OMG, i just found my strings, Elixir nickels on my jazz bass

[aaronl]

I've been going through a string odyssey lately. OMG, I think I found my favorites. Elixir nickels on my jazz bass. OK, they're not very bright. They sound very similar to a set of D'Addario Xls that are a month old or so, maybe a bit more, actually. They cut a lot of the highs off, but if you do rock and stuff and not slap they sound great and the feel! OMG the feel is so good. They are so smooth. My fingers glide across them, fingering and also plucking, I love these strings. I'm going to try the SS version to make sure, but these feel and sound great. I've only had them a few hours, but I feel like they are ideal for me.

EDIT: I also wanted to say that I feel like they are strings that make me feel like when I first discovered compression. They are more forgiving of my technique. Maybe that's a bad thing? I guess it's part of them not having as much high end? They feel so smooth though, man.

EDIT2: OK, also, they have slightly higher tension-feel than D'Addario XLs, which also suits me. I can keep the action reasonable and not worry so much about clanking frets.

They're definitely darker than uncoated strings though. They're like worn in strings. I hope they stay like this a long time.

 

[Daedraziel]

I've been using mainly Elixirs on my working basses for the past decade. Play active Jazz basses as well. They last longer than anything else if you wipe them down after shows and practice. They maintain a decent tone for the entire life of the string instead of that typical progression...BRIGHT and Zingy... Worn in but still have the high end...Dead rubber bands.

I'll be honest though, lately I'm learning to hate the sound of them in solo practice, they don't intonate especially well on my instruments and they are bland to my ears. On a quest for something new lately. Tried so many different kinds, hard to compete with the longevity and slickness of Elixirs.

 

[BeauZooka]

I didn't even know that Elixir's had a Nickle coated version. I'm interested!

 

[HaphAsSard]

I didn't even know that Elixir's had a Nickle coated version. I'm interested!

The OP is about the long-established baseline Elixirs. Nanoweb (thinner version of the original Polyweb, now only an option for guitar) -coated nickel-plated roundwounds. As in, a normal, nickelplated steel round, only coated in a thin, polymeric film, electrolytically applied to the finished metal string like a stocking (and this is the biggest difference with other coated strings, in which the coating is applied to the wrap wire prior to winding).
The "news" is that they also come in stainless-steel (under the coating) version. Well, they have for 13 years, that is.

 

[aaronl]

I've been using mainly Elixirs on my working basses for the past decade. Play active Jazz basses as well. They last longer than anything else if you wipe them down after shows and practice. They maintain a decent tone for the entire life of the string instead of that typical progression...BRIGHT and Zingy... Worn in but still have the high end...Dead rubber bands.

I'll be honest though, lately I'm learning to hate the sound of them in solo practice, they don't intonate especially well on my instruments and they are bland to my ears. On a quest for something new lately. Tried so many different kinds, hard to compete with the longevity and slickness of Elixirs.

i get it. they could be seen as a kind of bland tone. the feel is so good though. i can see if someone wanted zing, these are not it. have you compared the SS with Nickel?

 

[aaronl]

The OP is about the long-established baseline Elixirs. Nanoweb (thinner version of the original Polyweb, now only an option for guitar) -coated nickel-plated roundwounds. As in, a normal, nickelplated steel round, only coated in a thin, polymeric film, electrolytically applied to the finished metal string like a stocking (and this is the biggest difference with other coated strings, in which the coating is applied to the wrap wire prior to winding).
The "news" is that they also come in stainless-steel (under the coating) version. Well, they have for 13 years, that is.

sorry if my post was confusing! The Elixirs are new to me but old news.

 

[Daedraziel]

i get it. they could be seen as a kind of bland tone. the feel is so good though. i can see if someone wanted zing, these are not it. have you compared the SS with Nickel?

Yup! Tried every offering from Elixir over the years, the stainless isn't as flexible as nickel and stays brighter for longer, but I noticed a larger difference in tone deadening after the break in. Also the cores on them seem to snap at the bridge more often on my instruments... I think it may be my playstyle on stiffer feeling strings though. Nickel is better for all the around cover/wedding stuff I play.