GHS Balanced Nickel strings

[groovaholic]

I got a set of the Balanced Nickels from Fretnation last week and installed them on my longest-owned bass.
The bass in question was built by a luthier in my hometown; it has a 1-piece maple body, ebony fretboard, and active EMG pickups.

If you're thinking "I bet that bass sounds bright!" -- you would be correct.
But it also has a surprisingly huge low end - and because the highs and lows are a bit hyped, the mids sound comparatively hollow.

That's where the Balanced Nickels come in.
They really complement the bass perfectly by mellowing the highs and filling-in the mids.

With them, the bass is sounding as good as I've ever heard it sound - and I had it since the 80s!

 

[lastminute]

Official video from GHS:



And it might be nice if modesty prevented me from posting a link to my own demos, but here you go:





[Both of those recorded with the medium set on a Fender Precision bass.]

I know this was years ago but was this through a DI only, or through an amp?

 

[trothwell]

I know this was years ago but was this through a DI only, or through an amp?

Those recordings of mine would have been made DI through a Universal Audio LA-610.

 

[docent_lol]

Today I've installed the GHS-4700-4L-NB balanced nickels in my SBMM Stingray (Pete Wentz sig), and I'm very happy with them.

I had a 45-105 D'Addario NYXL, and while the tone in general was great, I had two problems with them: they felt rather stiff in spite of being a standard set (which even my teacher noticed), and the E string was somewhat unbalanced, which I tried to correct by pickup height but to no avail.

Now once I installed the GHS-es, both of these problems are gone. They feel less stiff but not floppy - it's a perfect sweet spot for me, and the balance issues with E string are gone, they all sound even now. I was also afraid I would have to make the action higher to compensate for the lower tension but in the end didn't have to, the action is low enough for me and they still sound great.

To sum up this is my favorite set so far and will probably be hard to beat.

 

[Moredator]

I hear these suggested a lot for short scale. How is the perceived tension? I used to play long scale chromes but I am well over that and like even my long scale floppy. Nowadays I tend to play Super Slinky short scale rounds (40-60-80-100) and love how floppy they are. My gripe is that the Super Slinkys don't last for a long time (these are supposed to last longer I hear?).

Would you rather suggest pressurewounds? They seem to match my preference gauges.

 

[michael_t]

I hear these suggested a lot for short scale. How is the perceived tension? I used to play long scale chromes but I am well over that and like even my long scale floppy. Nowadays I tend to play Super Slinky short scale rounds (40-60-80-100) and love how floppy they are. My gripe is that the Super Slinkys don't last for a long time (these are supposed to last longer I hear?).

Would you rather suggest pressurewounds? They seem to match my preference gauges.

Balanced Nickels short scale = 44-60-80-106
Pressurewounds short scale = 40-54-76-96

I don't play short scale basses, but comparing the long scale sets of the two, I find the BN 44-106 firmer in feel than the PW 40-96. PW 40-96 have been my go-to, and I preferred the BN 40-101 set for playing comfort. So, if you like them "floppy", the PW might be the better choice for you.

 

[Brad Easley]

I hear these suggested a lot for short scale. How is the perceived tension? I used to play long scale chromes but I am well over that and like even my long scale floppy. Nowadays I tend to play Super Slinky short scale rounds (40-60-80-100) and love how floppy they are. My gripe is that the Super Slinkys don't last for a long time (these are supposed to last longer I hear?).

Would you rather suggest pressurewounds? They seem to match my preference gauges.

I had a Reverend Dub King short scale for the last year. It was a great bass, but I just can never get fully comfortably on a short scale. I'm just a long scale player, I guess.

Anyways, I had GHS Balanced Nickels on it for most of that time, and they felt and sounded fantastic. The tension was very similar to the same strings on a long scale bass, which has usually not been my experience on short scales. I also tried the GHS Bright Flats on it, but I didn't care for them at all. Brights Flats are similar to Pressurewounds but not exactly the same construction. The feel of the Bright Flats really interfered with my playing. They're too "grippy" like the edges of the windings are too rough.

All that to say, I definitely recommend the Balanced Nickels on any bass.

 

[Moredator]

Balanced Nickels short scale = 44-60-80-106
Pressurewounds short scale = 40-54-76-96

I don't play short scale basses, but comparing the long scale sets of the two, I find the BN 44-106 firmer in feel than the PW 40-96. PW 40-96 have been my go-to, and I preferred the BN 40-101 set for playing comfort. So, if you like them "floppy", the PW might be the better choice for you.

I had a Reverend Dub King short scale for the last year. It was a great bass, but I just can never get fully comfortably on a short scale. I'm just a long scale player, I guess.

Anyways, I had GHS Balanced Nickels on it for most of that time, and they felt and sounded fantastic. The tension was very similar to the same strings on a long scale bass, which has usually not been my experience on short scales. I also tried the GHS Bright Flats on it, but I didn't care for them at all. Brights Flats are similar to Pressurewounds but not exactly the same construction. The feel of the Bright Flats really interfered with my playing. They're too "grippy" like the edges of the windings are too rough.

All that to say, I definitely recommend the Balanced Nickels on any bass.

I guess I will just have to get both to try out. No biggie! Thanks.

 

[GwenOnBass]

GHS Balanced Nickels have been my preferred set for ~5 years on my Nordstrand Acinonyx.

The feel, subjectively, pretty close in flexibility to the .040 - .100 sets on the full scale. (edit. .040 - .096 EB Slinkys on the full scale really are slinky!)

At this moment, white DR Neons are on the Nordy Cat. DR Neons are the only strings other than Balanced Nickels I've played on that bass. Total playing time for two sets of Neons on the Cat is around 8 months (then back to the Balanced Nickels).

What I find with the Balanced Nickels that I haven't found elsewhere is how they mature into a nearly woody tone. I'm loathe to take them off after 10 or 12 months, and do anyway because I also like to play and hear new roundwonds. Which is how, in part, I went back to the Neons — more treble when I solo the bridge pickup!

The Neons feel looser to me than the Balanced Nickels.

 

[coyoteboy]

Im tempted to try BF on cat bass. Similar tensions to BN, but stiffer, though I think thhe tension guide may have a mistake, as it lists ss G 049 same as long scale tension @ same gauge.

 

[Aussie Player]

They're a wonderful set of strings. I put them on a jazz bass 5 years ago and can't bring myself to change them. They still sound that good.

 

[michael_t]

I think thhe tension guide may have a mistake, as it lists ss G 049 same as long scale tension @ same gauge.

I once asked about this several years ago when Jon Moody was still with GHS. He explained to me their constructions are slightly different (ie different core-to-wrap ratio). In other words, the short scale set is NOT simply a shortened version of the same strings, although they're the same gauges; they're specifically designed to suit a short scale bass. So, the seeming discrepancy in tension figures is not actually a mistake.

 

[coyoteboy]

Got the BF’s on the Cat 2. After a bit if pounding, theyre growing on me. I wanted more ‘strident’ and these seem like theyll stay snarly for a bit. There was nothing wrong with the BN’s. The stiffyness (of the BF’s) seems to help yhe short scaleyness, esp with agressive picking, which I sometimes enjoy.