Modern metal and Nickle strings

[Seth DuSith]

I should mention the stock strings were not made for multiscale. The thicker part of the windings meant to extend past the nut barely reached the nut, much less went over it, on the B string. Could be why it was inaudible

Also, not every sound didn't work. I have a cleaner sansamp based sound that works wonderfully with my new strings

 

[socialleper]

You didn't buy flats or half flats did you. There is a difference between SS and nickel but I wouldn't call it night and day.
What brands and models of strings?

 

[Altitude]

Something else is going on. The difference in tone between stainless and nickel (not “nickle” BTW - that little red underline you see means the word is misspelled) wouldn’t usually be detectable to anyone other than a bass player. I wonder if your electronics are working right.

 

[Seth DuSith]

Something else is going on. The difference in tone between stainless and nickel (not “nickle” BTW - that little red underline means the word is misspelled) wouldn’t usually be detectable to anyone other than a bass player. I wonder if your electronics are working right.

Well, I also mentioned a few times the first set of strings were piss poor quality haha. I can't emphasize it enough. They weren't good quality and they weren't designed for multi scale. The strings I switched to are dingwall nickles

The original strings were so bad quality my hands would turn grey as I played

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Could be pickup height. Never liked nickels for hardcore stuff, except the T.I. nickel Powerbass strings. I change strings alot---just put on SS Rotos yesterday, switching to Dogal SS today, to hear the difference. It only takes 10 minutes, I do it all the time.

 

[ole Jason]

Doesn't make sense. The two materials don't sound that different, especially in the context of a mix, and certainly not when dealing with fresh out of the pack strings. If anything the old steel strings would have been darker/duller than brand new nickel strings.

 

[Altitude]

Doesn't make sense. The two materials don't sound that different, especially in the context of a mix, and certainly not when dealing with fresh out of the pack strings. If anything the old steel strings would have been darker/duller than brand new nickel strings.

That’s what I thought too.

 

[Obese Chess]

I should mention the stock strings were not made for multiscale. The thicker part of the windings meant to extend past the nut barely reached the nut, much less went over it, on the B string. Could be why it was inaudible

Well, I also mentioned a few times the first set of strings were piss poor quality haha. I can't emphasize it enough. They weren't good quality and they weren't designed for multi scale. The strings I switched to are dingwall nickles

The original strings were so bad quality my hands would turn grey as I played

Yes, putting tarnished cheap strings that were not designed for a multi-scale bass on a multi-scale bass will cause the problems you described regardless of whether they are nickel or stainless steel.

I assume that putting the Dingwall nickel strings on mitigated the issues?

 

[higain617]

Stainless steel is real. But are your sure these aren't flatwounds you put on?

 

[Seth DuSith]

Yes, putting tarnished cheap strings that were not designed for a multi-scale bass on a multi-scale bass will cause the problems you described regardless of whether they are nickel or stainless steel.

I assume that putting the Dingwall nickel strings on mitigated the issues?

Yes they did. I did not put the stock strings as they came with it when I purchased it. But the Dingwall Nickle strings fixed the majority of the old issues but I think the boost in mids also had something to do with it, from the nickles

Keep in mind everyone, before posting, the volume issues were from old strings that are not name brand and did not belong on the bass. My only issue now is clarity. There is plenty of volume

 

[Seth DuSith]

Stainless steel is real. But are your sure these aren't flatwounds you put on?

They might as well be, but no, they're round wound

 

[micguy]

The differences between nickel and stainless strings are all in the treble region. You can compensate somewhat with a treble boost or cut, but it won't completely "fix" it - stainless strings have more sustain of that clink and sizzle part, which EQ can't completely compensate for.

If you can't get nickel strings to sound good, one distinct possibility is that your ears are too old. I'm getting there myself - stainless strings sound less harsh than they used to to my ears. If you look at guitarists with long careers and their guitar preferences over the years, there is a huge trend of folks moving from Les Pauls in their youth to Strats and Teles as they age. Old ears seem to need bright guitars/basses/strings.

 

[Obese Chess]

Okay, I recently changed my strings from stainless steel to Nickle (not knowing my original strings my bass came with were stainless steel) and now all my settings sound bad. Everything is muddy and I can't hear anything I play. There is no articulation

What can I do to EQ this and fix it?

Yes they did. I did not put the stock strings as they came with it when I purchased it. But the Dingwall Nickle strings fixed the majority of the old issues but I think the boost in mids also had something to do with it, from the nickles

Okay. So. I'm not sure I'm following. You put some strings on, they had a bunch of problems, you then replaced them with different strings, and then those problems went away... what is the question you are asking us, exactly?

 

[Seth DuSith]

Okay. So. I'm not sure I'm following. You put some strings on, they had a bunch of problems, you then replaced them with different strings, and then those problems went away... what is the question you are asking us, exactly?

I'm asking what frequencies I should boost and cut for modern metal when using nickels to compensate for the rounder tone

 

[Seth DuSith]

The differences between nickel and stainless strings are all in the treble region. You can compensate somewhat with a treble boost or cut, but it won't completely "fix" it - stainless strings have more sustain of that clink and sizzle part, which EQ can't completely compensate for.

If you can't get nickel strings to sound good, one distinct possibility is that your ears are too old. I'm getting there myself - stainless strings sound less harsh than they used to to my ears. If you look at guitarists with long careers and their guitar preferences over the years, there is a huge trend of folks moving from Les Pauls in their youth to Strats and Teles as they age. Old ears seem to need bright guitars/basses/strings.

It could also be that I EQd my settings to crappy strings and am unsure how to get that sound back with the new strings

 

[micguy]

Yes they did. I did not put the stock strings as they came with it when I purchased it. But the Dingwall Nickle strings fixed the majority of the old issues but I think the boost in mids also had something to do with it, from the nickles

Nickel strings don' t have a "boost in the mids". They do have less treble, which means you will hear the mids more - less distraction from the sizzle and clink means the mids are more audible, but they aren't boosted.

 

[micguy]

It could also be that I EQd my settings to crappy strings and am unsure how to get that sound back with the new strings

When in doubt, write down what you have, (just in case), then set everything flat and start over - turn down what there is too much of first, then add in what you need more of.

The differences between strings are all in the high mid/treble end of the spectrum - if you're boosting or cutting bass or low mids, it's not the strings that you're compensating for.

 

[Seth DuSith]

When in doubt, write down what you have, (just in case), then set everything flat and start over - turn down what there is too much of first, then add in what you need more of.

The differences between strings are all in the high mid/treble end of the spectrum - if you're boosting or cutting bass or low mids, it's not the strings that you're compensating for.

Yea i guess that's probably the only way. Thanks for the advice. I'll get to that when I'm at home and see if I can get a similar sound to my old sound

 

[XLunacy]

Could be a setup issue. Maybe your new strings have more tension at pitch, resulting in a slight bow in the neck, so less clank from the frets and an overall rounder tone?

 

[micguy]

Could be a setup issue. Maybe your new strings have more tension at pitch, resulting in a slight bow in the neck, so less clank from the frets and an overall rounder tone?

Good point - I always check setup after changing strings (I do setups for myself and others, so I kind of forget about this at time - just something I do as a matter of course.