La Bella Rx Nickels

[basss]

I just put these on and really like them. I've had these in the string box for a while but have hesitated to put them on. Descriptions here are all over the place so it was hard to gauge what these might be like. I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.

They feel great under the fingers. I find them medium tension and not low as advertised. I have the 40-100s on and they seem on par with 45-105 Hi Beams or Dunlop Super Brights which to me feel low tension. The light gauge RXs have a great soft but not loose feel and are super smooth to the touch.

I'm coming from Hi Beams and the compared to those the RXs have a fatness to the low mids that I'm really digging. The highs are warmer but still with some airyness and the lows might not be as wide but they don't sound compressed at all. I've also had Dunlop Super Brights on this bass and compared to these the RXs have less crunch in the upper mids and are fatter in the low mids. They're balanced with a low mid focus if that makes any sense. My experience with La Bellas in the past has been that they loose the airy highs and get thuddy pretty quickly. I'm hoping these keep some zing for a bit longer - we'll see.

 

[michael_t]

I'm coming from Hi Beams and the compared to those the RXs have a fatness to the low mids that I'm really digging. The highs are warmer but still with some airyness and the lows might not be as wide but they don't sound compressed at all. I've also had Dunlop Super Brights on this bass and compared to these the RXs have less crunch in the upper mids and are fatter in the low mids. They're balanced with a low mid focus if that makes any sense.

Have you ever tried the DR Nickel Lo-Riders? Based on your description of the LB RX Nickels, I'm thinking you might like the NLRs

 

[basss]

I have but it's been so long I don't remember much except that I liked them. I'll have to give them another shot.

 

[tindrum]

Have you ever tried the DR Nickel Lo-Riders? Based on your description of the LB RX Nickels, I'm thinking you might like the NLRs

Having used both I’d say they aren’t terribly similar as the RX are much more flexible than nickel LoRiders. Both great strings but pretty different feeling.

 

[michael_t]

Having used both I’d say they aren’t terribly similar as the RX are much more flexible than nickel LoRiders. Both great strings but pretty different feeling.

Thanks for your perspective on the RXN vs. the NLR. I happen to have a couple of unopened sets of La Bella RX's but they're stainless steel, which I don't think I'll ever use. So, I was curious to see how the RX Nickels would compare with the NLR, which I'm very familiar with.

 

[basss]

I still have this set on and they still sound good. They've lost some of the new string ring but still sound pretty open and not thuddy like a lot of other nickels do when they age. Gonna stick with these!

 

[michael_t]

I still have this set on and they still sound good. They've lost some of the new string ring but still sound pretty open and not thuddy like a lot of other nickels do when they age. Gonna stick with these!

This thread was started on Mar 23 right after you installed the La Bella. I put the DR Nickel Lo-Riders on my P bass on Mar 12.

It will be interesting to see how each set will age in the next few months...and beyond. I do intend to keep them on till they're worn to the point of needing to be replaced.

 

[basss]

DR's have always been great for longevity for me. That's one reason I hesitated putting on the La Bellas but this set is doing well so far.

 

[TomB]

I put Rx’s on my SS 5-string in the fall. I agree that they’re “medium” tension and are relatively soft feeling but without flop, even in SS. I haven’t tried long scale. I’m finding them spending a long time in the “sweet spot” for lifetime, very pleasing - a big fat low and high mid, moderate highs. The sound is very balanced, as you say. I was nervous buying them and am now pleasantly surprised. I gig 1-2 times / wk and expect I’ll get 6 mos or so from them - as good as any RW’s (not counting PW’s) and better than some.

 

[basss]

Over the last week this set has degraded into a dull thud. This is the longest I've ever kept a set of strings on. I usually change strings monthly just for the heck of it but lately I've been leaving them on longer. These sounded great and continued to have some snap and openness until very recently. I'm impressed by the longevity.

 

[TomB]

Good to hear! I sold the bass with the stainless RX on it so I don’t know how they’ll age. I have the 5-string short scale RX nickels on another of my basses. They still sound great after a year, but they haven’t worked that much - a handful of gigs - as most of my gigs / sessions call for flats. Finding any 5-string short scale string set is a real challenge, and these RX make me smile so far !

 

[GTHintz]

6 months for nickel is doing pretty good. I tried the stainless Rx and got a bad string. Labella never got around to sending a replacement so I got frustrated. I will say the others did sound nice so I can't say they're all terrible. I'd try another set.

 

[basss]

I should say that I've been playing more upright lately but the RXs were still getting played a few times a week.

 

[alex1fly]

Over the last week this set has degraded into a dull thud. This is the longest I've ever kept a set of strings on. I usually change strings monthly just for the heck of it but lately I've been leaving them on longer. These sounded great and continued to have some snap and openness until very recently. I'm impressed by the longevity.

My first RX set settled into a very tapewound-like sound and feel after after 4 years on the bass. I agree, great set of roundwound strings.