Nickel Boomers. Your thoughts?

[Lo-E]

I would also say that the XL’s gradually ease into their “played in” tone, whereas the Boomers go fast, almost overnight, but if you like their settled tone (most Boomer fans really do) they’ll stay that way longer.

I would agree with this but I would add (totally subjectively) that I prefer the tone of broken-in XLs to that of broken-in Boomers so the way I would have described it is “Boomers go dead faster” even though we’re actually saying exactly the same thing from two different perspectives.

Boomers were the first strings I ever used, followed by Roto-Sounds (which died even faster), then a few years with Dean Markleys and then I settled on D’Aquisto nickels as my Go-To strings. That worked great until D’Aquisto went belly-up and then I tried every freakin’ thing I could get my hands on and ended up liking the XLs the best.

For different degrees of warmer sounds I’ve had good luck with DR Sunbeams, R. Cocco and Sfarzo strings - all because I like the way they break in. The Sunbeams are by far the warmest and also much more flexible than the others. The Sfarzos are very nice and I’m not quite sure why they’re not more popular.

 

[Sixgunn]

I've been a D'Addario XL nickels guy for decades. I try other strings but keep coming back.

Nickel Boomers are also hex core. I like stiffer, high-tension strings. Is anyone able to compare the two regarding tone and feel?

I used to use them before I discovered stainless steel. They sound great for maybe a weak then they sound dead.

 

[landrybass]

You should try the DR Nickle Low Riders. Kind of hard to find but great strings. I've been using the Pure Blues (Round Core) lately because they cheaper and more available. I actually have a nickel allergy too, but I play them anyway because stainless feels like its ripping my thumb skin open.

 

[micguy]

If you like clickiness (treble/zing) to be predominant in your tone, the Daddario Xl's are pretty good for nickels. If you like less zing and more bark (upper mids - more clack than click), Boomers are a better choice. Different basses call for different strings, so there is not absolute preference - I use both (and other strings) on different instruments.

 

[fishdude101101]

They thump harder and have less high end that XL's. Less clanky high mids too. Honestly as far as roundwounds go they have more fundamental than most especially in a live setting.

 

[MCS4]

Just jumping in to say that, as a lifetime Boomers player who has tried XLs now and then, I think the comments thus far give a fairly accurate overview of the differences between these two sets of strings and the different issues of taste that might lead someone to prefer one to the other.

Boomers are still my go to as I appreciate that they do not stay extremely "new string" bright for especially long, but their smoother "worn in" tone lasts a long time and preserves plenty of treble and mid. They also feel better on my fingers.

 

[Geri O]

ok boomers

Like no one saw that coming….

 

[jim nolte]

I bounced around between Boomers, Slinkys and XLs for years and finally settled on XLs, just the right tension and zing with a more gradual and longer lasting time period than the Boomers, Slinky’s seemed to be a little closer match to the XLs but it really is a personal thing as when I find something I like I tend to stick with it, been driving the same pickup for 20 years (;

 

[JW56789]

Great strings.

I find roundwound nickels are my happy spot. Less grind than stainless, a bit livelier than grounds and certainly better than flats for me. I'd agree they speak a bit lower down the frequencies than XL's or Fender nickelwounds, and for me GHS is disturbingly consistent, as if they made ten zillion sets in the 70's and slowly doled them out over these many years. DON'T ask me about their English predecessors, I walked away from Rotosounds as I never knew WHAT was going to be in the next set.

I've NEVER had a bum set, and over these many years, and lots and lots of Boomers, they ALWAYS sound the same.

 

[seedokebass]

I was a GHS Boomer guy for a long time then switched to D'Addario nickels. I feel like they stay new sounding a little longer. I don't recall a vast tonal difference or feel but it was enough of a difference to stay with D'Addario.

I'd take either over Ernie Ball nickels. I feel like those used to be good but the last packs I had over the years got dull sounding in days.

 

[lordradish]

I've been a D'Addario XL nickels guy for decades. I try other strings but keep coming back.

Nickel Boomers are also hex core. I like stiffer, high-tension strings. Is anyone able to compare the two regarding tone and feel?

It's been so long since I've compared the two, but I've had nothing but Boomers on my Wal for the last 15 years or so. I like 'em that much.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I've been a D'Addario XL nickels guy for decades. I try other strings but keep coming back.

Nickel Boomers are also hex core. I like stiffer, high-tension strings. Is anyone able to compare the two regarding tone and feel?

Tone, boomers are pretty much the only strings that sound similar to elixirs. They have the same mid range character.

They're bright, but not zingy. And full of mid punch, with a tight bottom end. Smooth out the package, and break in very nicely within a week. They last a good 3 weeks or so too, then they stay just a little more mellow for about 2 months before they die out.

Can't compare them to D' Addarios, because I hate D' Addarios. I hate the feel, I hate the tone, and I hate how quickly they die.

 

[WarwickE36]

I personally would not describe boomers as bright. Maybe sorta for a day. After that I find them muddy. But I am a stainless fan. So take my comments with a grain of salt.

 

[Yahboy]

If you dont mind a stiffer string, Elixir nickel

Elixir nickel still has less stiffness feel than boomer.
Been load a set boomer medium gauge on my client Cort B4 plus, since the bass naturally lack low end, the boomer just fill the blank.
The the bridge cable stiffness feel really bad with finger style for me. But lot of punch and thunder note with aggressive pick style.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

I didn't really like Daddario Nickels and do really like Boomers, but one thing I have trouble with is that when low on the E string there's a kind of metallic sheen to the tone, my fingers have to think quite hard to get a nice warmth down there. (This is with 45–105)

Once they get old, which for me comes at about 3 or 4 months, the middle drops out of the tone. As I recall, the ageing of the Daddarios was more like a gradual turning of the tone knob from 10 to 0 over a couple of months. If I were someone who liked well worn strings, I would choose the XLs over the Boomers.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

The Bassics also use a slightly smaller core diameter, making them not quite as stiff in feel as the Boomers

Comparing the 45-105 set of Boomers with the 44-106 set of Bassics, I see that the Bassics are slightly lower in tension, as well.

Standard Boomers 45•65•85•105 — 186.5
Balanced Nickels 44•60•80•106 — 184.2
Roundcore Boomers 45•65•85•105 — 178.7
Bassics 44•63•84•106 — 176.1

Whether either my hands or my bass's neck would notice the difference between 176 and 186, I've no idea

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I've been a D'Addario XL nickels guy for decades. I try other strings but keep coming back.

Nickel Boomers are also hex core. I like stiffer, high-tension strings. Is anyone able to compare the two regarding tone and feel?

I feel that XLs and Bass Boomers have a similar feel, tension-wise. I also feel that their outer surfaces feel quite a bit alike.

Sound-wise, they’re quite different, IMO. XLs have a brighter overall tone, and they stay bright sounding for quite some time.

Bass Boomers have less top end “zing” fresh out of the package. And that “zing” gradually wears off within the first week or so. Then they settle in to a long “medium period”. I personally love their tone during this middle period. They have a fat sounding low end, and a killer punch in the midrange, especially in the low mids. And they have plenty of top end, for my needs, but their top end isn’t as screechy sounding as other roundwounds can be.

 

[michael_t]

Whether either my hands or my bass's neck would notice the difference between 176 and 186, I've no idea

Between Boomers and Bassics, the difference in feel (as in stiffness/tension) wouldn't be nearly as obvious as the difference in tone, unless your fingers are super-fussy.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

really like Boomers, but one thing I have trouble with is that when low on the E string there's a kind of metallic sheen to the tone, my fingers have to think quite hard to get a nice warmth down there. (This is with 45–105)

I need to add a PS to this: I think this "metallic sheen" was basically me getting annoyed with the sound of a PJ combination. Since turning off the J pickup I'm back to being full-on in love with the Boomers.

That's the problems with ears, they're connected to brains....

 

[Geri O]

I think Nickel Boomers may be the only strings I’ve not tried. I’m a D’addario EXL user. I’ve tried most all of the others and took them off in a very short period of time.

I’ve about decided to stop wasting money on strings I’m likely to not like. Just about. I may try the Boomers. But while curiosity may not have killed the cat, it’s sure made him go broke at times…

Well, there’s a little update to this comment.

Since I posted this, my new bass came in the the D’addario Pro Steels that are standard issue with these basses. I decided to give them a few days as a trial run and they have really grown on me. So much so that I have put Pro Steels on all three of my basses. They don’t seem to be so thin and bright as has been my usual experience with stainless steel strings. Still getting used to the rougher feel, but that’s coming along nicely.

So, at least for now, my new go-to strings are the D’addario Pro Steels.