Well, for the Dingwall strings he used, the nickel strings were also slightly lighter in gauge, which is what probably attributes to its brighter tone than the SS strings in the videos
In my opinion the "brighter" sound of the nickel strings most people noticed is more due to the scooped midrange of the stainless steels. Or - to put it the other way round - t's the emphasized high mids of the nickels that make them sound brighter. From my experience (about 30 years) with strings it really depends on the individual instrument which strings sound better. You can fine tune the tone of your bass with the choice of the matching type of strings. Used to play stainless steel strings for a long time, but I noticed, that they wear off the frets much faster than nickel strings. This obviously doesn't matter if you have stainless steel frets (like the Dingwall basses, I suppose), but on a bass with nickel frets maybe you should take this into consideration. Actually I'm using Earnie Ball standard nickel strings on almost all of my bass guitars for about three years now and I'm quite happy with them. Very punchy, overall ballanced sounding strings with a smooth high end. Not harsh or aggressive in any way, just enough to cut through. And they are comparatively inexpensive. If you want some truly aggressive high end (especially for modern metal tones and stuff...) that really bites, then there are obviously better options.
Sorry if this is extremely late, but what would be those better options for a super aggressive sound for metal? I'm really interested in something that will cut through and be noticeable
@@LordValdomerol If you don't bother the feel, just try any stainless steel strings, but what's more important: string gauge. String tension has a huge influence on your tone, more than the material, I think. The thicker the strings, the more mid heavy and aggressive they sound. And the lows get much tighter, too. 110 on 50 should be a good choice for standard tuning, especially when played with pick. But the feel is quite different due to the higher tension.
Nickles after long use are quite different then new, they almost take on a "flats" kind of vibe, and are a little softer in attack. However if you change your strings often, this doesnt apply. Stainless just seem to go dead, once broken in and lose their shimmer, but maintain their lowend. Thats what i have found as the difference after around 25 years of playing bass.
It's why there's actually a market for aged nickel strings, but not stainless. I've talked to touring musicians and about half like Stainless Steel because they keep their shimmer for longer, but the other half like Nickel because even after the shimmer is gone they still have plenty of mids.
Please Patrick remember that some BASS players are, like myself, are allergic to nickel........ It's all about tone!!! When my stainless steel strings are dirty, there 'tamed', darker tone. Really bright strings?? Try the cobalt ones, I did!!!
Interesting, I have had reactions to nickel but I never gave it a thought when buying bass strings. I usually get the purple pack power slinky’s but sometimes the cobalt.
@@grisbain I discovered my nickel allergy 30 years ago ( 18 at the time ). Mine looks like athlete's foot on the fingers and it bleeds!!!! What is your reaction???
@@bertrandmajorik6589 for me, it’s cheap belt buckles. If I wear one and my gut rubs on it, it reacts with rash. I may have had reaction to other things and just didn’t put two and two together. I take allergy meds every day though so something is bothering me.
I've been a nickel guy for over 20 years until just recently when I started trying SS on a few specific basses. It came down to how those basses were voiced and what the SS did to alter the tone in a more pleasing way to my ears. Neither is better or worse in the overall, unless we're talking about Rotosound 66's shredding your fingers for a couple days as they break in...ouch!
I had always used nickel strings, but when it came time to get strings for my Squier Gheddo Lee Jazz Bass, I went with steel Swing Bass Rotosounds to be as Geddy as possible. Recently switched to the nickel version, and find them more than bright enough and super comfy to play.
@@_Majoras That was first time using Rotosounds. Swapped them our for the nickels after they lost their initial brightness, as I wasn't crazy about the feel, and didn't want them eating my frets. The nickels still sound great. Can't remember exactly when I switched.
Just recently finished recording for my bands second album (we play Death Metal kinda like Bolt Thrower). Experimented with lots of different kinds of strings including Stainless Steels and in the end, settled for D'Addarrio's Medium Gauge Nickel Strings 50-105 for C# standard tuning. I found that they were just that much brighter, cut through the mix better and felt great to play but like Patrick said, it all entirely depends on what you play, how you play it and what you play with I suppose
THEY BOTH TASTE GREAT!! The stainless are good in a hearty ragu sauce topped with some Parmesano Reggiano. The nickel go wonderfully paired with a nice bolognaise sauce and some garlic bread.
I'm gonna say you're partially right on steel for metal. Sure, the brightness helps to cut through the mix, but the same effect can be achieved by simply hitting harder. Also, a bright cutting bass tone is more for modern metal, not really for those stuck in the past, like me. In my (fairly irrelevant) opinion, stainless strings are inferior in every regard. Feel (both mental and physical), sound, tension, and even price. But then again, even brand affects those things as well.
I used nickels for years. Then I got really into the Ernie Ball cobalts. The 110 E string in the power cobalt set just rings the right way and have a really nice cut to it.
@@jimbles717 depend on what fret material do you have etc. nickel is a softer metal than steel so nickel is definitely not durable but also it wont wear out the instrument as fast as the steel would.
Awesome comparison man, Dingwall strings sounds very nice! I've used the Nickel ones, and they sound amazing. Havent tried the Stainless ones because I dont have stainless frets on my bass. I have this problem where my strings go dead to me after like 2 - 4 weeks of playing everyday. I play and/or record daily, so I hear strings that are getting older much quicker now. I've tried so many different string types, from Ernie Ball, D'Addario and the Dingwall Nickel ones, and they all just didnt last as long as I wanted them to. Any advice to make strings last longer or do I need to make a plan so that I can change strings every month? 😂
As I also said in my last video, most things in music aren't better, just different. Different compromises and everyone has their own idea of what better are. Great jobs as always, Patrick ;)
Also, I didn't remember nickel strings having so much midrange! It's been years since I've played a set as I always preferred the nice low and high ends stainless steel strings have!
I use Payson Stainless Steel strings on my Dingwall NG-3 and they really brought out the best in that bass. Nice low end and lots of cut through for heavy rock. Currrently using the Dingwall Nickels on my new D-Roc, but probably will switch to Payson Stainless on that as well for comparison at some point.
Well done with the video. I've been using Rotosound Nickels for years. Warmer than SS with a nice bump in the mids. I find that my bass sits nicely in the mix between two guitars, keyboards and drums.
Used stainless for years and they were great. However, about 5 years ago I tried pure Nickel and have used them ever since. They just seem to sit perfectly in the mix regardless of genre and playing style.
Im surprised how much i like the nickles sound my friend put some on a bass he was borrowing, and i hated the way they felt so I put rotto steels back on which are my go to strings.
I have been using Dean Markley blue steel strings since they came out. I find SS strings last a whole lot longer and maintain tone with wear and tear. Nicole to me break easier and they don't last very long. I change my strings every 6 months and the stainless steel still sound like they have more miles to go. Nickel to me are dead within 3. I say use whatever strings you are comfortable with and fit you and your tone.
I've always used nickel, cobalt for electric and bronze for acustic/electric. For the past almost 20 years. And just last week I restrung my axe with Lemmy icon ss 50-105 and I love them from sound, tone, midrange and have to say I actually found the feel smoother than any strings I've every played goes against the typical as is more coarse than nickel.
Been playin 40+ years and would always go with a brand new set of nickel round wound rotosound for every gig. And my opinion it’s much easier to dial in the low and high end around that mid crunch sound of the nickels using your amp which results in a massive sound. As opposed to trying to dial in the mid from stainless steel. And as others have said the feel of the nickels is my preference as well.
At the moment I mainly use SS, but intend to get a set of nickels for one of my basses. I find that with SS a good boost to low mids 200-250 hz adds a bit of power and warmth without sounding over middly, unless thats what u like. 😉 I tend,to scoop the other mids a bit, but not excessively.
It's fun to really dig into the minutia of bass tone, but I think all of us need to step back and realize how much subtlety is lost when you're playing in a band. As long as it sounds good enough and your performance is good (this is especially important), then the kind of strings you're using matter way less than we think it does.
I prefer nickel because of the wide array of genre's I play. I play d'addario nickel and the variety of tone you can get out of them are great I've tried pro steel d'addario strings and they are just a bit to bright for me.
Different types of stainless steel include the elements carbon, nitrogen, aluminium, silicon, sulfur, titanium, nickel, copper, selenium, niobium, and molybdenum. Stainless steel's resistance to rusting results from the presence of chromium in the alloy, which forms a passive film that protects the underlying material from corrosion attack, and can self-heal in the presence of oxygen. Corrosion resistance can be increased further, by: increasing the chromium content to levels above 11%; addition of 8% or higher amounts of nickel; and addition of molybdenum (which also improves resistance to "pitting corrosion").
How is the fret wear with those Stainless steels? Does this bass has SS Frets? I got myself a Spector Dimension 5 and its a pain to get strings. My Favourites on all other instruments are Daddario NYXL.
Steel strings tend to have a "scooped" sound that isn't my thing. Maybe for slap or metal tones, but even percussive/modern players like Wooten still use nickel. I do find however that steels compliment instruments with rosewood boards very nicely.
I have D'adario 40 / 100 Long Scale bright tone strings, but the slap technique is impossible on them because the sound doesn't come out right. Should I do another bass setup and does anyone have some suggesstions ?
Man I have stainless on my Sandberg jazz and the slap sounds is soo nice and crisp, really natural mid scooped killer sound without any eqand just all knobs at 10, also feels like these strings stay crisp sounding for forever! Then I have nickels on my Fender jazz and that has a real nice mid heavy funky tone, the nickels do seem to lose brightness faster! Both are passive basses, both are nice strings!
My opinion stainless steel are much more brighter sound, crispy sound too and got some aggresivity. I have heard that the DR MR5-45 HI BEAM it is a good one and I am going to try on my 5 strings bass. I am playing metal with my band and let's see how it goes
i've always thought that the D and G string on nickel string just have too much midrange compared to stainless string ( the piano sound ) i'm curently on the Dr sunbeam nickel string and i'm not a fan of them. i will probably go back to stainless string ( Dr of labella) but i will don't mind some recommandation too.
The bass plays significant part in this too. My Ibanez SR650E really brings out the extra "zing" of the stainless steel strings. The Dingwall although of course overall superior, somehow fails to do that.
For me is better to have those mids and control them with EQ than not having them. It may sound better the steel but nickel gives me more room to EQ in my opinion.
I like the nickels more. I do see what you're saying about the crisper top end and the deeper bass, but I feel like that sort of thing is lost on me when listening to the strings in a mix of other instruments. I feel I can hear the nickels (generaly) better when there are other instruments playing above and below the bass, most likely due to the midrange they have, which I value more. Maybe I would like steel strings on a bass with a lot of midrange already, though.
I like both but if i had to choose i d say nickle stainless are very coarse an they can tear your fingers up pretty quickly an they seem to get corrosive quicker ' they do sound good though
Informative video!!! Good to hear the difference on such a modern and tight sounding bass. I concur with your impressions and comments. However I thought the steel strings sounded better for slapping on that bass. Did you feel more comfortable with either type of strings?
I’ve used a lot of bass strings. Generally daddario NYXL strings are choice for me. But sometimes for more clarity on my 5 strings I’ll use daddario pro steels. The fresh string tone is unreal with those. But they lose their brightness so quickly. And that’s been my biggest complaint on stainless steel strings in general. I’ve also noticed the coarseness that you mentioned. My fingers and ears generally prefer nickel! I wish daddario NYXL fit my NG3!
I liked the stainless under a pick. For finger or slap, they are just too dark. I personally run nickel half rounds on my 5 string. Great mids and crisp highs, and sound good under any style. I do need to try some cobalts though...
I thought the steel had way more pronounced tone. The nickel felt dull. Maybe it was your setting. I feel like if you adjusted the tone on nickel it coulda been brighter or more crisp. You were playing the same amp setting on both types? Correct? Great review the playing is solid. I’m trying to decide for these custom fretboards I build. When you pull strings into these vertical scallops it can alter feel and tone based on string type. I’m trying a couple elixers versions on it. The reason Elixer is the coating is smoother and less buzzy or no buzz on pulloffs or bends over fretcorner. I might review strings later on my channel. Watch Wojtek Pilichowski on his pulloffs and he does them on the high G off the fretboard edge. It’s been done before just not on every string up or down. Thanks for the review. Speaking of review maybe you might be interested in trying a bass for fun. See if you can get a riff or 2 and do a review or demo. I’ll send you an email.
I used to be a big Stainless steel fan, but ever since, I found the Ernie Ball nickels that are my favorites by far, also way, way cheaper, than stainless. As for this video, I feel like the nickels are fuller sounding with a more pronounced mid range. Been using them on my DIngwall since I have it and they're pretty good so far. I wish there were Ernies for multiscale basses tho.
I definitely dig the stainless, they just have a bit more body to the sound. I’ve got black beauties on mine for the look, but roto’s are my favorite to play.
This is an odd set of strings from Dingwall. In most brands it's pretty obvious that the steel strings are brighter and more articulate, while nickel is more balanced and warm sounding.
Stainless steel on a p bass sounds like The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (cursed legacy aside). Stainless are really interesting. Kind of piano like but I feel like as their newness fades the strings are empty sounding, where as nickels retain low end as they age. I do however prefer the crisper tone of stainless steel for slap. Slap can sound pretty messy and steels help clean up the sound. Another interesting idea is to compare low action to high action. Low action adds grind (think At the Drive-In) and high action can clean up the bass tone a lot (the National). My P bass can go either way with nickel strings just be adjusting string height.
here is something very interesting, wich I never dare to do. Is there anything in your way to pluck or pick your bass? Is it about the style of music ?
@@alainbrasseur7083 why, yes actually! how sharp of you to notice, too. i often hammer down on the strings, much in the way steve harris (maiden) and geddy lee (rush) do. but i don't like the popping sound it makes, i find it to be a bit too much. in general, i like a darker bass tone. hence the halfround. they're very thick strings too, the E is .130 and the A is .100. though admittently I sometimes downtune to BADG. i used to play in a hard rock band where I used my E and A strings to lock in with the kick drum, en the D and G strings to play licks and filler melodies in between the fundamentals. i liked the more transparant piercing sound of the roundwound stainless steel strings (D .65 and A .45, so quite standard gauge) for the short and laidback walkabouts/filler melodies, and the dark and thick-as-hell sounding nickel halfrounds for the heavy and dark sounding fundamentals. how nice of you to ask. i hope i've answered your question to satisfaction :)
@@raoulselten9480 thank you for your answer. it seems you are more than one bass in 4 strings! I should try it one day. For now, I play blues/ blues rock with halfround (pressure wound ghs 106 80 54 40) and punk rock roundwound (ghs boomer 100 80 55 40) but with 2 differents basses, both tuned DGCF (Kinda sloppy string but I don't hit the string (finger or pick, that hard).
Nickel had more "mid clang" than I expected. They were lacking the low end too much for my liking. I prefer the stainless steel overall. Thanks for the comparison.
I have used them multiple times, they sound like high beams, but a bit of the top end rolled off, and a bit more low mids. If you want a nickle sound, dont buy lowriders
@sonofliberty92 so many bands I see the bass player goes for a mid scooped sound, and it's heavy on its own sure, but there's no fatness or balls and I can't hear anything played. Stupid.
I just restrung my side chick with SS flats. She was sporting a set of nickel round round meh D’Addario just plain regular strings. Got the flats because nostalgia. Just fuxxing beautiful. Recommend trying them out.
I use labella stainless steel for 5 years now befor i was using rotosounds but labella strings have better tencion and last longer they are just better, in this price point maybe the best :)
Cool video, Patrick. I use to use Nickle-plated strings for its warm rich sounds. But then I later switch to stainless steel strings for better clarity and punch. Especially since I use effects and since I switched to stainless steel strings, I got better clarity on the effects I use compared to nickel-plated string. I’ve been using stainless steel strings ever since. They’re excellent for metal music.
Update: I’ve recently have been using nickel-plated strings once again and I still enjoy using them. Even though I still like stainless steel strings, it is nice to use nickel-plated strings once again. I do miss using them. As of now, I use them both. They both sound incredible with my effect pedals.
Prefer nickel. More top end clarity and growl, surprisingly. On a P bass, however, I might prefer the stainless steel to tame the clickety clackety fretboard clack I always seem to encounter.
Listening on my iOS phone, I’m hearing more punch and cut with the nickel strings - very interesting. I own 7 (and counting) Dingwall basses. I have steel strings on most, but now I’m thinking nickel. My D-Roc Custom 5 came with nickels on it. I really dug the tone and the feel as well, so I’m going to stick with nickels on that bass. Check my RUclips channel for demos of my Z3 with steel strings and my D-Roc with nickels 👍🏻. Thanks Patrick for this demo!!
Nickel plated strings have a steel core, so really they are the same string, with just a different coating or plating. Pure Nickel strings have a nickel core.
Nickel all the way. More growl and bright, I can see the steel having a benefit for a little naturally more punchy tone, but I find the punch easier to dial in on an amp than growl.
Hmm, nickel sounded better to my ears than the stainless steel, the later last longer without needing to change them than the former but also might wear the frets faster than the nickel, the struggle.
I’m shocked that I liked the stainless so much. Been using nickel on my combustion but that seems like it might not be the right move after listening to your comparison.
The tones were opposite of what I would have guessed. The SS sounded a touch mellower than the nickel, which surprised me.
Usually brighter. But the nickel have more mids usually why I use stainless cause otherwise I do end up cutting low mids any ways
I had thought the same, thought my mind was playing tricks.
I'm going 100% with you
Well, for the Dingwall strings he used, the nickel strings were also slightly lighter in gauge, which is what probably attributes to its brighter tone than the SS strings in the videos
Any of yawl know anything about long scale electric bronze roundwounds?
Would be interesting to see the differences visually through eq.
That's a great idea!
I like the midrange of the Nickel ones! They are the right ones for me
Same for me
I don’t like the black fingertips
In my opinion the "brighter" sound of the nickel strings most people noticed is more due to the scooped midrange of the stainless steels. Or - to put it the other way round - t's the emphasized high mids of the nickels that make them sound brighter.
From my experience (about 30 years) with strings it really depends on the individual instrument which strings sound better. You can fine tune the tone of your bass with the choice of the matching type of strings.
Used to play stainless steel strings for a long time, but I noticed, that they wear off the frets much faster than nickel strings. This obviously doesn't matter if you have stainless steel frets (like the Dingwall basses, I suppose), but on a bass with nickel frets maybe you should take this into consideration.
Actually I'm using Earnie Ball standard nickel strings on almost all of my bass guitars for about three years now and I'm quite happy with them. Very punchy, overall ballanced sounding strings with a smooth high end. Not harsh or aggressive in any way, just enough to cut through. And they are comparatively inexpensive.
If you want some truly aggressive high end (especially for modern metal tones and stuff...) that really bites, then there are obviously better options.
Sorry if this is extremely late, but what would be those better options for a super aggressive sound for metal? I'm really interested in something that will cut through and be noticeable
@@LordValdomerol If you don't bother the feel, just try any stainless steel strings, but what's more important: string gauge.
String tension has a huge influence on your tone, more than the material, I think.
The thicker the strings, the more mid heavy and aggressive they sound. And the lows get much tighter, too. 110 on 50 should be a good choice for standard tuning, especially when played with pick. But the feel is quite different due to the higher tension.
Nickles after long use are quite different then new, they almost take on a "flats" kind of vibe, and are a little softer in attack. However if you change your strings often, this doesnt apply. Stainless just seem to go dead, once broken in and lose their shimmer, but maintain their lowend. Thats what i have found as the difference after around 25 years of playing bass.
It's why there's actually a market for aged nickel strings, but not stainless. I've talked to touring musicians and about half like Stainless Steel because they keep their shimmer for longer, but the other half like Nickel because even after the shimmer is gone they still have plenty of mids.
I was going to try stainless because of durability but now I know to just stick with nickel
Please Patrick remember that some BASS players are, like myself, are allergic to nickel........ It's all about tone!!!
When my stainless steel strings are dirty, there 'tamed', darker tone. Really bright strings?? Try the cobalt ones, I did!!!
Interesting, I have had reactions to nickel but I never gave it a thought when buying bass strings. I usually get the purple pack power slinky’s but sometimes the cobalt.
@@grisbain I discovered my nickel allergy 30 years ago ( 18 at the time ). Mine looks like athlete's foot on the fingers and it bleeds!!!! What is your reaction???
@@bertrandmajorik6589 for me, it’s cheap belt buckles. If I wear one and my gut rubs on it, it reacts with rash. I may have had reaction to other things and just didn’t put two and two together. I take allergy meds every day though so something is bothering me.
@@grisbain I learned about BASS players being allergic to nickel in bass player magazine, back then.....
I have nickel allergy too. So stainless steel all the way for me.
This is how I like demos. Variety of styles and techniques. Bravo
I've been a nickel guy for over 20 years until just recently when I started trying SS on a few specific basses. It came down to how those basses were voiced and what the SS did to alter the tone in a more pleasing way to my ears. Neither is better or worse in the overall, unless we're talking about Rotosound 66's shredding your fingers for a couple days as they break in...ouch!
Not to mention shredding your frets as well... Guys used to call 'em Roto cheesegraters for a reason!
I had always used nickel strings, but when it came time to get strings for my Squier Gheddo Lee Jazz Bass, I went with steel Swing Bass Rotosounds to be as Geddy as possible. Recently switched to the nickel version, and find them more than bright enough and super comfy to play.
how long does a set of the rotosounds usually last you?
@@_Majoras That was first time using Rotosounds. Swapped them our for the nickels after they lost their initial brightness, as I wasn't crazy about the feel, and didn't want them eating my frets. The nickels still sound great. Can't remember exactly when I switched.
Just recently finished recording for my bands second album (we play Death Metal kinda like Bolt Thrower). Experimented with lots of different kinds of strings including Stainless Steels and in the end, settled for D'Addarrio's Medium Gauge Nickel Strings 50-105 for C# standard tuning. I found that they were just that much brighter, cut through the mix better and felt great to play but like Patrick said, it all entirely depends on what you play, how you play it and what you play with I suppose
I'm using the same set. I find the heavier high strings helps tame the twang :)
Your band name? 😅
To be honest, I use rounds... and that’s all I know
I literally cant afford rounds lol
THEY BOTH TASTE GREAT!!
The stainless are good in a hearty ragu sauce topped with some Parmesano Reggiano.
The nickel go wonderfully paired with a nice bolognaise sauce and some garlic bread.
🍕🍕🍕
I'm glad you like me again Pat
😂😂😂😂😂
Never paid too much attention outside of flat v round, so it's helpful to see things like this.
I'm gonna say you're partially right on steel for metal.
Sure, the brightness helps to cut through the mix, but the same effect can be achieved by simply hitting harder.
Also, a bright cutting bass tone is more for modern metal, not really for those stuck in the past, like me.
In my (fairly irrelevant) opinion, stainless strings are inferior in every regard.
Feel (both mental and physical), sound, tension, and even price.
But then again, even brand affects those things as well.
I used nickels for years. Then I got really into the Ernie Ball cobalts. The 110 E string in the power cobalt set just rings the right way and have a really nice cut to it.
The nickel ones hav a more bright , tight and rounder sound❗️
I shall go for that one 👀❕
they wear out faster and lose that buzz sound quicker
@@jimbles717 depend on what fret material do you have etc. nickel is a softer metal than steel so nickel is definitely not durable but also it wont wear out the instrument as fast as the steel would.
This video is PERFECT! I was looking for new strings for my Dingwall ng2 an this video helped me tremendously
I find players use stainless with maple necks for crisp modern tone scooped mids…and nickels with rosewood necks for warm vintage tone boosted mids.
Awesome comparison man, Dingwall strings sounds very nice! I've used the Nickel ones, and they sound amazing. Havent tried the Stainless ones because I dont have stainless frets on my bass.
I have this problem where my strings go dead to me after like 2 - 4 weeks of playing everyday. I play and/or record daily, so I hear strings that are getting older much quicker now. I've tried so many different string types, from Ernie Ball, D'Addario and the Dingwall Nickel ones, and they all just didnt last as long as I wanted them to.
Any advice to make strings last longer or do I need to make a plan so that I can change strings every month? 😂
You can try Elixir strings. They're pretty pricey but I've only heard good things about them. Could be worth a try.
As I also said in my last video, most things in music aren't better, just different. Different compromises and everyone has their own idea of what better are. Great jobs as always, Patrick ;)
Also, I didn't remember nickel strings having so much midrange! It's been years since I've played a set as I always preferred the nice low and high ends stainless steel strings have!
I think anything on that gorgeous green sparkle is going to sound bright.
I use Payson Stainless Steel strings on my Dingwall NG-3 and they really brought out the best in that bass. Nice low end and lots of cut through for heavy rock. Currrently using the Dingwall Nickels on my new D-Roc, but probably will switch to Payson Stainless on that as well for comparison at some point.
Well done with the video.
I've been using Rotosound Nickels for years. Warmer than SS with a nice bump in the mids. I find that my bass sits nicely in the mix between two guitars, keyboards and drums.
Used stainless for years and they were great. However, about 5 years ago I tried pure Nickel and have used them ever since. They just seem to sit perfectly in the mix regardless of genre and playing style.
I got a rash on my hands from nickel. A form of eczema, had to stop using them, no choice :(
Im surprised how much i like the nickles sound my friend put some on a bass he was borrowing, and i hated the way they felt so I put rotto steels back on which are my go to strings.
I have been using Dean Markley blue steel strings since they came out. I find SS strings last a whole lot longer and maintain tone with wear and tear. Nicole to me break easier and they don't last very long. I change my strings every 6 months and the stainless steel still sound like they have more miles to go. Nickel to me are dead within 3. I say use whatever strings you are comfortable with and fit you and your tone.
I like them both for different situations. I might have to buy another Dingwall now to have them both at the ready.
I've always used nickel, cobalt for electric and bronze for acustic/electric. For the past almost 20 years. And just last week I restrung my axe with Lemmy icon ss 50-105 and I love them from sound, tone, midrange and have to say I actually found the feel smoother than any strings I've every played goes against the typical as is more coarse than nickel.
On the low B it sounds like the stainless has a harder punch when using a pick
beautiful bass.
can you do a DR stainless steel vs their K3 ones???
What about life time? I think that nickel ones loose the brightness too soon in comparison with stainless steel
loving the sounds man
Been playin 40+ years and would always go with a brand new set of nickel round wound rotosound for every gig. And my opinion it’s much easier to dial in the low and high end around that mid crunch sound of the nickels using your amp which results in a massive sound. As opposed to trying to dial in the mid from stainless steel. And as others have said the feel of the nickels is my preference as well.
At the moment I mainly use SS, but intend to get a set of nickels for one of my basses. I find that with SS a good boost to low mids 200-250 hz adds a bit of power and warmth without sounding over middly, unless thats what u like. 😉 I tend,to scoop the other mids a bit, but not excessively.
When I used roundwounds, I preferred the nickels mainly because of the feel. The D’Addario half rounds I have on my Tele P bass are nickel wound.
It's fun to really dig into the minutia of bass tone, but I think all of us need to step back and realize how much subtlety is lost when you're playing in a band. As long as it sounds good enough and your performance is good (this is especially important), then the kind of strings you're using matter way less than we think it does.
In my experience if you slap go with nickel, if you use a pick get the SS. But if youre in the studio use both
4:58 Im glad im not the only one who feel like nickel have more mids, anyways nice video
I prefer nickel because of the wide array of genre's I play. I play d'addario nickel and the variety of tone you can get out of them are great I've tried pro steel d'addario strings and they are just a bit to bright for me.
Your videos are absolutely essential!
Nickel ones sounds brighter and more articulated. Kinda strange result for me)
Different types of stainless steel include the elements carbon, nitrogen, aluminium, silicon, sulfur, titanium, nickel, copper, selenium, niobium, and molybdenum.
Stainless steel's resistance to rusting results from the presence of chromium in the alloy, which forms a passive film that protects the underlying material from corrosion attack, and can self-heal in the presence of oxygen. Corrosion resistance can be increased further, by:
increasing the chromium content to levels above 11%;
addition of 8% or higher amounts of nickel; and
addition of molybdenum (which also improves resistance to "pitting corrosion").
Who was asking ?
you wouldn't know them @@kevinbate4255
How is the fret wear with those Stainless steels? Does this bass has SS Frets? I got myself a Spector Dimension 5 and its a pain to get strings. My Favourites on all other instruments are Daddario NYXL.
Steel strings tend to have a "scooped" sound that isn't my thing. Maybe for slap or metal tones, but even percussive/modern players like Wooten still use nickel. I do find however that steels compliment instruments with rosewood boards very nicely.
I have D'adario 40 / 100 Long Scale bright tone strings, but the slap technique is impossible on them because the sound doesn't come out right. Should I do another bass setup and does anyone have some suggesstions ?
Man I have stainless on my Sandberg jazz and the slap sounds is soo nice and crisp, really natural mid scooped killer sound without any eqand just all knobs at 10, also feels like these strings stay crisp sounding for forever! Then I have nickels on my Fender jazz and that has a real nice mid heavy funky tone, the nickels do seem to lose brightness faster! Both are passive basses, both are nice strings!
The Stainless strings sounded a tad bit more muted in the harmonic department like the layers were there they just didn’t pop out
My opinion stainless steel are much more brighter sound, crispy sound too and got some aggresivity. I have heard that the DR MR5-45 HI BEAM it is a good one and I am going to try on my 5 strings bass. I am playing metal with my band and let's see how it goes
Best “B” on the market is “MusicMan Stingray 5HH!” 👍 along with the other 4 strings!
D'Addario Pro Steels on a Jazz Bass - *chefs kiss*
Now with the tweeter ON!
i've always thought that the D and G string on nickel string just have too much midrange compared to stainless string ( the piano sound ) i'm curently on the Dr sunbeam nickel string and i'm not a fan of them. i will probably go back to stainless string ( Dr of labella) but i will don't mind some recommandation too.
Yeah, nickels sound much more bright and brittle. Maybe i should try steel. Thanks, Paddy!
The bass plays significant part in this too. My Ibanez SR650E really brings out the extra "zing" of the stainless steel strings. The Dingwall although of course overall superior, somehow fails to do that.
I really like how the nickel strings generate more of the lower harmonics, like the first 3 or 4 overtones. So growly.
For me is better to have those mids and control them with EQ than not having them. It may sound better the steel but nickel gives me more room to EQ in my opinion.
The stainless strings sounded more rounded to my ears, whilst the nickel strings had more attack.
Would be nice to see yhe Frequency response between nickel and ss... I can feel a hone project coming.. lol
I'd like to see this but with stuff people might actually use/have. P-bass and GHS or D'Addario strings.
I like the nickels more. I do see what you're saying about the crisper top end and the deeper bass, but I feel like that sort of thing is lost on me when listening to the strings in a mix of other instruments. I feel I can hear the nickels (generaly) better when there are other instruments playing above and below the bass, most likely due to the midrange they have, which I value more. Maybe I would like steel strings on a bass with a lot of midrange already, though.
I like the nickel ones better. The string that speaks to my soul the most is La Bella black nylon tapewounds though.
I like both but if i had to choose i d say nickle stainless are very coarse an they can tear your fingers up pretty quickly an they seem to get corrosive quicker ' they do sound good though
For me the brighter and poppier the better!!
Informative video!!! Good to hear the difference on such a modern and tight sounding bass. I concur with your impressions and comments. However I thought the steel strings sounded better for slapping on that bass.
Did you feel more comfortable with either type of strings?
I’ve used a lot of bass strings. Generally daddario NYXL strings are choice for me. But sometimes for more clarity on my 5 strings I’ll use daddario pro steels. The fresh string tone is unreal with those. But they lose their brightness so quickly. And that’s been my biggest complaint on stainless steel strings in general. I’ve also noticed the coarseness that you mentioned. My fingers and ears generally prefer nickel! I wish daddario NYXL fit my NG3!
I liked the stainless under a pick. For finger or slap, they are just too dark. I personally run nickel half rounds on my 5 string. Great mids and crisp highs, and sound good under any style. I do need to try some cobalts though...
This has convinced me to try Nickel. The mids JUMPED out.
I thought the steel had way more pronounced tone. The nickel felt dull. Maybe it was your setting. I feel like if you adjusted the tone on nickel it coulda been brighter or more crisp. You were playing the same amp setting on both types? Correct?
Great review the playing is solid. I’m trying to decide for these custom fretboards I build. When you pull strings into these vertical scallops it can alter feel and tone based on string type. I’m trying a couple elixers versions on it. The reason Elixer is the coating is smoother and less buzzy or no buzz on pulloffs or bends over fretcorner. I might review strings later on my channel. Watch Wojtek Pilichowski on his pulloffs and he does them on the high G off the fretboard edge. It’s been done before just not on every string up or down. Thanks for the review.
Speaking of review maybe you might be interested in trying a bass for fun. See if you can get a riff or 2 and do a review or demo. I’ll send you an email.
I used to be a big Stainless steel fan, but ever since, I found the Ernie Ball nickels that are my favorites by far, also way, way cheaper, than stainless. As for this video, I feel like the nickels are fuller sounding with a more pronounced mid range. Been using them on my DIngwall since I have it and they're pretty good so far. I wish there were Ernies for multiscale basses tho.
There are! They have a super long scale set. Not much variety on the gauge of string though.
@@Theguttersayshello I gotta check them out then.
I definitely dig the stainless, they just have a bit more body to the sound. I’ve got black beauties on mine for the look, but roto’s are my favorite to play.
This is an odd set of strings from Dingwall. In most brands it's pretty obvious that the steel strings are brighter and more articulate, while nickel is more balanced and warm sounding.
Stainless steel on a p bass sounds like The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (cursed legacy aside). Stainless are really interesting. Kind of piano like but I feel like as their newness fades the strings are empty sounding, where as nickels retain low end as they age. I do however prefer the crisper tone of stainless steel for slap. Slap can sound pretty messy and steels help clean up the sound.
Another interesting idea is to compare low action to high action. Low action adds grind (think At the Drive-In) and high action can clean up the bass tone a lot (the National). My P bass can go either way with nickel strings just be adjusting string height.
I have E and A nickel halfround/semiflat and D and G steel round
here is something very interesting, wich I never dare to do. Is there anything in your way to pluck or pick your bass? Is it about the style of music ?
@@alainbrasseur7083 why, yes actually! how sharp of you to notice, too. i often hammer down on the strings, much in the way steve harris (maiden) and geddy lee (rush) do. but i don't like the popping sound it makes, i find it to be a bit too much. in general, i like a darker bass tone. hence the halfround. they're very thick strings too, the E is .130 and the A is .100. though admittently I sometimes downtune to BADG. i used to play in a hard rock band where I used my E and A strings to lock in with the kick drum, en the D and G strings to play licks and filler melodies in between the fundamentals. i liked the more transparant piercing sound of the roundwound stainless steel strings (D .65 and A .45, so quite standard gauge) for the short and laidback walkabouts/filler melodies, and the dark and thick-as-hell sounding nickel halfrounds for the heavy and dark sounding fundamentals. how nice of you to ask. i hope i've answered your question to satisfaction :)
@@raoulselten9480 thank you for your answer. it seems you are more than one bass in 4 strings! I should try it one day. For now, I play blues/ blues rock with halfround (pressure wound ghs 106 80 54 40) and punk rock roundwound (ghs boomer 100 80 55 40) but with 2 differents basses, both tuned DGCF (Kinda sloppy string but I don't hit the string (finger or pick, that hard).
@@alainbrasseur7083 ah yes that sounds like a perfect match between strings and genre! 😊
Nickel had more "mid clang" than I expected. They were lacking the low end too much for my liking. I prefer the stainless steel overall. Thanks for the comparison.
Bro, where is Harley Benton HB-60 demo? Waiting for five months :)
P.S. The Dr Lowrider have a nickel 'like' sound, will try them in the near futur.
I have used them multiple times, they sound like high beams, but a bit of the top end rolled off, and a bit more low mids. If you want a nickle sound, dont buy lowriders
@@juanticimo My mistake, in a video Hi-Beams kinda sounded like nickel plated. Thank you for the rectification!!!
Depends on the bass and the tone I use it for.
the nickel strings have more mids while the stainless steel has this more bass boost and mids scooped.
Am actually suprise of the nickel string slap tone it really sound betterto me then ss
Why is a lack of mid grunt better for rock and metal?
It's not. I play hard metal, and I run a high mid sound and continuously get complimented on my tone.
@sonofliberty92 so many bands I see the bass player goes for a mid scooped sound, and it's heavy on its own sure, but there's no fatness or balls and I can't hear anything played. Stupid.
SS= Modern High Fidelity (solo bedroom)
N= Vintage Mid Driven (band setting)
I just restrung my side chick with SS flats.
She was sporting a set of nickel round round meh D’Addario just plain regular strings.
Got the flats because nostalgia.
Just fuxxing beautiful.
Recommend trying them out.
I use labella stainless steel for 5 years now befor i was using rotosounds but labella strings have better tencion and last longer they are just better, in this price point maybe the best :)
Steel has the depth and slightly scooped mids. Preferred it in almost every rif.
I prefer Nickel. But I also prefer to run hot and in your face tone-wise. Especially for thicker strings and lower tunings.
Cool video, Patrick. I use to use Nickle-plated strings for its warm rich sounds. But then I later switch to stainless steel strings for better clarity and punch. Especially since I use effects and since I switched to stainless steel strings, I got better clarity on the effects I use compared to nickel-plated string. I’ve been using stainless steel strings ever since. They’re excellent for metal music.
Update: I’ve recently have been using nickel-plated strings once again and I still enjoy using them. Even though I still like stainless steel strings, it is nice to use nickel-plated strings once again. I do miss using them. As of now, I use them both. They both sound incredible with my effect pedals.
The nickel sounds better to me every time. Will be picking up some nickels next time I'm buying strings.
Prefer nickel. More top end clarity and growl, surprisingly. On a P bass, however, I might prefer the stainless steel to tame the clickety clackety fretboard clack I always seem to encounter.
Listening on my iOS phone, I’m hearing more punch and cut with the nickel strings - very interesting. I own 7 (and counting) Dingwall basses. I have steel strings on most, but now I’m thinking nickel. My D-Roc Custom 5 came with nickels on it. I really dug the tone and the feel as well, so I’m going to stick with nickels on that bass. Check my RUclips channel for demos of my Z3 with steel strings and my D-Roc with nickels 👍🏻. Thanks Patrick for this demo!!
I’m allergic to nickel, so it’s an easy choice for me 🤣
I've recently been diagnosed with a nickel allergy, how would you define cobalt vs stainless steel strings? Thank you so much
@@lifcharleserickson5374 cobalt strings sound fantastic, but they shred your fingers if you dont have good callouses
Whichever strings get me a beard like yours!!
I prefer nickel in terms of feeling. The steels always feel sticky to me. Sound wise it's just a matter of your preference I guess. 🤷♂️
I’m the same.
I am more of a Stainless guy but I could understand that some prefers Nickel. Anyhow opinions are like assholes, everybody 's got a different one ;)
Stainless steel are my favorite :)
Nickel plated strings have a steel core, so really they are the same string, with just a different coating or plating. Pure Nickel strings have a nickel core.
Nickel all the way. More growl and bright, I can see the steel having a benefit for a little naturally more punchy tone, but I find the punch easier to dial in on an amp than growl.
Hmm, nickel sounded better to my ears than the stainless steel, the later last longer without needing to change them than the former but also might wear the frets faster than the nickel, the struggle.
I like the steel better on the low strings but the nickels better on the high strings.
Nickel strings has the vintage tone, perfect for Jazz, 1950's and 60's classic rock, and blues.
I’m shocked that I liked the stainless so much. Been using nickel on my combustion but that seems like it might not be the right move after listening to your comparison.
Dingwall Nickel are thicker gauges than Steel which could influence the sound