Beta Test & Review D’Addario NYXL Bass Strings

[lee4]

Got them today,so many thanks.
I will put them on my Status Groove this weekend and give them a good play.

[Kev]

Well, I received my strings a few days ago, thank you very much!

For those interested, the 5 string set is 130 100 80 65 45. I have used D'addarios on and off for around 7 years and I am a big fan of their Flex Steel, Pro Steel and Nickel sets, depending on the bass.

I tried these out on my Alpher Mako bass, replacing a Newtone Steel round core set 127 100 80 67 47, so a Nickel hex core makes for quite a different string , despite the gauges being very similar.

Upon stringing up and tuning, first thing I noticed was the much higher tension feel than the Newtone strings. Whilst round cores are more flexible in general, I was still surprised at how much stiffer they were.

I was quite amazed at how well these strings stayed in tune immediately after tuning to pitch for the first time. I can't remember ever tuning up new strings and not having to adjust the next time I picked the bass up.

These strings are LOUD and very punchy. A good bit louder than the Newtons. Lots of low end and low mids rumble, quite a signature tone of these strings as eqing never really dialled this 'tone' out. Not boomy, but thick. Highs are very 'polite' with not too much zing for fresh strings. I haven't tried the Nickel D'addarios for a while but off memory they are a less zingy, and much less zingy than pro steels/flex steels. Finger noise is low and the higher tension meant low fret noise too. Its interesting to read some comments about the strings sounding 'open'; I actually found the sound quite focussed. They sound equally good with fingers and with a plectrum, they don't seem particularly suited to slap.

Strings smooth and comfortable to play, good balanced sound across all strings with pleasant harmonic content. Use of these has been limited to amplified home use through a Markbass combo and headphone use through an iOS setup.

Obviously have to see how they break in, and I understand longevity is a big part of the pitch here, but initial thoughts:

[b]Pros[/b]
Loud and punchy
Nice sound straight out the pack
Smooth and balanced

[b]Cons[/b]
Higher tension than similar gauge strings (which could be a Pro for others)
Very much have a tone signature that some may not like
Wont be bright enough for some

For me, the tension is a bit of a killer as I like a more flexible string, so I do not think I will be investing in these beyond this beta set. However, lets see how they break in.

I understand that these strings are going to be around the £30 mark, which if true will put them above flex steels as the top price of the D'addario RW range. If they make a lighter set when released I could revisit, but not as they are.

This probably comes across more negative than perhaps is fair or even intended, but I think more than anything they were perhaps just not quite what I was expecting or hoping for.

[mr zed]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]I received a 4 string set to test and decided to put them on my EBMM Stingray HH. I wanted to get a comparison between the test set and the Ernie Ball Slinky Nickel’s that I have always used on this bass. The reason I have always used the Slinky’s is that these were the strings that EBMM fitted to the bass and they just work for me – sounded great from day one. I was however curious to see what difference another manufacturer’s strings would make (if any) and would I prefer something else or be hankering to get back to the Slinky’s? The D’addario NYXL’s are Nickel 45-100’s as are the Slinky’s (the ones in the pink packaging) so materials of construction and sizes are the same – ideal for a comparison.[/color][/font][/size]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/zedsled/media/Stingray/P1190002_zpsk6qcvic3.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b560/zedsled/Stingray/P1190002_zpsk6qcvic3.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]Before fitting the strings I immediately noticed how tight the wrap was on the core. These are very smooth to the touch. I suspect that these strings will keep their tone for a long time as there is less of a gap between the wrap for grease and grime from the fingertips to accumulate. They look closer to flats than rounds in this respect. The quality of the strings is evident and another plus for me is that there are no silks which I personally do not like. So, first impressions are good.[/color][/font][/size]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/zedsled/media/Stingray/P1190004_zpst0eu24bk.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b560/zedsled/Stingray/P1190004_zpst0eu24bk.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]Once installed and tuned to EADG (hey, I’m a traditionalist), I gave them a tug and got them back to pitch. I played for a while acoustically then checked the tuning again. They were still in tune and stable. Initial thoughts were that they weren’t as bright as I have come to expect from a fresh set of strings and again the smoothness to the touch was obvious. There was very little finger or fret noise and sliding across the frets was a pleasure – you could hear clearly defined notes rather than the metal-on-metal sound which you can sometimes get. I tried fingerstyle and played with a pick and both styles sounded great. I gave them a quick slap (just to see how they sounded as I don’t usually play in this style (traditionalist remember)) and they didn’t seem to have the same level of transient attack that I have experienced with other strings – the brightness just wasn’t there.[/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]I then plugged in to my home practice amp (Roland Cube 20XL) and played for a while at low volume. Initial thoughts were that they sounded like a set of strings that have been played-in – not worn but just at that sweet-spot that you get when any initial brightness (brittleness?) has disappeared following a few hours playing. That was Tuesday evening, on Wednesday evening I had a rehearsal with the band (5 piece female fronted pop/rock band). This was the opportunity to try them at volume and in the mix.[/color][/font][/size]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/zedsled/media/Stingray/P1190003_zpseatcjer4.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b560/zedsled/Stingray/P1190003_zpseatcjer4.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]I was a little surprised at how much I needed to increase the volume of the amp from its usual setting to get the bass to sit right in the mix. The gain and output volume levels are both usually around 10 o’clock however I increased both of these to 12 o’clock to obtain the same perceived volume that I usually play at in this environment (same people, same room, same equipment). The settings on the bass were the same as I always use (volume full on, treble set in the middle, mids & bass increased from the middle setting slightly). I was using the inner coils which is my preferred setting for the majority of time I play on this bass. EQ on the amp was flat (as I always have it). The difference in tone was very perceivable which I was surprised at (maybe it’s not all in the fingers after all). I had a choice to make. Do I try to tweak the eq to chase the sound I am used to hearing (and know and love) or do I leave it as it is and accept that these are different strings (and I was looking to try something different anyway) so just roll with it. I decided to change nothing and carry on.[/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]For maybe the first half hour or so, I was focussed on my tone which was very pleasant (warm, full and round) but different (I’m used at a more middy, aggressive tone). However the difference was soon forgotten as we began working on new material. By the end of the night, I had forgotten all about the differences as you get used to what you’ve got. No-one else in the room noticed any difference whatsoever which maybe isn’t too surprising . Getting back to the strings again, the tension is good (nothing was ‘floppy’) and the sound was even across all 4 strings.[/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]Do I like them? Yes, they are a good quality string, made of Nickel (which is my preferred choice) and they are my preferred size. Do I prefer them to the Slinky’s………I don’t know yet. I will need to give them some time and forget about the differences between the strings to reach an unbiased opinion. I will keep these strings on until they are dead (which will give me plenty of time to adapt to the tonal differences). It will also give a good measure as to how long they last.[/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]In conclusion, I am so used to hearing ‘my sound’ that any difference to me is perceptible. I have read that strings can make a huge difference but my previous experiences with other basses (Fender Jazz, Fender Precision, Musicman Stingray, Yamaha TRB5Pii, Fender Jazz deluxe, EBMM 25[/color][sup][color=#000000]TH[/color][/sup][color=#000000] Anniversary HSS) and string manufacturers (Elites, Slinky’s, Rotosound, Fender – inc nickel & stainless steel) have made less of a difference than what I have just experienced with this particular bass, with these particular strings in this particular environment. Very thought provoking![/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]I particularly like the smoothness, the tension, the feel and the evenness between the strings. I also really like the tone. They also stayed in tune all night.[/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]These strings would suit a player that is looking for a great tone that is achieved immediately they are fitted (they don’t need ‘playing-in’ to remove any brittleness). I also suspect that they could appeal to those who enjoy some of the benefits of flats (with the tight wrap) but the tone of rounds.[/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=Calibri][color=#000000]Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try these strings out. Further updates to come as and when anything worth reporting back occurs.[/color][/font][/size]

Edited January 22, 2016 by mr zed

[D'AddarioUK]

I'm extremely impressed with the depth and quality of the feedback posted so far, thank you very much from all of us here at D'Addario to all those taking part in the NYXL Bass beta test. Keep up the good work!

[jazzyvee]

I did a gig at the Jam house in Brum using these on my Alembic Series II bass on Tuesday night into the same rig as I noted above. The overall tone is much warmer generally and really well suited to some of the 70's and early 80's jazz funk tracks we were playing. However I didn't get the crispness on the attack that I really enjoy with playing the more recent tracks we play but then my normal strings are pro-steels so thats probably understandable. What I was really impressed with was the tonal balance across the strings.

My basses are well balanced tonally across the strings and having low pass filters there is no facility to boost anything under 350Hz from the bass directly so whatever bottom end is lurking there, and there is a lot of it, is unadulterated and down to strings and how they are played (IMHO). I also don't get the feeling that the B-string is from a different planet and the higher tension feeling on the B string really helps there. ( I don't actually know if these NYXL strings are higher tension but its how they feel to me). Anyway I was impressed with how these strings seemed to keep a much tighter connection between the B and other strings than i feel with the Pro-steels so whilst there is a warmer bottom end on these strings they all work together with good string to string tonal balance. We did a couple of jazz infused reggae numbers which really made the most of the warmer sound.

My next gig at the moment is on 13th Feb with Musical Youth so I plan to move the strings to my other Series I bass which has a much warmer bottom end anyway so it should be a match made in heaven.

Are you guys planning to make any Pro-Steel versions, I'd love to try those out too. The smooth finish is a big plus for me means you can use them straight away without having to compensate for finger drag that you get on new pro steels.

Edited January 22, 2016 by jazzyvee

[lee4]

After saying that I would fit these strings on Sunday,impatience got the better of me and I fitted them to my Status on Thursday night.
I found that they had a higher tension,as other testers reported,and that they retained tuning fantastically.A quick tune,pull to stretch,then retune is all that was needed.Under the fingers they feel fast and less "grippy" than other roundwounds.
Played acoustically,the strings felt more like an old set that had settled in rather than a fresh set,so I plugged into my practice amp(25W Marlin that was my 1st amp).
With the onboard pre-amp set treble flat and bass at 75%,I was hearing a solid tone with a low mid bias.As others have said ,the top end was polite instead of zingy,and overall there was a pleasing warmth to the tone.
These strings are very sensitive to finger position,as moving my plucking hand just one inch in front of the pickup gave me a much more rounded and vintage tone.
Digging in will give you a growl,but I concede that this could be due as much to the bass pickups as the strings,but I will add that the growl factor was never overpowering,and the fundamental warmth was always there.
Tomorrow I will be recording with them,so I hope to be pleasantly surprised by them.
Would I buy them?Well,price will be a factor.Elite Players,which are my default strings,retail at £19.95.I feel that these strings will be at least £25,but if they last well I could be converted.
Thanks to D'Addario for the chance to test these.

[King Tut]

I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the beta testers. I put the strings on last weekend and have played three gigs with them since.

I've strung them onto a Japanese Fender 62 reissue Jazz that's been modified, most significantly with SD Quarter Pounders and Badass II Bridge.

I find testing strings quite difficult as a fresh set of strings always sound awesome compared to well used strings and in the real world it's not always realistic for a consumer to do proper A/B tests.

I'm used to using either 100 or 105 pro steels or 100 EXP coated Nickel Strings, or Thomastic flats.

All gigs were played with a GK MB500, Zoom B1on and the second two I had a graphic eq in the chain. The first two gigs were played through two Eden 1x12 cabs, the third through a Nemesis 4 x 10.

Initial impressions - Taking them out of the packet, sealed factory fresh as always, the strings felt smooth, almost slippery, and I had to check that they weren't coated. The wind is nice - almost has a slight ground wound feel to it which makes them a quite a fast and comfortable string to play. Putting them on, they seemed compliant, and i didn't have to fight the strings at all to get them on.

As you's expect from Nickel strings, they don't have that horrible brittle clang to them that new stainless strings can have. Having said that, when popped, they do cut through nicely, however there seems to be some natural compression in them that equalises volume when slapping, so I think these could appeal quite well to slap/funk players who are looking for something with a bit of body to their sound whilst retaining a crisp and authoritative cutting edge.

As far as tuning stability is concerned, to be honest, I never noticed a great deal of difference to what I'm used to. Having said that, I'm pretty active and aggressive on stage so it's inevitable that I'm gonna have to make some tuning adjustments between sets.

I struggled with my tone at the first gig - the one the video is taken from, but this was nothing to do with the strings, more because I didn't have an eq in my chain. Things improved the second night where I could fine tune using a graphic.

The third night, I had my big cab and my sound really came to life. Rolling off the tone and using the front pickup, I had a solid and full bottom end for 'I Shot The Sheriff'. Tone full on and front pickup and she growled for England for 'I Fought The law'. Burping over the back pickup I had all the twang I needed for 'Psycho Killer' and kicking a boost in, I just loved the bass figure that sits behind the solo on 'All Right Now' - proper piano string tone.

Sustain was great - I think improved over other D'addario strings I've played. The smooth feel also helped reduce finger noise which is a benefit when playing quieter stuff. I noticed this particularly on the first gig where we played metallics's 'and nothing else matters' and I double the arpeggio during the verses.

I loved these strings, particularly through my bigger rig. Below is a video from the first night - only recorded via the camera's built in mic but sounds OK!

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzrh2FdcshQ&feature=youtu.be"]https://www.youtube....eature=youtu.be[/url]

Edited January 24, 2016 by King Tut

[Billy Apple]

If anyone finds the strings are not for them, please pass them on to others to give a try

[discreet]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1453649030' post='2961356']
If anyone finds the strings are not for them, please pass them on to others to give a try
[/quote]

I'm up for unwanted strings! Must be uncut or at least cut for a Fender headstock, thanks...

[lee4]

A quick addition to my earlier post.
I tried these strings on the Status,but fired up the Zoot/Markbass rig today.
Oh God yes,these are just what I needed.Warmth,focus and power.Not too much growl,but not too polite either.
I can only hope that the price will be keen on these as I dearly want them to be my string of choice.

[D'AddarioUK]

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1453479890' post='2959918']
I did a gig at the Jam house in Brum using these on my Alembic Series II bass on Tuesday night into the same rig as I noted above. The overall tone is much warmer generally and really well suited to some of the 70's and early 80's jazz funk tracks we were playing. However I didn't get the crispness on the attack that I really enjoy with playing the more recent tracks we play but then my normal strings are pro-steels so thats probably understandable. What I was really impressed with was the tonal balance across the strings.

My basses are well balanced tonally across the strings and having low pass filters there is no facility to boost anything under 350Hz from the bass directly so whatever bottom end is lurking there, and there is a lot of it, is unadulterated and down to strings and how they are played (IMHO). I also don't get the feeling that the B-string is from a different planet and the higher tension feeling on the B string really helps there. ( I don't actually know if these NYXL strings are higher tension but its how they feel to me). Anyway I was impressed with how these strings seemed to keep a much tighter connection between the B and other strings than i feel with the Pro-steels so whilst there is a warmer bottom end on these strings they all work together with good string to string tonal balance. We did a couple of jazz infused reggae numbers which really made the most of the warmer sound.

My next gig at the moment is on 13th Feb with Musical Youth so I plan to move the strings to my other Series I bass which has a much warmer bottom end anyway so it should be a match made in heaven.

Are you guys planning to make any Pro-Steel versions, I'd love to try those out too. The smooth finish is a big plus for me means you can use them straight away without having to compensate for finger drag that you get on new pro steels.
[/quote]

No plans to do steels, however our [url="http://daddario.com/DADProductFamily.Page?ActiveID=3768&familyid=63"]FlexSteel [/url]strings are stainless steel with a similar build to NYXL Bass.

[Silvia Bluejay]

OK, here is my take on the strings after playing them for three weeks as a non-gigging, Chrome-loving bassist. Off to fill in the online questionnaire.

[quote]
Now, I must state upfront that in general, I am not a fan of roundwound strings. I currently have eight electric bass guitars, most of which have D’Addario Chromes, one has D’Addario tapewounds, and one has D’Addario half-rounds. When I accepted the challenge of testing a set of rounds, I decided to use them on my very first ‘student’ bass, which I bought new as a beginner, and played for a year or so before upgrading; it still had its original, pretty dead rounds from the factory. It’s a 4-string Ibanez clone made by Crafter, still in mint condition, with passive electronics and two J pickups. Would the new D’Addario set make that bass enjoyable to play?

As always, I carried out the test by playing first through a PJB Briefcase and then through a PJB Bass Buddy headphone amp with PJB headphones. All the EQ sliders on both amps, and all the knobs on the bass, were set to centred (‘0’) position. I played a few bars from two basslines, one with a pick and one fingerstyle.

Feel
While playing the NYXLs for the first time, it’s immediately evident that even someone like me can find them pleasant under the fingertips; I felt no need to use Fast Fret or similar products, my fingertips didn’t hurt even after a longish session on some driving, rock basslines, and they produce very little finger noise even when I deliberately ‘drag’ my hand while playing, or indeed when I slide along a string.

Compliance
Thanks to the set’s regular-light gauge and to the fact that I am accustomed to flatwounds, I don’t find the NYXLs particularly high-tension or fatiguing to the fingers. In fact, the truss rod needed tightening a little to raise the action, even after I had lifted the saddles.

Tuning
The NYXLs were easy to tune and – rather surprisingly for roundwounds – took a very short time to stabilise fully at a reasonably constant room temperature.

Sound
The NYXLs sound bright, crisp and clear, and I can detect no harshness at all in normal fretting, and very little finger noise. All that on a budget bass with cheap, passive electronics which tended to sound pretty muddy with the previous set of rounds.
With the bass set up to suit the new set of NYXLs, with action, saddles height, intonation and pickups height properly adjusted, the strings sound very well balanced to my ears.

PJB Bass Buddy headphone amp
With the NYXLs through the Bass Buddy, playing fingerstyle results in a warm, pleasant sound which is less bright than playing fingerstyle through the Briefcase.
Playing with a pick obviously sounds far brighter and has greater attack than fingerstyle.

PJB Briefcase
All parameters being equal, fingerstyle on the Briefcase sounds brighter than on the Bass Buddy. As for the picked sound, the increased attack is still audible, but the difference is less noticeable on the Briefcase than onthe Bass Buddy.

I will keep playing the NYXLs in the next few months to see for how long they maintain all their excellent chracteristics.

Verdict after three weeks of having the NYXLs on the bass: I was actually very pleasantly surprised at how agreeable I found them to be, what with, y’know, them being roundwounds and me being a flatwound sort of bassist! Although these strings haven’t replaced the Chromes in my affections, they are definitely the rounds I will buy if I decide that a certain bass or a certain project needs a wider choice of tones than that offered by flats. In the meantime, they are staying on my now-rejuvenated first-ever bass.
[/quote]

[lee4]

Even more feedback:recorded,these strings sound great,with definition and clarity along with the warmth I require.
Through my main rig(Markbass LMII into a 2X12 Zoot cab)at a rehearsal it was the same result.
I have now decided to use my Status Groove as my main bass again,as with these strings it sounds as I have always wanted it to.

[gelfin]

Let me begin with the fact that I have used Rotosound RS66 swing bass 45-105 pretty much exclusively for the last fifteen years.
Never been tempted to try anything else. Main bass being a Ric 4001. I also have a variety of other basses all strung with Roto’s.

Band is a three piece playing rock, pop covers from the sixties to date.

When I first saw this offer I was just about to replace a warped neck on one of my P basses.
So I thought it would be ideal to ask for a beta set to put on that and be able to compare the strings with two P basses.

Gear used is a Gallien Kreuger Fusion 550 head, an RBH 2x10 and a Neo 2x12.
Also using Smoothhound wireless system.

New neck fitted at home Daddario strings fitted and bass set up.

Strings feel smooth and comfortable and even acoustically I noticed quite a big full sound.
Popped bass in gig bag ready to go to practise room next day.

Go to practise room, take out bass and plug in. It surprised me but it was still in tune, a good sign.
Amp set flat, moderate level and bypassed all effects.

Back to P with Roto’s for a short play then back to the NYXL’s. Quite an eye opener (or ear opener).
Very full powerful sound, with amazing depth. Sleek and smooth feeling to play compared to the Roto’s.
Not that I consider it an issue with them. Continued noodling for a while and sort of forgot that I was
comparing strings just really getting into the tonal range I could produce with them.
Not the zing and attack that I get with the Roto’s, having said that the Roto’s do lose it quite soon
after being new. Note: the Roto’s on the other P were new at this time too.

Guitarist turns up and notices that I have the repaired P. We start to have a bit of a jam and then he says
“what have you done to it? It sounds amazing”.

Would I buy and use these? Yes I would, and be more than happy with them.
Will I put them on my Ric, changing from my main sound of many years.
Well sort of. In realty I think I will need to buy another Ric so I can have the best of both.

[b]A big thank you to Daddario for giving us all this opportunity and giving this stuck in a rut a push to expand his sound.[/b]

As a foot note a week later they are still in tune and no noticeable change in tone. Bass left on wall hanger for this interval.

[Kev]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1453330936' post='2958608']
Well, I received my strings a few days ago, thank you very much!

For those interested, the 5 string set is 130 100 80 65 45. I have used D'addarios on and off for around 7 years and I am a big fan of their Flex Steel, Pro Steel and Nickel sets, depending on the bass.

I tried these out on my Alpher Mako bass, replacing a Newtone Steel round core set 127 100 80 67 47, so a Nickel hex core makes for quite a different string , despite the gauges being very similar.

Upon stringing up and tuning, first thing I noticed was the much higher tension feel than the Newtone strings. Whilst round cores are more flexible in general, I was still surprised at how much stiffer they were.

I was quite amazed at how well these strings stayed in tune immediately after tuning to pitch for the first time. I can't remember ever tuning up new strings and not having to adjust the next time I picked the bass up.

These strings are LOUD and very punchy. A good bit louder than the Newtons. Lots of low end and low mids rumble, quite a signature tone of these strings as eqing never really dialled this 'tone' out. Not boomy, but thick. Highs are very 'polite' with not too much zing for fresh strings. I haven't tried the Nickel D'addarios for a while but off memory they are a less zingy, and much less zingy than pro steels/flex steels. Finger noise is low and the higher tension meant low fret noise too. Its interesting to read some comments about the strings sounding 'open'; I actually found the sound quite focussed. They sound equally good with fingers and with a plectrum, they don't seem particularly suited to slap.

Strings smooth and comfortable to play, good balanced sound across all strings with pleasant harmonic content. Use of these has been limited to amplified home use through a Markbass combo and headphone use through an iOS setup.

Obviously have to see how they break in, and I understand longevity is a big part of the pitch here, but initial thoughts:

[b]Pros[/b]
Loud and punchy
Nice sound straight out the pack
Smooth and balanced

[b]Cons[/b]
Higher tension than similar gauge strings (which could be a Pro for others)
Very much have a tone signature that some may not like
Wont be bright enough for some

For me, the tension is a bit of a killer as I like a more flexible string, so I do not think I will be investing in these beyond this beta set. However, lets see how they break in.

I understand that these strings are going to be around the £30 mark, which if true will put them above flex steels as the top price of the D'addario RW range. If they make a lighter set when released I could revisit, but not as they are.

This probably comes across more negative than perhaps is fair or even intended, but I think more than anything they were perhaps just not quite what I was expecting or hoping for.
[/quote]

Well, Ill post a quick update on this.

After getting over the initial differences between these strings and strings I am used to, I actually really like them. The strings are very powerful, loud and punchy, and the comparative lack of string noise is very welcome. They are comfy and seem to sound that bit better each time I pick the bass up.

I want to thank D'addario again for letting me be a part of the Beta testing. Someone said something about an online Questionnaire?

[wateroftyne]

The D'addario gang turned up at the North East Bass Bash this weekend, and I was very kindly offered a set of these to try. Cheers, folks!

I'll string up my Oly Maruszczyk Jake tomorrow. I usually use the Nickel XLs on my rounds bass - it'll be interesting to see how they compare.

[DanEly]

Once I have landed tomorrow I'll post a sound comparison to the new flex steels, NYXL's and maybe the XL's if I've got any floating around. Sorry it's taken so long!

[jazzyvee]

I had a rehearsal session with Musical Youth today today and had previously transferred the NYXL strings to my Series I 5 string alembic as it has a much warmer sound due to the pickups being closer to the end of the neck. So I was hoping that they would sound much more at home in for reggae.
I was right they seem more suited to that sound that what I'd used them on before. The bottom end is much richer warmer and has a great punch on the E and A strings but less punchy on the B string even though the bottom end is more pronounced. We rattled off a few Bob Marley songs, some sugar minot, Pablo Gadd and others and I was more than happy with the sound of these strings.

Regardless of the music I'm playing I am not happy unless I can hear absolute clarity from all the notes whether it is a heavy dub reggae sound or a smooth clean crisp tone like Stanley Clarke uses. I like to hear all the notes being played not a woolly indistinct bass sound which is why I tend to use brighter strings and get rid of them when they lose that clean definition. I'm really pleased that these are doing that in the reggae context. Time will tell how well these strings keep their current tone. I have a theatre gig on Saturday for our album launch so that will be the real test of their tone.

[Muzz]

Hokay, it's been a bit of a while so I'm a little late to the feedback party, but January was gigless, and I wanted to give these strings a proper run out before reporting back.

They replaced a set of EXLs, and immediately the feel is different - the winding is noticeably finer, and acoustically there's less finger noise, and if you're susceptible to rough strings, you'll find them easier under the finger.

No silks, which is great - I've always found silk/cotton wrapping to be a problem looking to happen, depending on the design of your bridge.

The tension feels similar to the D'Addarios I've had before i.e. pretty high, which is something I like, but of course YMMV. They seem well balanced as a set, no issues with string to string variance.

They're a 'big' sounding string - a bit of a vague generic description, I know, but for me that's a good word for them: they upped the output of the bass, and are warmly punchy and meaty, but without being harsh in the mids. Highs are good for nickel - obviously not as zingy as steels, but they've a good range of tone. I play 80% pick, 15% fingers and 5% slap, and they sounded very good with pick and fingers, possibly not so much for slap.

Tuning stablility, which was mentioned in the blurb, is very good - I put them on, got them up to pitch, gave them a quick stretch (which I always do - don't we all?) and retuned, and they've stayed there for three weeks or so, through hours of home playing and a hot, thrashy (but not Thrash ) gig.

They don't sound to have dropped off in tone very much, either, although I'll be monitoring this longer term and report back.

They feel like a premium string, so I'd expect them to be priced a little above the normal EXLs, and if they're ballpark with the usual suspects (though not in with the coated ones) they should sell well.

A big thanks to the good folk at D'Addario for letting me play with their new babies: it's been a lot of fun.

[jazzyvee]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Ok took them on a theatre gig last night with Musical Youth. [/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Bass Used: Alembic Series I Europa 5 String Bass.[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Strings Normally Used: D’addario Pro Steels 45 – 130[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Bass Rig: Peavey TX810 bass cab 1 x Alembic F1-x valve pre-amp, QSC PLX 2402 Stereo Power amplifier.[/font][/color]

Everything went superbly well with the strings, the sound was great on stage and from feedback I got from the engineer and some musicians and producers I know in the audience the clarity was excellent all the way down the B-string the notes were as clear as any other string. ( I never have problems with the low B string anyway). The warmer bias of these strings worked well for reggae and gave me the lovely warmth I like and enough crispness to give me note clarity without taking the emphasis off the bottom end.

Interestingly on this bass I had to adjust the truss rods slightly to give me clearance on the B string but that was only 0.25mm additional neck relief and about 1/2 mm higher at the bridge.
I think I will keep these strings on this bass as they seem more suited to is sound and I use this bass more often for warmer sounding music. Now it's a matter of seeing how long they keep the tone that I like.

Thanks D'addario for the opportunity to try the strings and please feel free to send me any other strings you want beta testing in the future especially any stainless steel or coated strings.

[deaver]

Damn, I've been telling my local D'Addario man that I'm available for beta-testing for the last couple of years. I come back to Basschat after a bit of a break and see this. I'm off to try and find something smaller than me to kick.

[Cameronj279]

I missed out on these when this thread was originally started (limited 5 string sets) but received a pm out the blue last week saying they have a set with my name on. Just home after a few days recording. Will get them put on the ACG for the next rehearsal/gig

Looking forward to trying them out. Some great feedback so far.

[Billy Apple]

I'm having these put on my Spector Forte 5 as we speak. Well not as we speak, but near enough!

[Cameronj279]

I finally got round to putting these on the ACG today and used them at todays rehearsal. First impressions are very good. They definitely sound different to what I'm used to (Elixirs) but I like it! The tension feels considerably lighter as well but with no real loss of low end. It's the first set of Nickels I have used in about 3 years as well (I think it is at least).

Depending on how long they stay sounding fresh for, I could see myself buying these in future. Will report back once I've given them some more use.

[D'AddarioUK]

I've had a set on my Jazz V for 3 months now and they're still going strong!