Sadowsky strings: black label vs blue label

[funkasaurus]

I have finally had the chance to play both the Blues and Blacks (steels) for awhile. Strings last a really long time for me, especially steels. Anyway here are my impressions:

Tension: I feel like the Blacks have slightly higher tension than the Blues, but not enough of a difference to me to be a difference maker. I actually like the tension of the Blacks a little more.

Feel: Blacks feel slightly rougher than the Blues.

Sound: Blues seem to have more low mids than the Blacks, and a little more mids in general. I feel like the Blacks have a tighter, more focused sound, especially in the lows.

Verdict: I like both sets and I could see myself preferring Blues for one bass and Blacks for another. On my Metro UV-70 (ash, maple) I prefer the Blacks. I think I might like the Blues better on my P bass. I'll probably try a set of steel DR Lo-Riders next just out of curiousity.

Many thanks again to Roger. I wish more businesses cared as much as Sadowsky. My apologies for this review being so late, but unfortunately sometimes life gets in the way!

 

[Joeykun]

I got my set(s) of Blue Label Stainless Steel strings the other day and installed them last night. The strings look great with the blue wrap. I like how they end uniformly at the string bar before the nut. There is plenty of wrap to go around the pegs as well. I like to go around at least 3-4 times and I still had to cut some off.

I strung up my Standard 5 and gave it a quick intonation. Well, as quick as I can do it at least The strings intonated well and did not make my tuner jump all over the place. The notes rang out beautifully!

The strings feel smoother than the Black Labels. The focus is more towards the mid side rather than the bright piano tone the Black Labels produce. However, once you dig in this is where these strings shine. They cut nice and the "B" string sounds amazing! Finger style is mainly how I play but slap tastefully where applicable and these strings sound great for both. Well, so do the Black Labels but I think the Blues might win the battle if they duked it out!
They were well balanced up and down the neck which is always a plus. I felt they had a good mix of lows, mids and upper mids. But again, once you dig in you get that great Stainless Steel bite in the upper register.

Overall, I like the Blue Label strings. I think they are a great match with the Ash/Maple basses. I have Black Labels on my Standard 4 and when those strings are ready for the just in case status I will replace them with the Blues as well. I like both the Blue and Black label strings. But, I must say I like how the Blues work with my Ash/Maple Standard 5.

Thanks, Roger for yet another quality product for us bass players to enjoy!

 

[tombowlus]

ooh...can't wait to see these reviews. I'm a dedicated black label nickel and black label flatwound user, so I'm curious to see how the blues stack up.

Actually, Pat, I plan on having you over to help me evaluate these for a review in the mag, so if you have not heard them yet, you will soon!

 

[Andy Brown]

Here are my observations after installing the blues on my PJ...

1) Visual - they are a LOT brigher than the black labels
2) Visual - the gauge of the wound wire is more consistent and thinner than on the blacks
3) Feel - the blues feel more 'slinky' in a good way than the blacks.
4) Feel - the blues are smoother under my fingertips
5) Feel - the appear to be of higher quality... could just be me though.
6) Tone/Sound - they sound just a great as the black. After playing them in a band setting it's easier to hear that the black labels are brighter.

Overall, they are just as good if not better than the blacks. Of course this is just IMO.

After a few months of playing them, I'll probably post an update. I leave my strings on a long time.

 

[cheezewiz]

Actually, Pat, I plan on having you over to help me evaluate these for a review in the mag, so if you have not heard them yet, you will soon!

Just say the word Tom, and I'll be over!

 

[Fuzzbass]

Checking the thread, I installed the Blue Label Nickels back on 1/18. I've now used them through a dozen gigs and rehearsals, and one recording session. They've lost a fair bit of top end, which is to be expected given my clammy fingertips. But they don't sound dead, and that's pretty darn impressive for an uncoated string.

Everything else I said still stands:
A bit less sparkly on top than the Black Labels
A bit richer in the mids than the Black Labels
More flexible than the Black Labels

I'm going to put a set of Black Label Nickels back on to refresh my memory on those, but right now I'm inclined to stay with the Blue Labels.



Next step will be to try the Blue Label Steels I ordered, but I might wait until I get a set of Black Label steels so I can do another A/B.

 

[vicenzajay]

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 takes me forever to kill strings...sorry about that...but I can now at least post some initial impressions between the strings.

For reference, I'm using Valenti #15 to test the Blue and Black Label Stainless strings. All of my playing is through a Thunderfunk 550B and Dr. Bass cabinets (2460 NEO/1260 NEO).

Thanks again, Roger, for letting us conduct this comparison - I feel honored to do so.

Here are my impressions (which seem to mirror most of the previous reviewers on this thread):

1. Feel: The Blues are noticeably smoother than the Black label strings...as the blacks have the classic stainless roughness characteristic of new SS strings. The blues are (as has been mentioned) "slinkier" in feel and response...and I would agree with the characterization as "closer to DR high beams" in feel than the blacks (as I use DR high beams normally on this bass). Tension is certainly slightly higher with the blacks as compared to the blues.

2. Sound: I will also agree with the consensus that the mids are "richer" with the blue strings. In comparison, the blacks sound "scooped" to me - HOWEVER, that is not to imply that they are not clear or do not "speak well"...it's just a comparison. The blacks seem more inclined to sound natural when slapped..requiring very little in the way of EQ, etc. to sound "right" for slapping. Hope that description makes sense...hard to find words for string tone, but there you have it. If I had to choose between them for fingerstyle, the blues would win that contest quickly. Again, however, I want to emphasize that this is a comparison, and the blacks do just fine as far as clarity and articulation are concerned. I play 90% fingerstyle, and as of now I've decided to leave the blacks on for the next two months of shows. A note about the blacks being "brighter"...I actually think this is due to the slightly scooped nature of those strings vice any additional "brightness". The frequency response just leaves the higher frequencies slightly more "exposed", if you will, and as a result we hear them as "brighter" and less "complicated" given the richer mids of the blue label strings.

Side note: Both sets sound great tapped...the higher tension of the blacks make for great tapping and clear notes given the slight decrease in mids for that particular technique (given the fact that most tapping is done in a less dense "band" environment...or even a solo one). Just an aside.

3. Aesthetically both sets look great and are obviously produced/wrapped/distributed professionally. Really nothing of note to mention here.

Lastly - this is in NO WAY intended negatively, as I'm sure its an aberration - but as this is a review it needs to be said in the spirit of full disclosure:

The B-string in my set of Blacks was "incredibly" hard (read, impossible) to intonate as well as setup usefully. I think I may just have received a "bad" string. This is, in no way, said to reflect negatively on the strings - I am thankful for having the chance to try them. After several hours of work, I found a combination of action/saddle adjustment/etc. that approximates a usable range of notes on the B-string....but it certainly is not optimal in comparison with the other strings I have used on this bass. Given the fact that the other strings were perfect and had no problems, I'm writing this off as an "anomalous" string.

Cheers!
Jay

 

[DavePlaysBass]

Black Nickel Review - 2nd Posting

My first post was the Blue Nickels on an RV5. Unfortunatly the classic rock band is in hybernation and the church band really needs steels on the RV5. So part two of my review will be Black Nickels on a MIM 50's P. I plan to also clean up the Blues I used on the RV5 for a short stint and give them a whirl on the P bass. The alder body / maple board P bass just loves nickel rounds at least to my ears.

So I replaced a set of DA XL-170s on the P-bass because the lows were sounding boomy and loose and the highes were just a little harsh. Which IME is somewhat typical of DA XLs on some basses.

I had to tighten up the rod which is to be expected. But the blacks are tighter than I recall the Blues being on the RV5. This faciliatated a lower setup than I had before and overall feels really solid under my fingers. Slapping on them is very responsive given the extra tension. I have called myself a 45-100 guy for a while but I really like the increased tension of the Black on this P bass. Finger style about 2" back of the E-A pickup half is very articulate but no overly tiresome. Above the E-A pickup things are tight enough to get pretty articulate with a little bit of left hand damping.

So to muddy the waters a bit I also did a pickup change a week after installing the strings. I went from the stock pickup to a Nordstrand NP4 (which is a great pickup). So here are the sonic evaluations in no particular order:

There are plenty of highs with these strings that I did not hear prior to the pickup upgrade. After the pickup upgrade I am hearing a great upper mid and treble voicing that is very bright but without that steel harshness. This is the sound of a rich bright nickel string on a maple board that I really dig. Rolling back the tone control results in a nice punchy and defined P bass sound that does not get too boomy in the lower mids. This might be missed on a bass not heavy in the low mid area.

The slap tone and feel is great on these strings. I love slapping my maple board P and these strings really bring that out. With the tone control wide open, things just ring and snap almost like an active bass. And I have put about 10 hours of play time on them. We'll see how they last.

The lowes are focused and defined. I have what feels like a modern vintage tone. I would not attribute this soley to the strings, but everything is working in synergy. I believe I am hearing a combination of alder, maple board, NP4 pickup, and Sadowsky Blacks. And I like it very much.

I would bet that these things kill on a Sadowsky P with the Sadowsky preamp.

I will play these string until they tame down and then go for the Blues.

 

[nismaniac]

Roger, thank you for developing and producing your new Blue Label line of strings. I've been very happy in the past with both the Black Label rounds and flats, but the Blues will be my new string of choice for MM SR5. The SR5 is normally a little bit harsh but all in all it is a great bass with a lot of potential. The Blue Label Nickels are the perfect compliment for this bass and now it sounds proper and refined with just enough of the classic SR growl. One day I hope to experience the feel and sound of a Sadowsky bass, but until then I will be a loyal string customer.

 

[kayakbass]

Anybody know who makes the Sadowsky strings? They feel a lot like a GHS style winding to me....

 

[Lesfunk]

I noticed that too. They certainly die as quickly as GHS Strings I've played.
They feel good and Sound good To me But they lasted one weekend .
2 gigs. Dead as Fried chicken.
I'll stick with DR
My sweat is more compatible with them

 

[Fran Diaz]

I noticed that too. They certainly die as quickly as GHS Strings I've played.
They feel good and Sound good To me But they lasted one weekend .
2 gigs. Dead as Fried chicken.
I'll stick with DR
My sweat is more compatible with them

I use Sadowsky nickels and they seem to last a long time.
I can understand that if you're an slapper and want to have that brand new out-of-the-box sizzle you might find that you lose it after a couple of days, but that's also true for every single set of strings I have tried over the years and they have been dozens.

 

[kayakbass]

I use Sadowsky nickels and they seem to last a long time.
I can understand that if you're an slapper and want to have that brand new out-of-the-box sizzle you might find that you lose it after a couple of days, but that's also true for every single set of strings I have tried over the years and they have been dozens.

Sounds like we have difference in opinion on what dead sounds like.... Everybody likes something a bit different.... I do have to agree with Lesfunk on how quickly they (Sad's and GHS ) tend to loose their shimmer. Has anybody found out where the Sad's are made? Now I'm REALLY curious!

 

[DrGroovenstein]

I noticed that too. They certainly die as quickly as GHS Strings I've played.
They feel good and Sound good To me But they lasted one weekend .
2 gigs. Dead as Fried chicken.
I'll stick with DR
My sweat is more compatible with them

I usually destroy strings like crazy, but the Sadowsky Blues seem to last at least as long as DRs do for me. Reading the posts after yours, I do agree they lose the BLING ZING factor after a short time, but I like their broken-in tone which is still bright (just right) and loves my slap technique still.

 

[Sadowsky]

During the studio heydays of the 70's and 80's, session bassists would change their strings for every 45 minute jingle session to get that new string "zing". Please let me know if there really are any strings that retain that quality longer than mine. I really don't think there are.

Roger

 

[Fran Diaz]

During the studio heydays of the 70's and 80's, session bassists would change their strings for every 45 minute jingle session to get that new string "zing". Please let me know if there really are any strings that retain that quality longer than mine. I really don't think there are.

Roger

As I said, I've tried dozens of different brands (SS and nickel) and IME that "zing" is gone within a couple of days.
I like the tone better after that initial "zing" is gone and what I like about the Sadowsky strings is that after they are broken in, they keep the same tone for a long time.
I'm looking forward to trying the Blue Label nickels.

 

[Lesfunk]

I've only used Blue Label Stainless. The only Black labels I played were the one's that came installed on my Bass. I found them too be stiff feeling for my taste.

The Blues felt really Good and I liked their sound. They just died really quickly. I'm not talking about just losing their "zing". I'm talking about dead fish, toneless Thump. I actually prefer strings that have the harshness played out of them a little.

Although I don't know why, I believe that certain string manufacturers react defferently to my Body chemistry. I tend to have the best luck with the DR Hi beams.
I've had the poorest luck with GHS and Ernie Balls.
My sweat appears to be lethal To Sadowsky strings too

 

[DrGroovenstein]

During the studio heydays of the 70's and 80's, session bassists would change their strings for every 45 minute jingle session to get that new string "zing". Please let me know if there really are any strings that retain that quality longer than mine. I really don't think there are.

Roger

The Blues are among the longest lasting strings, including the zing, I have ever played.

 

[DrGroovenstein]

As I said, I've tried dozens of different brands (SS and nickel) and IME that "zing" is gone within a couple of days.
I like the tone better after that initial "zing" is gone and what I like about the Sadowsky strings is that after they are broken in, they keep the same tone for a long time.
I'm looking forward to trying the Blue Label nickels.

+1, exactly!

 

[Lesfunk]

Glad they work for you guys.