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Sadowsky strings: black label vs blue label

#81
Here's my findings. Stainless (.45-.65-.85-.105). Compared to the Black labels, the blues felt smoother. I find they were lower tensioned. They weren't as brittle as the blacks. Don't get me wrong they still cut through quite fine. As Trevor said in his review they reminded me of nickels. I play fingerstyle and I compared the strings with the eq set flat. I wanted to hear the strings without any additional coloring. I personally like the blues. Hope this helps as I've never written a review before. Thanks again Roger forgiving us the chance to try these.

Cheers,
Jim
 
#82
Thanks for the reviews, everyone. :cool:

Yesterday I ordered two sets of blues, one nickel and one steel. I hope to get 'em tomorrow. If so, I'll do an A/B of black nickel vs. blue nickel (using a fresh set of each), and will leave the blue nickels on for Saturday's gig. Test bed will be my Sadowsky P5, of course.

:bassist: Bump!
 
#83
Fuzzbass said:
Thanks for the reviews, everyone. :cool:

Yesterday I ordered two sets of blues, one nickel and one steel. I hope to get 'em tomorrow. If so, I'll do an A/B of black nickel vs. blue nickel (using a fresh set of each), and will leave the blue nickels on for Saturday's gig. Test bed will be my Sadowsky P5, of course.

:bassist: Bump!
Click to expand...

Ken, that's great. I'm a nickel guy and your review of the nickels on your Sadowsky P will give a good idea of what to expect on my PJs.
 
#84
I ordered the strings Wednesday, they were shipped FedEx Thursday, and arrived today. One set of steels and one set of nickels. As promised, I compared fresh sets of nickels: black versus blue. Here's my test platform: Sadowsky P5, Carvin B800, Sadowsky SA410. The rack gear in the middle was not used.

l_715f81bd3a5292981de8512a03245369.png



First step: install a fresh set of the black labels. This is the sound I've grown accustomed to since my Elixirs finally died two months ago. I dial in a happy sound on my bass rig and jam away for awhile once the strings have settled into tune, so my ears get accustomed the the fresh set.

Then, I look at the blue labels. Interestingly, the packages are smaller than the black labels. The strings are coiled a lot tighter. Just an observation... I don't think it's relevant in any way.

l_6b436d3e92ad11dcfb5d42a0e97af99c.png



The next step is of course to install the blue label Bright Nickels. I pause for a moment, wishing there was a way to compare them side to side without having to swap string sets back and forth. A candle lit up in my pointy little head... there sure is: string the bass with alternating blacks and blues. So I did: I switched the B string, noodled for awhile, then did the same with the A and finally the G. I left the bass strung like this for awhile:

l_354376c254827d9b05e830cbd3d7327d.png


I figured that this way I could compare timbres without having to rely on memory. It's not a perfect A/B, but it turned out to be quite useful. Eventually I switched the bass over to all blues.



My thoughts: both sets were smoothly wound. I didn't notice a difference in tension, but I wasn't looking for one. I did notice a difference in tone. The black label nickels were more airy on top. The treble on the blue label strings was voiced lower, and overall they had more of a bell-like chime to them... almost reminiscent of steels.

My hunch is that I'll like the blues better, but it's hard to know after a relatively quiet home test. Also, I have to mention that both sets were brand spankin' new: I don't know how the blues will sound when they settle in, nor do I know how long they'll going to last under gig conditions. I am looking forward to using the blue nickels at tomorrow night's gig through my NV610!
:bassist:
 
#85
Fuzzbass said:
I ordered the strings Wednesday, they were shipped FedEx Thursday, and arrived today. One set of steels and one set of nickels. As promised, I compared fresh sets of nickels: black versus blue. Here's my test platform: Sadowsky P5, Carvin B800, Sadowsky SA410. The rack gear in the middle was not used.

l_715f81bd3a5292981de8512a03245369.png



First step: install a fresh set of the black labels. This is the sound I've grown accustomed to since my Elixirs finally died two months ago. I dial in a happy sound on my bass rig and jam away for awhile once the strings have settled into tune, so my ears get accustomed the the fresh set.

Then, I look at the blue labels. Interestingly, the packages are smaller than the black labels. The strings are coiled a lot tighter. Just an observation... I don't think it's relevant in any way.

l_6b436d3e92ad11dcfb5d42a0e97af99c.png



The next step is of course to install the blue label Bright Nickels. I pause for a moment, wishing there was a way to compare them side to side without having to swap string sets back and forth. A candle lit up in my pointy little head... there sure is: string the bass with alternating blacks and blues. So I did: I switched the B string, noodled for awhile, then did the same with the A and finally the G. I left the bass strung like this for awhile:

l_354376c254827d9b05e830cbd3d7327d.png


I figured that this way I could compare timbres without having to rely on memory. It's not a perfect A/B, but it turned out to be quite useful. Eventually I switched the bass over to all blues.



My thoughts: both sets were smoothly wound. I didn't notice a difference in tension, but I wasn't looking for one. I did notice a difference in tone. The black label nickels were more airy on top. The treble on the blue label strings was voiced lower, and overall they had more of a bell-like chime to them... almost reminiscent of steels.

My hunch is that I'll like the blues better, but it's hard to know after a relatively quiet home test. Also, I have to mention that both sets were brand spankin' new: I don't know how the blues will sound when they settle in, nor do I know how long they'll going to last under gig conditions. I am looking forward to using the blue nickels at tomorrow night's gig through my NV610!
:bassist:
Click to expand...

way to go Ken! thanks!

keep us posted about your thoughts after the gig.
 
#86
I just installed my set of blue label steels. The black labels I had were getting old, so probably not the best comparison. My initial reaction is that the blue stings are AWESOME. I agree, the treble seems smoother on these than the black. They also seem a tad more focused in the low end. These could easily replace any of the DR sets I use, IF they last. I tend to kill off the black set is short order, I'm hoping the blue retain the new like sparkle for awhile. The B string is even better than before, I didn't think that would be possible.
 
#92
jasper383 said:
Has Sadowsky described exactly the difference between them? Is it hex core/round core?
Click to expand...
.
Sadowsky said:
I've made a conscious decision not to engage in any of the marketing and advertising bulls**t that drives the string industry. No matter what I say about the strings, it don't mean squat until you try a set on your instrument. String advertising is all hype and crap. It doesn't matter what "artists" I have using the strings. It doesn't matter what the core size is or what the wrap layers are. It doesn't matter if the strings are compression wound, wound under liquid nitrogen, wound under the influence of reefer, wound by a one handed blind man or wound by a computer.

I just felt that my Black Label strings could not be all things to all people, so I set on a 12 month quest to develop a second string that might appeal to some players who may not prefer the Black Labels. I have been giving sample sets for the last 6 months to players I respect and the response to the Blue Label Strings have been so good, I am ready to release them. Some of my beta testers have said they prefer the Blue Labels on one bass and prefer the Black Labels on another bass.

So, if you are curious, just try a set. Any one ordering a box (5 sets) of Black Label strings will get a similar set of Blue Labels to try, with my compliments. We want to know what you think of them! If you purchase a set to try, I guarantee you will get your money's worth. If you think they suck, let me know why and I will send you a replacement set of Black Label Strings.

Roger
Click to expand...
 
#94
jasper383 said:
He may not like string industry marketing, but he's good at other kinds. :)
Click to expand...

Some people just can't get a break. Remember when Jessie Jackson was running for president?

He made some kind of comment: "I could walk on water and the next day the newspaper headline would be, Jessie Can't Swim!"

The guy is offering a no questions asked refund on a product that he can't resell.

Is there a consensus among the reviewers in regard to perceived tension yet? I'm kinda holding off on buying my next 5 pack until then.
 
#95
jasper383 said:
So, he hasn't said what the difference is.

Good marketing; now everybody will go out and buy two sets to see.

He may not like string industry marketing, but he's good at other kinds. :)
Click to expand...
Or people that know Sadowsky products will know that Roger will not put his name on an inferior product. :)
 
#97
Steve said:
Some people just can't get a break. Remember when Jessie Jackson was running for president?

He made some kind of comment: "I could walk on water and the next day the newspaper headline would be, Jessie Can't Swim!"

The guy is offering a no questions asked refund on a product that he can't resell.

Is there a consensus among the reviewers in regard to perceived tension yet? I'm kinda holding off on buying my next 5 pack until then.
Click to expand...

I was actually complimenting him.
 
#99
I know my post here will be a little off-topic but I think it's worth noting in the overall outlook of the company.

A month and a half ago I ordered a set of the Black Label XL long scale strings for my Lakland. I ordered my first set back when Nino was still with them and fell in love with them. I ordered this last set online through their website but there was a glitch so I emailed them just to make sure the order went through.

When I got the replied email from Alex Picca he said that the original strings were not available at the moment and said it may be 6 weeks before they got them in. I went ahead and told them to keep my money and i would wait for them.

6 weeks go by and still nothing. I emailed Alex back and he returns my email asking me if I had a use for a set of 34" scale Blue Label strings and if I did what guage. He said that they were "on the house" since I was patient. So I'm still in line to get my XL scale Black Label strings but I get to try out a set of Blue Labels.

I think that's pretty awesome that i got a free set of strings just because I decided to wait instead of asking for my money back. It's the little things like that, and things like Roger giving out 10 sets of strings for TB'ers to test drive, that win over my trust. Even if DR makes strings that are comparable to Sadowsky strings, I'd still choose Sadowsky due to their awesome customer service.

I just got my Blue Labels in yesterday so I have yet to stick them on my Lakland. When i do and get some time with them I'll chime in here again with a review.
 
#100
Sadowsky Blue lable nickel’s :

First impressions :

•Treble voiced low (around 4K) which I like for a nickel string. Helps the G-string to sound fat – fingerstyle or slapping. I prefer a higher-voiced treble for stainless sets. (keep in mind that I’m trying nickel’s here…)

•Semi-Smooth feel. Not the smoothest I’ve experienced but definitely no problem there.

•Perfect tension for my taste. I’d say medium or medium-high. Low tension is cool sometimes for slow songs or bends but I don’t like it for fast playing or in general because I play with a heavy right-hand touch. The blue labels can bend easily but don’t turn into buzz-city when played hard even over the neck pickup of my Lakland DJ4 (test bass)

•The D and G strings complete each other perfectly. They have the same ring quality, tension and feel. Definitely the two strings I preferred of the set.

•The A string is the one I didn’t really liked. It sounded very (well, not THAT much) different from the D and G strings. I’d describe its sound as slightly “hollow” sounding. Not very full and with a high-mid peak. Think of it as switching from a J-bass to a P-bass in terms of sound. Not that I don’t like P-bass; I have two!

•The E string sounded like a cross between all the other strings. Not too full sounding but I kind of like it on the E string as I think it helps hearing the definition of the note better when playing in the low register. It also responded remarquably to my heavy touch. It was in fact very difficult to make it buzz. In fact that was the case with all strings.

Finally, please note that the set is not long enough for string-thru body on a 34” scale bass. Making them ½ inch longer would solve this problem. So because of this I went with top-loading.

Gig report:

The gig was a big band corporate where everything was played from traditional big band (ex: “in the mood”) to latin and disco/pop songs.
The rig was my Ashdown ABM 500 EVOII head with my Aguilar GS212 cab.

My comments regarding the Blue label pretty much match my pre-gig comments. The treble which is voiced low works very well with fingerstyle. A good match in my opinion for nickel strings. I generally don’t use nickel-equipped basses for slapping, I prefer steel strings for this. Still, slapping is not a problem on this set but would not be my choice as any nickel sets would be…

The mids were great on this set. Not scooped sounding nor forward, just smooth and even sounding mids that helps note definition on the gig, even more important when playing with 20 musicians like I was on this particular gig.

As for the low-end, this set is not the deepest set I’ve experienced. I personally like a little more beefy low-end. In order to obtain the sound I like, I had to run the bass control on the amp higher than I usually do.

In general I still hear a difference in the high (D-G) and low (E-A) strings. The high strings sounds fat and clear with a beautiful ring tone. The high-end is really singing in this set. The low end is focussed with great note definition but could benefit from a little bigger low-end.

Finally, the blue label is a quality product that is worth trying to see if it’s working for YOU. On a personal level, I’d see this set to work well on a P-bass, a bass that has big low-end by itself. I’ll probably try them on my Lakland Duck Dunn once I’ve installed the Black label set on the DJ4.
I’d also like to publicly thanks Roger for this opportunity in trying those sets. That said, I tried to do the review as if I’d have paid for them which is what us normal people do.

For reference, I’ll try to compare the blue labels with some sets you may know or use:

•They have the tension of the DR nickel Lo-Riders.
•They sound a lot like the Lo-Riders but with less low-end.
•The highs reminds me of the DR Sunbeams. I’d see the blue labels working well with fretless.
•The feeling is about the same as the Lo-Riders. The Sunbeams are definitely smoother than the blue labels. In fact the Sunbeams are the smoothest I’ve ever played.


…More to come: the black label set!...
 

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