Review: GHS Balanced Nickels 4M-NB

[FrenchBassQC]

You know what sucks?

Having a brand new set of BNs installed and ready to go on my P bass and not being able to play them for an entire week because of this...

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Come on be a man, Scott Devine plays with a full glove... Just sayin

 

[trothwell]

They do have pure nickel top cover. Thats why i asked. Their longevity amazes me.

It would be interesting to hear how they compare. I would also be interested in GHS Balanced Nickels vs. Fender Pure Nickels. But I for one am so happy with the GHS Balanced Nickels I don't really plan to try myself; I think I'll stick with these for a while!

 

[e-flat]

As the package states the “tone that is deep but focused”, and so it is. Not just a little, but a lot. The low end is excellent in every respect. It took some time for the E to settle in, but once it did the fundamental really opened up and roared to life. The other strings were just fine from the get go. The set settled in at about 10 hours of playing time.

The highs are plentiful and sweet and creamy like ice cream (but not sticky or melty). The high mids are rather unique in that they are mellow and smooth like a well-aged whiskey. And just like whiskey they are strong and powerful – an intoxicating force to be reckoned with. The low mids exhibit that classic ghs growl we all know and adore. The bottom end is deep; taut, and well-focused. The entire sound spectrum is broad and well amalgamated. There is nothing that overpowers or overshadows one nuance over another. In so many other roundwounds the total sound is wickedly awash in overtones so much so that the stringset is completely unfocused and whatever fundamentals there may be are drowned out. Not so with ghs Balanced Nickels. In fact they are a sonic lifesaver to pull your bass out of a sea roundwound mediocrity.

I will be posting updates and this stringset ages. As always I will attempt to keep track of playing hours, but will inevitably go astray. I will also post a head-to-head comparison & contrast with D’Addario EXL170BT.

This is what sold me on ordering a set of these: strong fundamental with fewer overtones. That's what I'm looking for. I like DR Sunbeams quite a lot, but only really love them once they're dead. I've been on the hunt for a pure nickel round core that doesn't break the bank. These came along at the right time for me!

 

[Lee Moses]

If I wanted to compare them to inferior foreign made stringsets, I would have already announced it.

 

[nerkoids]

Here is a thread that contains a ton of information & banter to include sound clips.
GHS Balanced Nickel strings

Wow, they sound great! Mellow enough even for me to be interested in them.

 

[smtp4me]

For the stainless steel players, like me, GHS does not plan to release a SS version of these strings in the immediate future. When I heard of these strings I sent an email to GHS asking about SS, and got a response the next day stating that, since nickel out sells stainless by 20 to 1, they are only releasing nickel for now.

 

[nerkoids]

These nickels sound like they're in the same sonic territory as their Pressurewounds. I wonder if... the Nickels would be pressure-wound if... nah... but maybe... nahhh.... two new bass strings products a month is a lot already...

 

[michael_t]

These nickels sound like they're in the same sonic territory as their Pressurewounds. I wonder if... the Nickels would be pressure-wound if... nah... but maybe... nahhh.... two new bass strings products a month is a lot already...

GHS just introduced Pressurewound Bronze.

And they already do offer such thing as "pure nickel rollerwound" for the electric guitar.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[DaveAceofBass]

Here is a thread that contains a ton of information & banter to include sound clips.
GHS Balanced Nickel strings

Yeah, that’s great...but they have only offered one winding length that is too short to fit on my string-through-body basses. I wish they offered the extra long length like they do with P-Flats. In the meantime I’ll stick with Sunbeams...maybe GHS will stop making all their sets just for Fender...not everyone plays a Fender.

 

[nerkoids]

GHS just introduced Pressurewound Bronze.

And they already do offer such thing as "pure nickel rollerwound" for the electric guitar.

Invalid Link Removed

Shh...

 

[NKBassman]

For the stainless steel players, like me, GHS does not plan to release a SS version of these strings in the immediate future. When I heard of these strings I sent an email to GHS asking about SS, and got a response the next day stating that, since nickel out sells stainless by 20 to 1, they are only releasing nickel for now.

How would one make a SS version of a pure nickel string? Asking for a friend.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

You know what sucks?

Having a brand new set of BNs installed and ready to go on my P bass and not being able to play them for an entire week because of this...

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Get well soon, Michael!

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Thanks for the review, Linnin!

I'm going to put a set of BN's on my Alembic, then try a set of RC Boomers on it after that. This should give me an idea which set I prefer.

Let's see if either set can dethrone Bass Boomers on it!

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

These nickels sound like they're in the same sonic territory as their Pressurewounds. I wonder if... the Nickels would be pressure-wound if... nah... but maybe... nahhh.... two new bass strings products a month is a lot already...

I hear the similarities between the BN's to the PW's too!

 

[michael_t]

Get well soon, Michael!

Thanks, Arthur!

Now that I had a chance to noodle on my brand new set of BNs yesterday, I'm using their smooth and warm low end goodness as my motivation to recover quickly so I can get back on them as soon as possible.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

My favourite roundwound so far have been Infeld Superalloy. How do they compare, if you have tried them both?

Eikari, from a lifespan viewpoint, GHS PW's equal the Superalloys. Superalloys are awesome strings, IMO. They were a bit too low tension for my taste.

I haven't tried the BN's or RC Boomers yet. I look forward to try out a set of each.

Superalloys have a very balanced sound.Very high quality set of strings, IMO.

I found their surface feel to be very similar to hex core Boomers, but more of a "flat eq" response.

Whereas for me, the mids boosted, rolled off high end and higher tension of HC Boomers are as if the folks at GHS asked me what my "perfect" set of NPS strings would sound like.

And PW's are as if the folks at GHS asked me what my "ultimate" set of strings in the entire Universe would sound and feel like.

 

[michael_t]

These nickels sound like they're in the same sonic territory as their Pressurewounds.

I hear the similarities between the BN's to the PW's too!

To my ears, there are enough of differences in tonal qualities between the two not to be redundant; each is unique in what they offer.

PWs on my J: Alloy 52 on hex core = Tight punchy lows with some serious crunch in the mids.

BNs on my P: Pure nickel on round core = Extra fullness and warmth at the bottom with clean smooth, I mean SMOOOOOTH, mids.

 

[TheAnalogKid]

I like what I hear but wonder, given the diameters, if you have to adjust your nut slots (fill or expand) if you normally use 045/065/085/105? My inclination is to say "no" or "not necessarily"

 

[40Hz]

This thread is about a new, unique, and balanced pure nickel wrapped roundwound electric bass guitar stringset made in the United States of America . If I wanted to compare them to inferior foreign made stringsets, I would have already announced it.

Kind of a hostile reply to somebody’s simple question.

 

[NKBassman]

I like what I hear but wonder, given the diameters, if you have to adjust your nut slots (fill or expand) if you normally use 045/065/085/105?

No way. Don't over think it man.