Just found very old original unopened Nickel DM Blue Steels.

[999Brent]

Opened them up thinking they are the current non silk version made by someone else for Dean Markley only to discover they are the old dark blue silk DM Nickel Blue Steels, even older than the sets that had light blue silk.

I must have had them for over 20 years all sealed up in their protective bag.

Not sure if I am happy or sad about the discovery as they sound awesome!

But I know I will never get another set, as they have not been made like this for a very long time.
Quite different in sound and feel from the current version.

I drifted away from Blue Steel when the silk disappeared, tried a few sets, but just didn't sound or feel as good.
I actually thought this was one of those sets,
Hence putting it away.

I often wondered if my tastes change and it wasn't the string recipe.
But nope, these are fantastic strings!
Such a shame they are not available anymore.

Anyone else a similar experience we they found an old discontinued string set that the love…only to know this is a one time deal…

 

[One Way]

I never had the opportunity to try them. Are they exposed core, tapered windings, or standard size windings for the string where they touch the bridge saddles? Just curious if that feature might be a part of their magic

 

[michael_t]

Opened them up thinking they are the current non silk version made by someone else for Dean Markley only to discover they are the old dark blue silk DM Nickel Blue Steels, even older than the sets that had light blue silk.

I must have had them for over 20 years all sealed up in their protective bag.

Can you post a pic of the package?

 

[JMacBass65]

The only other roundwound I liked (Roto RS66 were my go to). I still have a set of the old ones that I pulled off my Jazz forever ago (it's been sporting TIJF ever since). Great feel and tone.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

My favorite strings of all time. Never thought I'd like a set more than Rotos.
If I knew they were going away I would have laid in a few sets, but...alas.
If I found a new/old set, it would would be like finding a Benjamin in an old coat pocket!
Lucky guy....

 

[Pdaddy1978]

And they came with a sticker for your case!

 

[Lee Moses]

And they came with a sticker for your case!
View attachment 7420093

I used to have a couple of those stickers on my case. They were my go-to strings from about 1989-91. I recall them having light blue silks at the time.

 

[Daniel B5]

I used to have a couple of those stickers on my case. They were my go-to strings from about 1989-91. I recall them having light blue silks at the time.

Same. My case still sports a number of those stickers. Playing with Blue Steels had a kind of synaesthesia effect where I visualized the brightness as shimmering off the strings into the air.

When I got back into playing after a very long break, I was bummed to find out that, for all intents and purposes, they're gone

 

[Lo-E]

They were my go-to strings from about 1989-91.

Mine, too. I transitioned from Rotos to the plain DMs with the yellow packaging and then to these in '89.
I liked them a lot. I thought they were smoother and longer lasting than the Rotos and I thought they sounded very similar.

Sometime around '93 I gravitated towards NPS and I haven't played SS rounds since. For me it was just a case of changing preferences.

 

[el murdoque]

Anyone else a similar experience we they found an old discontinued string set that the love…only to know this is a one time deal…

Well, I did not have your luck - I got some rare and very old strings in the original pack, sealed up and all - but I do know it's them, so I have them locked in a cupboard, knowing this is probably the last pair I'll ever see, so this is for a very special day - the bar is so high that I might install them to record a platinum hit song whenever my wedding, Christmas and my birthday fall on the same day, but not for a lesser event.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Their original Blue Steels were wonderful. When they changed them, or outsourced them, I stopped using them because there was nothing special about them.

 

[999Brent]

Can you post a pic of the package?

Here you go, no difference in packaging that I can see. Hence me thinking all along this was a newer set.
Interestingly no sticker in the pack…
I forgot they always came with a sticker.

 

[MindinAction]

@999Brent I have a five-string set with light blue silk. Didn't really care for them. Got them during the Rocco Prestia benefit auctions on eBay. DM me and I'll send them to you if you'd like them.

Edit: They are mediums 50 - 128. Keeping the sticker .

 

[Cleezmo]

Wow, what a way-back, flashback moment! I also played Blue Steels exclusively in high school / college / post college, probably from '91-'98 maybe? And I still have a Blue Steels sticker on the case of my '90 Peavey Dyna-Bass, ha!

 

[jmmyoh]

Also this.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Those strings are still my favorite rounds. Never found anything quite like them. They sounded killer on my Precision Bass!

 

[SC Bassboy]

I managed to save up enough money to try them back in the early 90's. At the time I was playing a Fender Musicmaster bass, which meant that all the cool silk got clipped off the ends once they were fitted to the short scale instrument. That made me really sad haha. The only thing I actually remember about them is the feel. They had a little more friction than normal strings, which I kinda liked.

 

[ahbradot]

I too found a brand new sealed package Blue Steel Dean Markley
50-105 string set.
I don't even remember buying them.
I never used them before finding these in 2022.
They must've been at least 26 years old.
I know this because I have not played this bass from 1995 until 2022.
I installed them on 2/10/22 on my old 1985 Gibson Explorer.
They sound like piano strings and they're still very vibrant today four years later.
I rarely play this old 1985 Gibson Explorer anymore.

 

[blacktocomm]

Blue Steels were my go to back in the day. Great sounding strings. I would consider that a score.

 

[tindrum]

Here you go, no difference in packaging that I can see. Hence me thinking all along this was a newer set.
Interestingly no sticker in the pack…
I forgot they always came with a sticker.

Those are definitely the OG strings as the bottom flap has the Santa Clara, CA address.