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Pure Nickel Alchemists Union
- Thread starter e-flat
- Start date
@e-flat, am I correct in saying you intended this thread to be about "pure nickel" strings, both flats and rounds, but not about "nickel-plated steel"?
I ask because some people don't seem to differentiate between "pure nickel" and "nickel-plated steel".
I did intend it to be about pure nickel strings, but I’d be happy to hear people weigh in with discussion of what differentiates NPS tone from pure nickel, and what folks like about each!
I love NPS strings, too, but reach for them when I want more sheen & brilliance. Pure nickel is all about a more subdued high end, and overall more balanced string EQ (IMO).
This thread is going to need a moderator.
Maybe not. Should be able to cover the 5-6 sets of pure nickel strings that exist pretty quickly
Pure nickel round. The old version has butter smooth string surface.
Custom wound, length too. Just ask and he’ll make them. Put a set on my string through Pbird and on my 4003w. Pure nickel is the only roundwounds I’ll use and Tenario makes a killer set of strings
These are the strings I’ve been eyeballing for the past 2 years but haven’t pulled the trigger... might have to cave in!
Here are the sets I’m currently running:
La Bella Low Tension Nickel Rounds
47/68/80/108
Ash P Bass w/ Duncan Antiquity I
This set is REALLY easy on the fretting hand & easy to bend. Thin core wire, GREAT midrange bump. Highs are nice & clear but never approaching the sheen of NPS. La Bella should make these a standard set - so good.
La Bella Nickel MoTown Rounds
50/70/95/110
Alder P Bass w/ Novak PBV.
The nickel rounds for a deep, woody, low end with a “foggy” top end - very balanced across the lows & mids but the high end is subdued... this set is great because I can run the tone knob wide open and never even think of fighting the treble. Tension isn’t as bad as I expected, either - maybe a touch tighter than a standard .105 rounds set like Boomers.
Pyramid Pure Nickels
45/65/85/105
Alder stack-knob Jazz Bass w/ Q Pickups A2 & A3 PUs
The Pyramids are tonally super balanced with no hype but the lows go quite deep - these are my new “standard” in pure nickel, and while I liked them on both of the above mentioned P Basses, I REALLY like them on a Jazz. Taut & responsive feel that lends itself to low action.
La Bella Low Tension Nickel Rounds
47/68/80/108
Ash P Bass w/ Duncan Antiquity I
This set is REALLY easy on the fretting hand & easy to bend. Thin core wire, GREAT midrange bump. Highs are nice & clear but never approaching the sheen of NPS. La Bella should make these a standard set - so good.
La Bella Nickel MoTown Rounds
50/70/95/110
Alder P Bass w/ Novak PBV.
The nickel rounds for a deep, woody, low end with a “foggy” top end - very balanced across the lows & mids but the high end is subdued... this set is great because I can run the tone knob wide open and never even think of fighting the treble. Tension isn’t as bad as I expected, either - maybe a touch tighter than a standard .105 rounds set like Boomers.
Pyramid Pure Nickels
45/65/85/105
Alder stack-knob Jazz Bass w/ Q Pickups A2 & A3 PUs
The Pyramids are tonally super balanced with no hype but the lows go quite deep - these are my new “standard” in pure nickel, and while I liked them on both of the above mentioned P Basses, I REALLY like them on a Jazz. Taut & responsive feel that lends itself to low action.
Killer with thunderbird and Ric pickups. Last forever, look at the videos of them on guitar, dude dive bombs and tortured them. Stays in tune and had them on for a long time and still sounds great
Ever since trying GHS Balanced Nickels I can’t imagine using any other string. They’re just that good for the things I do (a modern funky white guy RnB band, and a corporate/wedding band).
Were those La Bella sets limited runs? I've heard of the MoTown Rounds but never seen them and have neither seen or heard of the low tension nickel rounds.
Yeah, they were limited sets that La Bella put up for sale recently. I wish they’d bring both sets into standard production, though.
So not pure nickel of course but slapped a set of these bad boys on today and man oh man I'd forgotten how much I liked these strings. Had em on a G&L JB that I sold 4-5 years ago. Let's just say these strings will have the flats sitting on the sidelines for awhile. They sound so rich and warm and thick and creamy and all the other good descriptors you want to throw out and that's before they've settled in. Tension is perfect. There's a springiness to them that I love and they're very easy to play. The more I look around the more I'm convinced TI makes the best and most unique strings and ya love em or hate em. I feel compelled now to give the Jazz Rounds a try. People that use them describe them like they have the same magic as the flats. I imagine they probably are just as unique special and can't let myself be thrown off by the small gauges and tension like I was for so long with the flats. Until then I'm going to be enjoying the heck out of this set.
Infeld Superalloy . Much cheaper than other TI strings but offer same quality.
I was going to say Superalloy is not pure nickel, but noticed they do have pure nickel inner layers under the Alloy 52 (nickel-iron). Cool!
I tried the Superalloys and didn't love them or find anything special about them back when I got my Sadowsky. I do remember they had some thump to them though which surprised me for a round. I landed on Fodera Nickels and Super Brights at that time that were less than half the price. Good possibility that the SA's might suit my P better.
There's definitely a lot of that TI magic in the PowerBass set. Right out of the gate they are giving me everything I've been liking about the DR Pure Blues with more oomph behind them and a much thicker bottom. They honestly just sound THICK across the spectrum. And from what I remember of them they settle into a really nice space and stay there for a long time. They have a springiness to both their feel as far as playing and to the notes as well as a roundness to the tone that I've only experienced with TI. It's the hard thing to explain IMO about TI. It's like a warm soft thump. Like bouncing a ball on a firm rubber surface. Strings and Beyond has the PowerBass for $59 and paid no shipping or tax which made them about $15 less in the end than most places charge.
Everybody that uses the Jazz Rounds talks about how big the sound is from them and the warmth so I'm curious to learn more about them and eventually try a set. They'll probably be my first Pure Nickel set that I try.
@e-flat I know you like the TI flats...have you tried the jazz rounds?
There's definitely a lot of that TI magic in the PowerBass set. Right out of the gate they are giving me everything I've been liking about the DR Pure Blues with more oomph behind them and a much thicker bottom. They honestly just sound THICK across the spectrum. And from what I remember of them they settle into a really nice space and stay there for a long time. They have a springiness to both their feel as far as playing and to the notes as well as a roundness to the tone that I've only experienced with TI. It's the hard thing to explain IMO about TI. It's like a warm soft thump. Like bouncing a ball on a firm rubber surface. Strings and Beyond has the PowerBass for $59 and paid no shipping or tax which made them about $15 less in the end than most places charge.
Everybody that uses the Jazz Rounds talks about how big the sound is from them and the warmth so I'm curious to learn more about them and eventually try a set. They'll probably be my first Pure Nickel set that I try.
@e-flat I know you like the TI flats...have you tried the jazz rounds?
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