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Sadowsky strings: black label vs blue label
- Thread starter Fran Diaz
- Start date
Ok, here's my gig report. My rig was Read Purity --> SansAmp RBI (used often for light grit) --> Stewart World 2.1 --> Bergantino NV610. Again, strings used are the blue label nickels, and I'm comparing them to black label nickels.
Tonally, a couple of things jumped out at me. First, the mids on the blues seem to be chunkier/growlier than the blacks. This was right up my alley. Also, the blues were nicely balanced from B to G. That's true of the black label strings as well, but I mention it simply because I was especially impressed. Treble and bass response were both fine. The NV610 has no tweeter, so I'll stick with my earlier appraisal of the topmost frequencies.
As for tension: the blues do seem to have a looser feel... in that respect alone they reminded me of DR Hi Beams. I mainly noticed this when slapping. But I don't slap much... only two songs with this band. And I'm certain that I could adjust to the difference in feel easily enough, same as I did with Hi Beams.
Overall, I like the blue label nickels a lot, and I'm fairly sure I'm going to stay with them over their black label counterparts. My one caveat is that I'm not sure how well hi-fi slapstyle players will like the blues... again, I don't slap much, I'm basing this on the differences in feel and tone.
Next step will be to try the blue label steels. But it's been awhile since I've tried black label steels and I don't currently own a fresh set of those, so this audition probably won't be an A/B comparison.
Tonally, a couple of things jumped out at me. First, the mids on the blues seem to be chunkier/growlier than the blacks. This was right up my alley. Also, the blues were nicely balanced from B to G. That's true of the black label strings as well, but I mention it simply because I was especially impressed. Treble and bass response were both fine. The NV610 has no tweeter, so I'll stick with my earlier appraisal of the topmost frequencies.
As for tension: the blues do seem to have a looser feel... in that respect alone they reminded me of DR Hi Beams. I mainly noticed this when slapping. But I don't slap much... only two songs with this band. And I'm certain that I could adjust to the difference in feel easily enough, same as I did with Hi Beams.
Overall, I like the blue label nickels a lot, and I'm fairly sure I'm going to stay with them over their black label counterparts. My one caveat is that I'm not sure how well hi-fi slapstyle players will like the blues... again, I don't slap much, I'm basing this on the differences in feel and tone.
Next step will be to try the blue label steels. But it's been awhile since I've tried black label steels and I don't currently own a fresh set of those, so this audition probably won't be an A/B comparison.
Just for the record, both the Blacks and Blues are hex core.
It looks like a consensus is developing that the Blacks are brighter with higher tension and the Blues have a more focused "center" and a looser tension.
Roger
It looks like a consensus is developing that the Blacks are brighter with higher tension and the Blues have a more focused "center" and a looser tension.
Roger
I have to add one more thing for those who use dirty tones. When I cranked up distortion, I got the following results:
Black label nickels: Justin Chancellor
Blue label nickels: John Entwistle (Live at Leeds era)
Both are great, but I'm more of an Entwistle guy.
Black label nickels: Justin Chancellor
Blue label nickels: John Entwistle (Live at Leeds era)
Both are great, but I'm more of an Entwistle guy.
Commreman
Faith, Family, Fitness, and Frets
OK. I have been provided with both a set of the Blacks and the Blues (both steel), but I have been laying low for a while due to a pretty bad case of tendonitis in my right arm. I want to apologize to Roger for being a little delinquent with my review, but I've been out of action since the end of December (doctors orders!) I have gigs coming up this weekend, and my heavy gig schedule for the year is about to kick in, so it's ice packs, accupuncture, ultrasound, and away we go!
First, I want to state that I have been a very satisfied D'addario Pro Steel user for years. I realize that that is not one of the favorite brands around here, but I'm one to follow my ears, not the heard. I can only use the Pro Steels as my reference point.
For further reference, I installed the Blues on my American Deluxe V, as I think for a reference point that most users here would relate to that particular bass better.
First things first. From a physical/construction perspective a couple of things jumped out at me right away:
1. The B string tapers, and then gets wide again at the ball end. This is fine if you string through the body. I can do this with the Fender, but I prefer to string through the bridge. It turns out that the wide part by the ball end runs over the bridge saddle, leaving the taper portion off of the bridge saddle. It was a little funky to try to intonate this, but I got it done. Normally, I use a .135 B string. I have found that this size provides the authority I need on a 34" scaled instrument. The Blue was a .130, so not only did I need to reintonate, I needed to also play with my pickup heights a little. This needed to be done to provide an unbiased and fair review.
2. It turns out that the D and A strings are somewhat shorter than I am accustomed to using. I didn't get a lot of winds on the post on these strings. Normally, I use multiple winds on the post to provide more downforce on the string itself, so I think that this may be the reason that the string tension may feel "looser" to some. I would post pictures of both of these items, but honestly, I'm a 47 year old technological nitwit and I don't know how!
3. The strings themselves feel somewhat "coarser" to the touch than what I'm accustomed to.
Now, on to sound. The strings do provide a good amount of growl. They are nowhere near as bright as a new set of pro steels, but do provide a nice "zing" without being harsh. There will probably be less break in time with these. We'll see.
That is the initial "in house" report. I'll give a further review after Saturday. I'll be playing a private party for about 300 folks. I intend on playing the Fender with the Sadowsky Blue labels side by side with my trusty Carvin LB75, which is strung with a new set of ProSteels for reference. Stay Tuned!
First, I want to state that I have been a very satisfied D'addario Pro Steel user for years. I realize that that is not one of the favorite brands around here, but I'm one to follow my ears, not the heard. I can only use the Pro Steels as my reference point.
For further reference, I installed the Blues on my American Deluxe V, as I think for a reference point that most users here would relate to that particular bass better.
First things first. From a physical/construction perspective a couple of things jumped out at me right away:
1. The B string tapers, and then gets wide again at the ball end. This is fine if you string through the body. I can do this with the Fender, but I prefer to string through the bridge. It turns out that the wide part by the ball end runs over the bridge saddle, leaving the taper portion off of the bridge saddle. It was a little funky to try to intonate this, but I got it done. Normally, I use a .135 B string. I have found that this size provides the authority I need on a 34" scaled instrument. The Blue was a .130, so not only did I need to reintonate, I needed to also play with my pickup heights a little. This needed to be done to provide an unbiased and fair review.
2. It turns out that the D and A strings are somewhat shorter than I am accustomed to using. I didn't get a lot of winds on the post on these strings. Normally, I use multiple winds on the post to provide more downforce on the string itself, so I think that this may be the reason that the string tension may feel "looser" to some. I would post pictures of both of these items, but honestly, I'm a 47 year old technological nitwit and I don't know how!
3. The strings themselves feel somewhat "coarser" to the touch than what I'm accustomed to.
Now, on to sound. The strings do provide a good amount of growl. They are nowhere near as bright as a new set of pro steels, but do provide a nice "zing" without being harsh. There will probably be less break in time with these. We'll see.
That is the initial "in house" report. I'll give a further review after Saturday. I'll be playing a private party for about 300 folks. I intend on playing the Fender with the Sadowsky Blue labels side by side with my trusty Carvin LB75, which is strung with a new set of ProSteels for reference. Stay Tuned!
Commreman
Faith, Family, Fitness, and Frets
On to the gig report for the Sadowsky Blue Label Stainless Steels!
Last night I played a private party for about 300 people in a Knights of Columbus hall. Acousitcally, the room was pretty good - carpeted areas and an acoustic tile ceiling, so there was minimal echo and bounce. It was a great crowd - a 50th birthday party for a guy who absolutely loves the band, and we were one of his surprises!
Music - They wanted a "Jersey Shore" show, so that means Motown, blue-eyed soul stuff, and of course, lots of Bruce. As a reference point, the band has two guitars, keys, drums, an excellent percussionist, a horn section, bass, and a frontman. It's a big band.
Equipment used - Fender American Deluxe Jazz V, MarkBass SD800, Dr. Bass DRB 2460, EBS Multi Comp, Boss NS2, Boss OC2, X2 digital wireless.
I wanted to really get the feel for these strings in a working environment. I gave the report above based on my initial impressions in the house, but that in no way represents what happens in real world settings. As stated above, for years I have used ProSteels with great results.
The first thing I noticed immediately is that these strings really are "mid focused." They have an excellent tonal balance without being overly harsh. Some folks here would call that new string "zing". While that is there, it is no where near as pronounced as what I'm accustomed to. As far as my stettings go, I start with everything flat, and adjust on the fly during soundchecks, and make minor adjustments as the room fills. On the MarkBass, I boosted the low mids slightly, cut both the high mids and lows slightly, and kept the highs flat. The VPF was boosted to about 7:30, and for the most part, the VLE was off, which surprised me with new strings.
These strings sat very well in the mix, and offered a lot of articulation and dare I say warmth? The B string was solid and full. I normally use a non tapered .135, but the Sadowsky was a tapered .130, so I initially had concerns about how this was going to work out. It was fine. When I dug in on the Jazz, I could easily get grindy tones if I wanted them. The slap tone, while not really being "Marcus-like" still was clear, focused, and again, wasn't harsh. This was another pleasant surprise. I really want to see how these strings hold up over time. I'm not in the position to change my strings every day like Anthony Jackson! It turned out I didn't even pull my other bass out of the case all night. I really enjoyed the tone and feel of these strings on my Jazz.
If I were to change anything about the Blue Labels, they really only would be physical - I'm not a fan of silk wrap, as far as the B string goes, the taper should go completely to the ball end instead of getting large at the ball end (if you string through the bridge, this string was a little tough to intonate because of that), or conversely, offer a non tapered B string. Also, offer a little extra length in the D and A string to accommodate more windings on the post.
Roger has a very good product here. I'll compare them to the Black Labels soon.
Last night I played a private party for about 300 people in a Knights of Columbus hall. Acousitcally, the room was pretty good - carpeted areas and an acoustic tile ceiling, so there was minimal echo and bounce. It was a great crowd - a 50th birthday party for a guy who absolutely loves the band, and we were one of his surprises!
Music - They wanted a "Jersey Shore" show, so that means Motown, blue-eyed soul stuff, and of course, lots of Bruce. As a reference point, the band has two guitars, keys, drums, an excellent percussionist, a horn section, bass, and a frontman. It's a big band.
Equipment used - Fender American Deluxe Jazz V, MarkBass SD800, Dr. Bass DRB 2460, EBS Multi Comp, Boss NS2, Boss OC2, X2 digital wireless.
I wanted to really get the feel for these strings in a working environment. I gave the report above based on my initial impressions in the house, but that in no way represents what happens in real world settings. As stated above, for years I have used ProSteels with great results.
The first thing I noticed immediately is that these strings really are "mid focused." They have an excellent tonal balance without being overly harsh. Some folks here would call that new string "zing". While that is there, it is no where near as pronounced as what I'm accustomed to. As far as my stettings go, I start with everything flat, and adjust on the fly during soundchecks, and make minor adjustments as the room fills. On the MarkBass, I boosted the low mids slightly, cut both the high mids and lows slightly, and kept the highs flat. The VPF was boosted to about 7:30, and for the most part, the VLE was off, which surprised me with new strings.
These strings sat very well in the mix, and offered a lot of articulation and dare I say warmth? The B string was solid and full. I normally use a non tapered .135, but the Sadowsky was a tapered .130, so I initially had concerns about how this was going to work out. It was fine. When I dug in on the Jazz, I could easily get grindy tones if I wanted them. The slap tone, while not really being "Marcus-like" still was clear, focused, and again, wasn't harsh. This was another pleasant surprise. I really want to see how these strings hold up over time. I'm not in the position to change my strings every day like Anthony Jackson! It turned out I didn't even pull my other bass out of the case all night. I really enjoyed the tone and feel of these strings on my Jazz.
If I were to change anything about the Blue Labels, they really only would be physical - I'm not a fan of silk wrap, as far as the B string goes, the taper should go completely to the ball end instead of getting large at the ball end (if you string through the bridge, this string was a little tough to intonate because of that), or conversely, offer a non tapered B string. Also, offer a little extra length in the D and A string to accommodate more windings on the post.
Roger has a very good product here. I'll compare them to the Black Labels soon.
Thanks for the review! So far I really like them, but I have not played them in a band setting.
1kinal
Supporting Member
- Jan 18, 2006
- 1,068
- 445
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: SIT strings
Following my previous comments about the blue label, I just installed the black label set on my DJ4 and here's my initial comments:
Black Label nickels:
First impressions:
Higher tension than the blue label
More rough to the touch
Treble is brighter. Id say centered around 6.5K instead of the 4K of the blue label
Low end is very tight and the note definition is excellent
I hear a high-mid emphasis around 800 hertz.
Not much low-mid punch. Goes from low end to high-mid.
More suited to slap than the blue label.
They sounds closer to steels than the blues.
Tension is harder than DR Lo-Rider nickels.
Update for the Blue Label set:
My main negative comment about the blue label was about the low-end which was not as big as I like it. Well, I have to say that after two days on my DJ4, the low-end became really fat, big and warm just how I like it, especially on a J-bass. Since that day Ive been in love with this nickel set. In my top two with DR lo-rider nickels.
More to come once I got to play the black label set onstage
Black Label nickels:
First impressions:
Higher tension than the blue label
More rough to the touch
Treble is brighter. Id say centered around 6.5K instead of the 4K of the blue label
Low end is very tight and the note definition is excellent
I hear a high-mid emphasis around 800 hertz.
Not much low-mid punch. Goes from low end to high-mid.
More suited to slap than the blue label.
They sounds closer to steels than the blues.
Tension is harder than DR Lo-Rider nickels.
Update for the Blue Label set:
My main negative comment about the blue label was about the low-end which was not as big as I like it. Well, I have to say that after two days on my DJ4, the low-end became really fat, big and warm just how I like it, especially on a J-bass. Since that day Ive been in love with this nickel set. In my top two with DR lo-rider nickels.
More to come once I got to play the black label set onstage
I finally had the chance to try out the Blue Labels Steels.
Ive been playing the Black Label Steels for quite some time now. I play an SR5 HH through an Aguilar rig.
My initial impression was the B string sounded fantastic in relation to the rest of the strings. This isnt always the case with 5 string sets. Often, the B doesnt have the same kind of punch and clarity as the other strings.
The tension seems just right. I didnt notice too much of a difference from the Blacks. I have to agree with what others have said about the more pronounced mids. There is lots of definition with the Blues. Its been a while since put on a set of strings that I felt so comfortable with right off the bat thats including the Blacks. I may have to see if they will exchange the unused sets of Blacks that I have for Blues
I have a couple of gigs coming up which will provide a better testing ground, but at this point I like them in a big way. A great match for my SR5!
Very special thanks for Roger for providing the strings. I cant say that anyone has ever offered me 2 sets of strings free of charge before. The man is a class act!
Ive been playing the Black Label Steels for quite some time now. I play an SR5 HH through an Aguilar rig.
My initial impression was the B string sounded fantastic in relation to the rest of the strings. This isnt always the case with 5 string sets. Often, the B doesnt have the same kind of punch and clarity as the other strings.
The tension seems just right. I didnt notice too much of a difference from the Blacks. I have to agree with what others have said about the more pronounced mids. There is lots of definition with the Blues. Its been a while since put on a set of strings that I felt so comfortable with right off the bat thats including the Blacks. I may have to see if they will exchange the unused sets of Blacks that I have for Blues
I have a couple of gigs coming up which will provide a better testing ground, but at this point I like them in a big way. A great match for my SR5!
Very special thanks for Roger for providing the strings. I cant say that anyone has ever offered me 2 sets of strings free of charge before. The man is a class act!
HI
I must say as much as I love the Black labels, the blue set just kills. Im gonna completely change over when they are offered in light gauge. My demo set Roger gave me back in the summer was awesome. I liked the set so much, I kept boiling them over and over just so I didnt have to throw them out. LOL. I go thru strings pretty quickly, obviously.
Light gauge, Roger. LOL. But you already knew that
Rob
I must say as much as I love the Black labels, the blue set just kills. Im gonna completely change over when they are offered in light gauge. My demo set Roger gave me back in the summer was awesome. I liked the set so much, I kept boiling them over and over just so I didnt have to throw them out. LOL. I go thru strings pretty quickly, obviously.
Light gauge, Roger. LOL. But you already knew that
Rob
We just finished the labels for the light gauge and XL 5 string sets.
Should be ready to go in about 8 weeks.
R
Should be ready to go in about 8 weeks.
R
HI
Thanx for the update, good lookin'
Good to see you the other day. Stay healthy, Im gonna try myself. Ill send you a pic when I get some muscles. LOL
Rob
Thanx for the update, good lookin'
Good to see you the other day. Stay healthy, Im gonna try myself. Ill send you a pic when I get some muscles. LOL
Rob
Great reviews Ken! But you killed my desire for the Blues, when you stated that the Blues are comparable in tension to DR Hi-Beams; a bit loose for me. Maybe I'll try the Black label nickels.
I bought a set of black labels a while ago but got them installed about 2weeks ago.
Here's the review.....
Love the sound,it actually completed the sound i was looking for.(good balance between high and low frequencies)
Tension is good compared to other brands i tried before.(Spector's,D'Addario's)
Feel...not so rough on the fingers.
Here's the review.....
Love the sound,it actually completed the sound i was looking for.(good balance between high and low frequencies)
Tension is good compared to other brands i tried before.(Spector's,D'Addario's)
Feel...not so rough on the fingers.
I just slapped on a set of Blue Label Nickels(they replaced a set of Black Label Nickels) on my Metro tonight. So far, they sound nice!
I'll probably get a better idea in the next few days.
Love the basses and the strings! Thanks, Roger Sadowsky and company!
I'll probably get a better idea in the next few days.
Love the basses and the strings! Thanks, Roger Sadowsky and company!
Now that i've had them a little longer i can say that i'm really in love with them(sound,feel etc) specially the sound that i gained on my bass once i put them on.
Now that i've had them a little longer i can say that i'm really in love with them(sound,feel etc) specially the sound that i gained on my bass once i put them on.
Steel or Nickel? Which bass?
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.
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.
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:
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!
not to totally stray off topic but how does the B string perform in the 5 string P format? Are you able to get enough definition out of the low notes? I would love to have a 5 string P but have never played one. I just know that some B strings on some basses can get muddy and usually the clarity and definition of a bridge pickup can alleviate the problem. I'd be really curious to see how the B string sounds on a P bass. Beautiful instrument BTW.
I have used the black labels on my SR5 for a long time. I like them a lot and based on what I've been reading, it sounds like the blues may fit my needs even better than the black. I'm going to order a 5 string set for the SR5 and a 4 string set for my Jaguar. I've never had the chance to play a Sadowsky in person, I would love to someday. BTW, Roger, thank you so much for making your flat wounds with a tapered B string. Please don't stop, the flats are beautiful strings!!!
