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Which do you prefer Steel or Nickel?

Do you prefer steel or nickel bass strings

  • Total voters
    216
Green Lantern

Green Lantern

Nov 3, 2011
608
498
PA
#1
I have use nickel for many years. Used to use Rotos but found they died quickly. Did use the Blue Steel and like them but they cost so much more and steel strings I was told eat up your frets more.

Do you know if nickel or steel is more popular with jazz players?
 
#2
I generally think nickel for warmth and stainless for a brighter tone with long usable tone life. Since my DR Hi-Beams eventually settle in to a reasonably warm sound and last a long time I voted steel, but I do use nickel on my other Warwick and MM Sterling.
 
#4
It really depends on the bass, for me. I use steel on my precision, and nickel on my Warwick. Certain strings and alloys sound better on different instruments and pickup configurations. The stiffness of the string is much more of a concern to me than anything else.

I'd imagine that it's a similar thing for jazz players, or players of any genre. They likely choose their alloy type based on a lot of different factors but I'll bet they often use a similar stiffness across each bass they own.
 
#5
I love my steels. I started on rotosounds, switched to diaddario pro steels, now looking at trying dunlops. Nickel just sound like dead steel strings to me, but the nickel do feel smoother on the fingers. I've had steels on a 86 p bass since 86, and the frets are still good so it really hasn't effected it's frets too badly. I toured with it so it has been played quite a bit
 
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#14
Nickel. Unless it's Alloy 52. Pretty much anything that's almost, but not quite as bright as stainless is acceptable. If they come up with new alloys in that tonal area) (why would they, I'm happy with what there is?) I'll try them.
 
#18
I like nickel on my active basses because I can always boost some highs if I want. I would probably prefer steel on a passive bass but I don't own any and rarely play them. I also prefer how much easier the nickel is on my fingers at the end of the night.
 
#20
BigBenH18 said:
Nickel user here. Love the warm low mid growl.

But I do also like GHS' alloy 52 very much which is a combination of nickel and stainless steel. Great clarity and warmth. Strings which use it are e.g. Progressives and Pressurewounds .
Click to expand...

I'm a big fan of Alloy 52 (GHS Pressurewounds) for the extra punch and crunch that comes from its highly magnetic properties as well as longevity. I've tried a few sets of Stainless Steel in the past but they were way too zingy for my taste.

(By the way, Alloy 52 is a combination of nickel and iron, not steel.)
 

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