GHS Balanced Nickels vs. DR Pure Blues

[Brad Easley]

Similar? Different? Anyone try both and prefer one over the other? I've been on a set of GHS BN (the light 4 string set) for about a month and like them. But I ordered the DR Pure Blues 40-95 set today. I'm recently converted to light strings and trying out several sets to find the right tone.

 

[michael_t]

Similar? Different? Anyone try both and prefer one over the other? I've been on a set of GHS BN (the light 4 string set) for about a month and like them. But I ordered the DR Pure Blues 40-95 set today. I'm recently converted to light strings and trying out several sets to find the right tone.

I've tried BN 40-101 and PB 45-100. The BNs are firmer in their overall feel and slightly darker in their tonal character with deeper and fuller lows and smoother mids, while the PBs have a crisper top end with a bit more crunch in the midrange.

The PB 40-95 will definitely be more flexible and looser-feeling than the BN 40-101.

 

[michael_t]

I'm recently converted to light strings and trying out several sets to find the right tone.

I've been exploring the lighter side of life since the beginning of this year as well.

I've been enjoying the GHS Pressurewound 40-96 on my main bass and I have a set of GHS Round Core Boomers 40-55-75-95 waiting to be put on my P-bass.

Speaking of the Round Core Boomers, they would sit right in between the Balanced Nickels 40-101 and the Pure Blues 40-95 both in tone and feel. You might want to give them a try as well.

 

[uwrossl]

I liked the Pure Blues over the BNs. BNs felt nice and had a good "bedroom" tone but had trouble cutting through a mix with the band. The Pure Blues to date are still my favorite round. Admittedly I haven't gone too far down the round wound rabbit hole outside of a few different sets of DRs and the Dunlop Super Bright Nickels.

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I think both are fine choices but I personally prefer the Pure Blues. They're bright and focused without sounding harsh or brittle. I currently have a set on my Mike Dirnt P bass am really happy with them.

 

[Jon Moody]

Similar? Different? Anyone try both and prefer one over the other? I've been on a set of GHS BN (the light 4 string set) for about a month and like them. But I ordered the DR Pure Blues 40-95 set today. I'm recently converted to light strings and trying out several sets to find the right tone.

I actually have used/played both for quite some time. Simply put, they're very different. If you're wondering which one is brighter with a clear top end that isn't overly shrill, it's the Pure Blues (which are my fav DR flavor). If you want a deep, rich tone that keeps its focus and clarity, it's the Balanced Nickels.

In terms of feel, the PB are going to feel more malleable under your fingers than the BNs will, which is mainly due to construction (core diameters and such). Neither are overly loose or floppy (and I usually use a .120 for a B).

I use them both for different things. It just depends on what you're looking for.

 

[Root 5]

And the Pure Blues are plated, the BNs are pure nickel.

 

[dagrev]

As much as I love several GHS strings, BNs have only worked on one instrument, and not well enough for what I was looking for to stay on it. That was a P bass. Everything else sounded unclear and got lost in a live setting. As was said, at home they can sound fantastic. I always had problems getting them to be present in a live mix. That said, I think the pure blues would be a better option. But, that all depends on what tone you are shooting for. I go for a big, thick bass with a punch and some top-end. As a result, Boomers fit the bill a lot for me. But the pure blues are nice in that they are punchy as well but don't have a real brittle top in. Have a nice low mid thing going on too. I would say they are a little smoother and more refined sounding than boomers. Don't sound as big either.

 

[Brad Easley]

Thanks for the responses! For context, all my basses are pbasses.

And the Pure Blues are plated, the BNs are pure nickel.

That's interesting, I assumed the PB to be a solid nickel alloy wrap (whatever "quantum nickel" means) rather than a nickel plated steel wrap. Anyone know?

The Pure Blues to date are still my favorite round... Dunlop Super Bright Nickels.

I've also heard good things about the Super Bright Nickels and almost tried them next over the PB. Thoughts on how they compare?

 

[uwrossl]

I've also heard good things about the Super Bright Nickels and almost tried them next over the PB. Thoughts on how they compare?

There are a lot of similarities between the two strings. Tension is much lighter on the SBs and they tend to have more growl in mids. PBs have a little more punch in their attack. PBs are my favorite round to date for my P Bass. For J I'd take the SBs over the PBs because it benefits from the added growl. I have a fresh set of SBs and I'm going to spend some time in the next week or two with them on the P. Both SBs and PBs are great strings and I've never remotely had the issues in the live mix like I did with the BNs. I did hang on to the BNs though and I want to give them a second chance in the band setting. Need to see if maybe something was off with my set up when I put them on or if I just need to tweak the EQ a little more extreme to get them to come out. Not sure. But I couldn't get the punch and definition out of the E and A strings like I have with other sets.

FWIW SB's are so cheap that i'd highly recommended trying a set. It's great string and will give you a flavor different from most other NPS sets and you'll most likely find a home for them on one of your basses.

 

[Jon Moody]

That's interesting, I assumed the PB to be a solid nickel alloy wrap (whatever "quantum nickel" means) rather than a nickel plated steel wrap. Anyone know?

From what I remember, it was a 4% nickel-plated steel cover; typical nickel-plated steel used is 8%.

 

[Brad Easley]

Reporting back. I went into to this with the misconception that these two strings were similar. I was under the impression that the DR Pure Blues were a pure nickel winding on a round core string, and therefore would be a comparable string to the GHS Balanced Nickels. What's interesting to me is that DR Pure Blues guitar strings are directly advertised as having pure nickel windings on a round core and therefore a warmer / vintage tone. The DR Pure Blues bass marketing does not expressly state that it is a pure nickel winding. I'm still not sure what it is, but I do not think that it is a pure nickel winding. They have a much brighter tone. They do market it as having a "modern" tone, and I guess that means bright. Feels wise, they are not dissimilar given the round cores.

Getting to the heart of it, I don't hate the DR PBs, they're certainly great strings, but they're not the strings that I was looking for. So far, the GHS BNs have come the closest to the feel and sound I am looking for in a roundwound string for my pbasses (4 & 5 string Lakland Skyline 64s).

 

[michael_t]

I was under the impression that the DR Pure Blues were a pure nickel winding on a round core string, and therefore would be a comparable string to the GHS Balanced Nickels. What's interesting to me is that DR Pure Blues guitar strings are directly advertised as having pure nickel windings on a round core and therefore a warmer / vintage tone. The DR Pure Blues bass marketing does not expressly state that it is a pure nickel winding. I'm still not sure what it is, but I do not think that it is a pure nickel winding. They have a much brighter tone. They do market it as having a "modern" tone, and I guess that means bright. Feels wise, they are not dissimilar given the round cores.

When a string manufacturer chooses to use a fancy marketing term such as "Quantum Nickel" without telling us what it actually is, it only creates confusion.

i also don't like the idea that DR uses the same name for bass strings and guitar strings of different materials and construction. Pure Blues for guitar is pure nickel, while Pure Blues for bass is a type of nickel-plated steel, as mentioned earlier in this thread.

Another example is the Black Beauties... The BB for bass is K3 coating over stainless steel on a round core, while the BB for guitar is K3 coating over nickel-plated steel on a hex core.

If you're confused, you're not the only one, thanks to DR and their marketing strategies.

 

[dagrev]

When a string manufacturer chooses to use a fancy marketing term such as "Quantum Nickel" without telling us what it actually is, it only creates confusion.

i also don't like the idea that DR uses the same name for bass strings and guitar strings of different materials and construction. Pure Blues for guitar is pure nickel, while Pure Blues for bass is a type of nickel-plated steel, as mentioned earlier in this thread.

Another example is the Black Beauties... The BB for bass is K3 coating over stainless steel on a round core, while the BB for guitar is K3 coating over nickel-plated steel on a hex core.

If you're confused, you're not the only one, thanks to DR and their marketing strategies.

To add to the confusion....I have a set of DR BBs that feel rubbery and somewhat rough. Also have a set of Dragon Skins which according to DR site are SS on round core and both have K3 coating. Yet they feel and sound different in a live setting on the same bass. I've asked DR via email twice why there is such differences in the strings when on their site they seem to be the same string with the same coating, only the BBs are black. Have yet to get a reply.

The BBs sounded best on my 06 Thunderbird, but I don't want to buy strings from a company that refuses to ever get around to answer a legitimate inquiry. I'm a GHS fan, but am pretty sure they would reply to an honest question. Problem is I've yet to find a GHS string thus far to work on that bass. But now I'm hijacking the thread!

 

[Dincrest]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but for anyone who's played both GHS Balanced Nickels and DR Pure Blues, would you say that the 40-101 GHS Balanced Nickels have comparable slinkiness/flexibility under the fingers to, say, the 45-105 set of Pure Blues?

(From past experience, I find that a 45-105 set of GHS hex-core Boomers feels much stiffer than a 45-105 set of D'Addario XLs. So I'm curious about the BN to PB comparison. Down the road I plan to try a set of 40-101 BNs on one of my basses and a set of 45-105 PBs on the other, but figured I'd still ask for insight here on TB).