan! I’m torn between these and the Pressurewounds though. I’ve been really happy with PW on my G&L and BN on my P. I tried roundcore bass boomers on the G&L but it wasn’t for me.

 

[michael_t]

I’m torn between these and the Pressurewounds though. I’ve been really happy with PW on my G&L and BN on my P...

If these two were the only strings I have to work with, PWs would go on my Jazz and BN on my Precision. They're both great strings that are different enough in their tonal characters to bring out the best in each bass.

 

[GwenOnBass]

On my second set of Balanced Nickels in two years on the Nordy Cat bass. Not entirely immune to Pressurewounds, will be trying them on a friend's Jazz Bass next week. Will advise

 

[DieTired]

If these two were the only strings I have to work with, PWs would go on my Jazz and BN on my Precision. They're both great strings that are different enough in their tonal characters to bring out the best in each bass.

Have you tried PW on your precision? I’m debating trying it when the BN are worn enough. They both (fortunately) have a very similar feel under the fingers, so it’s an easy transition from one bass to the other.

 

[michael_t]

Have you tried PW on your precision?

Yes, I have. What I found about the P-PW combo is the mid-forward character of Alloy 52 could be a little too much on a P, while the smoother mids on the BN, thanks to pure nickel, seemed to match the P-bass character better...at least to my ears. P + BN = punchy warmth with deep, focused lows.

 

[DieTired]

Yes, I have. What I found about the P-PW combo is the mid-forward character of Alloy 52 could be a little too much on a P, while the smoother mids on the BN, thanks to pure nickel, seemed to match the P-bass character better...at least to my ears. P + BN = punchy warmth with deep, focused lows.

Makes perfect sense to me. Thanks!

 

[IPA]

I've now had the balanced nickels on a P, a J, and a HH stingray, these strings work great on all of them. I like some zing in the stingray tone but not a ton, these strings and the EQ knobs all at center sounds great

 

[GwenOnBass]

Forgot to check back in! A friend let me play her Nordy Cat v1 bass strung with very old Pressurewounds, through AKG K245 cans from a Rumble 40.

Impressed by the feel of the short scale Pressurewounds. Ha, like an "easy grade" string after experiencing fresh Roto 66s on a StingRay. The strings on my friend's bass are incredibly dead, and colors the experience of them.

After more than two years with GHS Balanced Nickels on my Nordy Cat v1, installed a short scale set of white DR Neons just for the fun of it. They have two months play on them as I consider the new, unopened pack of Balanced Nickels in arm's reach.

New Year's Day is normally the day I swap out the roundwounds. And yet, the Neons broke in beautifully, and getting some really sweet tones out of them up there near 12th fretland. Spice. The Neons bring spice to the mix, and giving myself until Monday to decide if I want to swap in the Balanced Nickels

or wait to swap in the Balanced Nickels. The BNs and Nordy Cat are such a superb match

 

[shagT]

You can rock out on these strings they feel killer and overall they respond to the touch more than any other string I've tried. I've got an old ibanez exb 404 I picked up cheap because of the neck, ripped the old crap electronics out of it and added a geezer emg P pickup/pots. I put on a set of light BN's last march. I've played the poopie out of these strings and they still hold tune are not nasty or dead. There's still a bark to these if you hit them with some power. I love the feel... though the G still feels a bit thin to me (I was 45-105 forever and wanted a bit less tension).. I just deal with it because the pluses outweigh this one little gripe.

If you want to hear them at 11 months old, here's a thing I'm working on in drop D (thinking of mike watt). I'm running through a sonic silver peg and a mira compressor. The "guitar" parts are the same bass just running through a joyo oxford pedal and for the harmonics a donner harmonic square set on 1 octave up (effects blended and dialed in with an ls-2). Some reverse delay in there as well. Dropbox - tusconian_LC--2_MC_Mixin2.wav - Simplify your life

 

[Stan_da_man]

My P bass is currently strung with flatwounds but I'm thinking of swapping for a set of these Balanced Nickels.

A few questions:

What is the output like compared to a NPS roundwound?

What is the longevity of the string?

Stiffness/flexibility - similar to rounds/flats/pressurewounds?

 

[michael_t]

My P bass is currently strung with flatwounds but I'm thinking of swapping for a set of these Balanced Nickels.

A few questions:

What is the output like compared to a NPS roundwound?

What is the longevity of the string?

Stiffness/flexibility - similar to rounds/flats/pressurewounds?

I haven't noticed any difference in overall output between the BN and other NPS rounds.

In terms of stiffness/flexibility, they're firmer in feel compared to round cores by DR. Not quite as stiff as Boomers or Pressurewounds of comparable gauges, but not as flexible as DR.

They're also higher in terms of the actual tension (as in pulling weight) compared to typcial NPS or SS rounds. Pure nickel is a heavier/denser material than nickel-plated steel or stainless steel, so it takes more tension to bring them up to pitch.

 

[Stan_da_man]

I haven't noticed any difference in overall output between the BN and other NPS rounds.

In terms of stiffness/flexibility, they're firmer in feel compared to round cores by DR. Not quite as stiff as Boomers or Pressurewounds of comparable gauges, but not as flexible as DR.

They're also higher in terms of the actual tension (as in pulling weight) compared to typcial NPS or SS rounds. Pure nickel is a heavier/denser material than nickel-plated steel or stainless steel, so it takes more tension to bring them up to pitch.

The light gauge set, what do you feel is closest to in terms of pulling weight and flexibility? Are there any other strings with a similar feel?

 

[trothwell]

I don't have exact numbers, but I found the GHS BN strings unusually long lasting. For me personally, NPS tend to deaden quickly. It has gotten to the point where I usually buy stainless steel just because I'm tired of the strings getting too dead too fast.

But the GHS Balanced Nickels last a really long time for me. They even, in my opinion, get better as they age, at least for a while, opening up in tone like flatwounds tend to do.

 

[michael_t]

The light gauge set, what do you feel is closest to in terms of pulling weight and flexibility? Are there any other strings with a similar feel?

Here are the tension figures for BN 40-101...

G 040 - 43.2 lbs.
D 056 - 42.9
A 076 - 43.5
E 101 - 42.7 (Total 172.3)

For comparison, here are the figures for D'Addario EXL165 (45-65-85-105)...

G 045 - 42.52 lbs.
D 065 - 48.35
A 085 - 45.34
E 105 - 38.08 (Total 174.29)

In terms of stiffness/flexibility, they're not that far off from DR Fat Beams 45-105 but slightly firmer than Sunbeams 45-105.

In terms of longevity, I had the 40-101 set on my P bass for eight months. They basically sounded the same all that time after a short break-in period. I probably could have gone for another few months easily. Just don't be looking for zingy brightness out of them as pure nickel tends to be naturally warmer than NPS or SS.

 

[Stan_da_man]

That seems like a huge amount of tension for a roundcore 40-100 set.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Now on my third set of short scale Balanced Nickels in three years, here to say they last a very long time. And there are two more Balanced Nickels sets in the string larder.

edit. The short scale DR Neons I tried on the Cat bass for ~4 months felt stiffer to me than BNs. Liked the Neons a lot, but went back to BNs.

 

[Old Blastard]

They sound great on my mostly hollow custom bass. Takes the clankbother strings seemed to bring.

 

[Exploiter8]

My only complaint... Green silks !

 

[GwenOnBass]

My only complaint... Green silks !