Possible string ID? Nickel rounds

[CrimsonGhost]

Howdy folks.
Anyone happen to know what other strings that are very similar in appearance to Ernie ball slinky nickel roundwounds?

My Stringray 5hh came with nickel rounds which I automatically assumed where Ernie ball's. They sounded great.

Once those died I ordered a set of 45-130 slinkys, the green pack.

Appearance wise they look pretty much identical. Simple no silk nickel rounds with brass ball ends.

However the Ernie balls I replaced this original set with aren't as crunchy, and just a hair less bright. EB only make a 5 string set with a .100 E. The original strings had a much tighter E ,likely a .105 which I prefer.

SIT, or DR possibly? If so what DRs could they have been? Definitely not D'Addario with plain brass ball ends.

Thanks!

 

[Lowbrow]

Could be DR as described. I use Sunbeams, which I came to Roto 66 steel> GHS Boomers nickel > Roto 66 nickel > Sunbeams. The bunch of their rounds sound great.

 

[michael_t]

However the Ernie balls I replaced this original set with aren't as crunchy, and just a hair less bright. EB only make a 5 string set with a .100 E. The original strings had a much tighter E ,likely a .105 which I prefer.

Do you still have the old strings?

 

[CrimsonGhost]

Could be DR as described. I use Sunbeams, which I came to Roto 66 steel> GHS Boomers nickel > Roto 66 nickel > Sunbeams. The bunch of their rounds sound great.

Sunbeams are round core right? Sorry Dr confuses me. I found part of one of the old strings and it almost seems like it's roundcore.. really hard to tell without an eye loop but It seems very smooth.

Thanks!

 

[michael_t]

Sunbeams are round core right? Sorry Dr confuses me. I found part of one of the old strings and it almost seems like it's roundcore.. really hard to tell without an eye loop but It seems very smooth.

Thanks!

How do the new strings feel compared to the old ones in terms of overall stiffness/flexibility?

 

[Fan Fret]

SIT and DR were the first to come to mind as using non-colored ball ends. If they are DR you can easily tell, as they will have close to a 38" winding length.

 

[sheesh]

I just put some Sunbeams on a Jazz after reading on talkbass and doing some research. The ends are brass, no color coding, and no color thread at the top, just the string color.

Sunbeams are round core, not hex, and they have nickel not stainless steel.

I spent time on the DR site looking at the different string types. The site seems to be helpful in terms of understanding the different strings.

 

[CrimsonGhost]

Do you still have the old strings?

I found a few pieces in the trash and unwound an E. They are pretty smooth cores. Starting at the core, the. A very very fine 1st wrap. Looks to be around 4 wraps total.

How do the new strings feel compared to the old ones in terms of overall stiffness/flexibility?

Flexibility wise, typically roundcores are looser but the slinkys .100 E to me seems flubby compared to the old s which fekts like a .105

I just put some Sunbeams on a Jazz after reading on talkbass and doing some research. The ends are brass, no color coding, and no color thread at the top, just the string color.

Sunbeams are round core, not hex, and they have nickel not stainless steel.

I spent time on the DR site looking at the different string types. The site seems to be helpful in terms of understanding the different strings.

I think I may have narrowed it down to DR or Dunlop super brights. Seems like for sit foundations are the go to and have a more unique top wrap...

*Update apparently super bright have a tapered E...

 

[michael_t]

I found a few pieces in the trash and unwound an E. They are pretty smooth cores. Starting at the core, the. A very very fine 1st wrap. Looks to be around 4 wraps total.

Can you measure the E string from the ball end to the first taper, where the full winding ends? If it's close to 37.75"-38", they're most likely DR. If they're round core, the Sunbeams; if hex core, the Nickel Lo-Riders. DR strings generally have finer outer wraps than most due to a thinner wire used.

 

[CrimsonGhost]

Can you measure the E string from the ball end to the first taper, where the full winding ends. If it's close to 37.75"-38", they're most likely DR. If they're round core, the Sunbeams; if hex core, the Nickel Lo-Riders. DR strings generally have finer outer wraps than most due to a thinner wire used.

Unfortunately, since I automatically thought the strings that came on the bass which I thought were Ernie ball I cut them taking them off and quickly tossed. I think at this point, is going to be a trial and error scenario.

I think we are down to the following which matches the description.

Dunlop super brights
DR
SIT.
These appear to be the only current manufacturers making no silk,raw bras ball ends and in 45-140 guage.

Superbrights have got to be close.. brighter than slinkys and a .105 E I'll give those a shot and if the magic doesn't happen than onto DR and then SIT.. just looking back on the order it looks like the super bright 45-130 set actually has a tapered B.. while it doesn't fit the description it seems pretty rare to see a taped b set in nickel in general. I have them a shot and we will keep trying until we get there that's all!

I'm new to 5 string, bought a stingray special and it was so amazing and in sick of downtuning to C# to noodles with the band that I just had to grab a second stingray in 5hh.

 

[michael_t]

Dunlop super brights
DR
SIT.
These appear to be the only current manufacturers making no silk,raw bras ball ends and in 45-140 guage.

Dunlop = thin hex core for flexibility. Not the smoothest in surface texture.
DR = round core for flexibility, hex core for added stiffness. Very smooth surface texture.
SIT (Power Wound Nickels) = hex core, stiffer in feel than DR round core (Sunbeams) or Dunlop. Somewhere between DR and Dunlop in terms of surface texture.

DR and Dunlop come in 45-65-85-105-125/130.
SIT only come in either 45-65-80-100-125 or 50-70-85-105-130.

 

[gregbackstrom]

Howdy folks.
Anyone happen to know what other strings that are very similar in appearance to Ernie ball slinky nickel roundwounds?

My Stringray 5hh came with nickel rounds which I automatically assumed where Ernie ball's. They sounded great.

Once those died I ordered a set of 45-130 slinkys, the green pack.

Appearance wise they look pretty much identical. Simple no silk nickel rounds with brass ball ends.

However the Ernie balls I replaced this original set with aren't as crunchy, and just a hair less bright. EB only make a 5 string set with a .100 E. The original strings had a much tighter E ,likely a .105 which I prefer.

SIT, or DR possibly? If so what DRs could they have been? Definitely not D'Addario with plain brass ball ends.

Thanks!

D'Addario XL Nickels are no silk - plain brass ball ends. I use those on my EB MM Stingray 35th Anniversary and my Ibanez Gary Willis sig.

 

[michael_t]

D'Addario XL Nickels are no silk - plain brass ball ends. I use those on my EB MM Stingray 35th Anniversary and my Ibanez Gary Willis sig.

D'A XL Nickels have color-coded ball ends, gold-red-black-green (E-G).

EDIT: ...unless they're custom sets made out of singles.

 

[gregbackstrom]

D'A XL Nickels have color-coded ball ends, gold-red-black-green (E-G).

EDIT: ...unless they're custom sets made out of singles.

D'A XL Nickels have color-coded ball ends, gold-red-black-green (E-G).

EDIT: ...unless they're custom sets made out of singles.

I just checked my string stash. I do have one EXL165-5 set that has colored ball ends and two older D'A nickel sets that don't have colored ball ends. I did order some sets from the D'A site some years ago that I put together from singles. Maybe that's where these plain ball ends came from!

 

[joelb79]

IF you want a crunchy nickel round sound from EB, try the Cobalt Slinkies. They have nickel in them.

 

[CrimsonGhost]

IF you want a crunchy nickel round sound from EB, try the Cobalt Slinkies. They have nickel in them.

I just went thru a bunch of different setsnand still can't find the string that came on the bass which where great.

Just picked up a set of the cables and I'll throw them on tomorrow I think you might have nailed it. A crunchier slinky = cobalts and matches description. We will see Thanks!

 

[joelb79]

I just went thru a bunch of different setsnand still can't find the string that came on the bass which where great.

Just picked up a set of the cables and I'll throw them on tomorrow I think you might have nailed it. A crunchier slinky = cobalts and matches description. We will see Thanks!

Did you give them a shot? They are pretty aggressive sounding, but I relate that to crunchy because they have more output. The feel though, they are really slinky.