NYXL strings ?

[dmccombe7]

I'm going thru a phase where i think i can find a better string than the D'addario EXL190 nickel wounds. At the moment i have put MB Longevo on both my Sandbergs. I've just realised from a fellow BC'er that the strings are the cause of losing definition when gigging. Sounded great at home and when playing solo at a gig before we start but they get lost in the mix and its only guitar, bass and drums. Shame as they feel good and i liked the tone. I tried boosting mids but nope still not cutting thru like my EXL190's.

ANYWAYS i've just ordered 2 sets of EXL190's from GAK but saw the NYXL's and wondered who has tried them and what are the benefits other than staying in tune better than other strings.

Do they compare with the EXL190's other than gauge being different at 45-100 which isnt a big problem for me.

What justifies the additional £10

Was gonna try but GAK are out of stock and need strings for a gig on Fri night.

The NYXL's might be my next trial when i can get them.

Dave

[ead]

I've had a few sets through the D'Addario Players Circle thing.  TBH I've always gone back to my preferred EXL170BTs.  Not sure I can explain precisely why but I just seem to get on better with them.

 

I live in fear of them being discontinued.

Edited April 24, 2022 by ead

[chris_b]

I've been using NYXL's for about 4 years now. They are full range but with a nice lively top end, which lasts for a long time.

 

I change my strings once a year and there is still life left in them.

[dmccombe7]

7 hours ago, chris_b said:

I've been using NYXL's for about 4 years now. They are full range but with a nice lively top end, which lasts for a long time.

 

I change my strings once a year and there is still life left in them.

A year is pretty good and could warrant the extra £10 very easily. I'm changing my EXL190's every 2-3mths depending on how often i use that particular bass.

Thanks for the info i'll maybe give them a try next time around.

Dave

[NJE]

I have had a few sets of NYXL strings, I think I got the first set as a trial through here?

 

I thought they were great strings, much nicer under the fingers than other D’Addario strings I had used until that point. They weren’t marketed as long life strings but mine lasted ages, way longer than any other uncoated string I have used although obviously not as long as Elixirs.

 

Nice top end and good low end fundamental, and they seemed to keep the tone well during their life with minimal drop off from memory.

[bassbiscuits]

Yup - same here. Been using them for a few years on my long scale basses and they're great. They feel nice, and have a long lasting, punchy powerful sound. I really like them. I've got regular D'addario nickel wounds on my Mustang bass and they sound good too even after maybe a year on the bass.

 

But yeah, NYXLs are worth the money in my experience.

[spongebob]

Last time I was playing regularly I used them. Found them also to be long lasting, with a nice feel and tone.

 

Definitely a step up from the regular D'addario Nickels I'd used previously for years (not the same set, though!)

[dmccombe7]

Looks like my next set i'll give them a try. All quite positive comments about them and especially nice to hear is their longevity of tone and easier on the fingers. That's exactly what i was hoping for.

The nickel wounds do give me occasional sore finger tips on plucking hand when i'm really getting into the songs. Flats or coated strings are either too dull or have a higher tension than i like.

Dave

[Microbass]

I've been a NYXL guy since they came out. I love them. They are very similar to the XL's but last a lot longer and I feel like there is more articulation from each note and my open E has this beautiful piano'ish attack and thunder. I'll pick up XL's if I'm skint but find I'm ready to change within 6 months, NYXL's tend to last me a year. Last set was 2 but due to COVID was playing a lot less. 

[dmccombe7]

Yep that justifies the additional cost for me anyways. My EXL's will last max 3 mths if its my gigging basses and up to 6mths on basses i play at home.

If the NYXL's last a year i'd be over the moon but 6mths would be good enough for me.

Thanks for sahring your opinions and thoughts so far. No -ve comments about them which is always a good sign.

Dave

[thodrik]

I have bought a set of singles to use with my five string which I tune B F# B E A. I generally use Elixirs but find that Strings Direct have not had any stock of the 32 high C string for over a year! 

I generally like D'addario but stopped using XLs as they were only lasting me about 4 weeks of regular rehearsals and gigging. If the NYXLs can last six months or so that would be great. 

[Misdee]

I've heard NYXLs on a few YT demos and they really do seem to stand out as having an exceptionally good sound. They seem to incredibly punchy and present.

 

The only thing that has held me back from trying a set is that I read some folks on Talkbass complaining that NYXLs had worn their frets more than usual. I would be interested to hear if anyone on Basschat who has used them for a while has any comments on this potential pitfall. 

 

I have used a fair few sets of XLs  myself over the years and they are excellent  strings, but if the O.P is looking for an alternative, have you considered either Elites Players or Rotosound Ultramag? Both are nickel strings with a very up-front sound that should stand up well in the mix. Also, they are  a reasonable price and widely available so might be worth a punt.

 

 

[dmccombe7]

14 minutes ago, Misdee said:

I've heard NYXLs on a few YT demos and they really do seem to stand out as having an exceptionally good sound. They seem to incredibly punchy and present.

 

The only thing that has held me back from trying a set is that I read some folks on Talkbass complaining that NYXLs had worn their frets more than usual. I would be interested to hear if anyone on Basschat who has used them for a while has any comments on this potential pitfall. 

 

I have used a fair few sets of XLs  myself over the years and they are excellent  strings, but if the O.P is looking for an alternative, have you considered either Elites Players or Rotosound Ultramag? Both are nickel strings with a very up-front sound that should stand up well in the mix. Also, they are  a reasonable price and widely available so might be worth a punt.

 

 

I've used Elixirs when they first appeared and still have them on my Warwick Thumb NT but i find they have more tension than i prefer. My Warwick is never gigged these days so the strings have been on it for quite a few years now LOL

I've not tried Elites Players and not used Rotosound strings since 80's. Have Elixir strings changed over the years. ?

Having been a fan of D'addario EXL190's nickel strings i thought the NYXL's might be close enough to what i'm used to.

Its a bit concerning to hear the fret wear thing tho and i'll be curious to see if anything comes back on that point.

Dave

[Misdee]

I've never tried Elixir strings, so couldn't really comment about the tension.

 

Elites Players are very bright for nickel strings and stay pretty bright for a good while in my experience. The Ultramag Rotos are a different proposition to the RS66 of yesteryear. I too used Swing Bass back in the 1980s and they sounded great but went dull too quickly, from what I remember. No such problem with the UltraMag in my experience.

 

FWIW, the strings I keep going back  to are Dunlop Nickel, the ones in the black pack, not the Ultra Brights. They are fine for rock music ( Billy Gould from Faith No More uses them) or any other styles you care to mention and they are pretty reasonably priced. I too dislike high tension strings and they feel just right to me. The sound is very well balanced all round and they still sound good when they die off a bit . If you like a more elastic feel then the Dunlop Ultra rBrghts might be a good choice because they are notably more pliable than most other strings of an equivalent gauge.

[thodrik]

The higher tension of the Elixirs is actually why I quite like them! I definitely noticed an extra stiffness but this really helped with a low B which never become floppy and still had a lot of definition after a year which frankly astounded me!

I have gone for a tapered 135 on the NYXLs because I always find D'addario to be a bit looser and flexible. With Elixir I use a tapered 130 and it is great. 

[dmccombe7]

30 minutes ago, Misdee said:

I've never tried Elixir strings, so couldn't really comment about the tension.

 

Elites Players are very bright for nickel strings and stay pretty bright for a good while in my experience. The Ultramag Rotos are a different proposition to the RS66 of yesteryear. I too used Swing Bass back in the 1980s and they sounded great but went dull too quickly, from what I remember. No such problem with the UltraMag in my experience.

 

FWIW, the strings I keep going back  to are Dunlop Nickel, the ones in the black pack, not the Ultra Brights. They are fine for rock music ( Billy Gould from Faith No More uses them) or any other styles you care to mention and they are pretty reasonably priced. I too dislike high tension strings and they feel just right to me. The sound is very well balanced all round and they still sound good when they die off a bit . If you like a more elastic feel then the Dunlop Ultra rBrghts might be a good choice because they are notably more pliable than most other strings of an equivalent gauge.

Apologies there @Misdee that was a "should have gone to specsavers" moment. For some weird reason i read Elites as Elixir strings 

I originally had Elites steels on my Warwick when i got it 35-95 gauge and really liked them. I used Elites for a few years while gigging that particular bass. In those days i only had one bass LOL

To be fair i've not tried Elites since early 90's and wasn't sure they were still on the go but i might just have a look at them.

 

I see a lot of players using the Dunlop strings and its one i've not tried yet so that's a good option for me to try. As you say they are relatively cheap too.

I'll have a look at the Rotosound UltraMag strings as i've not heard of them either.

I dont like overly pliable strings but strings that have too much tension i tend to struggle with them.

Dave

 

[thodrik]

Okay, I have now installed a set of NYXLs on my Sadowsky NYC five string. I was really reticent of moving away from Elixirs as I really rate them. However, I thought I would try the NYXLs as I just can’t find Elixirs in the gauges I like (I tune B F# B E A and use a high C string for the high A).

 

Anyhoo, I’m very impressed by the NYXLs. They seem to have a lot more bass and treble response. The question is how long they last. 
 

Definitely a step up from the XLs so a definite thumbs up. The tapered 135 is  immense!

[dmccombe7]

Decided to order a set of NYXL's 45-100 for the MarloweDK.

Listening to the various vid clips from Fri nights gig i was finding the same thing as last few gigs where bass had no definition with the Markbass longevo strings.

It wasn't a bad sound but the edge just wasn't cutting thru no matter what i tried. I've played same venues before using EXL's and i could clearly hear the mids cutting thru. All that's changed are the strings.

They sound fine when playing on my own at soundcheck but just get lost when the band comes in. ?? Its a really odd experience. 

Dave

[dmccombe7]

Got the NYXL's fitted to my MarloweDK and they have a bit more tension than the EXL190's but the gauge was 45-100 rather than 40-100.

Had to tweak the neck a little to reduce the string height. Not a big issue since i bought myself a decent capo LOL

 

Anyway the strings feel nicer on the fingers but not as bright as the EXL's but that's only in the house with my back up amp which isnt great to be fair.

Gigging tomorrow night with it and will update my thoughts. This gig is the one i first noticed the change when i went from EXL's to MB Longevo strings and had a lack of definition.

Hopefully the NYXL's will give me back the tone i like. 

I definitely like the feel of them.

Dave 

[NancyJohnson]

On 24/04/2022 at 16:09, dmccombe7 said:

I'm going thru a phase where i think i can find a better string than the D'addario EXL190 nickel wounds. At the moment i have put MB Longevo on both my Sandbergs. I've just realised from a fellow BC'er that the strings are the cause of losing definition when gigging. Sounded great at home and when playing solo at a gig before we start but they get lost in the mix and its only guitar, bass and drums. Shame as they feel good and i liked the tone. I tried boosting mids but nope still not cutting thru like my EXL190's.

ANYWAYS i've just ordered 2 sets of EXL190's from GAK but saw the NYXL's and wondered who has tried them and what are the benefits other than staying in tune better than other strings.

Do they compare with the EXL190's other than gauge being different at 45-100 which isnt a big problem for me.

What justifies the additional £10

Was gonna try but GAK are out of stock and need strings for a gig on Fri night.

The NYXL's might be my next trial when i can get them.

Dave

 

[Edit]  I've never had any issue with all these little things that seem to bother bass players; string tension, neck dive, nut width, weight etc. etc.  I'm perfectly happy just picking up anything (so long as it doesn't carry a health warning) with four (or five strings) and playing it.

 

I have a set of Markbass LongEvo strings on one of my Hamers (there was a promotion here a couple of years ago), I like them quite a bit; they have just the right amount of coarseness and they haven't gone off at all in the last year or so.  The only reason I haven't used them more extensively is because of their scarcity although I'm aware they're available from BD now.  NYXLs just didn't do it for me in the slightest, they dulled very quickly, a bit underwhelming.  Back when I was playing every other night and rotating about a dozen (Thunderbird) basses, I'd favour D'Addario EXL or EPS strings as they were cheapish and cheerful, consistent, worked as expected and boiled up nicely for another gig BUT it was still costing me £50-60 a month to change the strings on two or three basses.

 

Ultimately, string of choice is Elixir Nanowebs, I know they're more than twice the price of EXLs (don't get me started on the exorbitant cost of five string sets or where I've needed to buy a set of 14087s and a 15433 taperwound B-string), but I'll be damned if I've ever had a set that's not lasted five or six times longer than than a standard set of any other brand.  It's just false economy.  God knows what Elixir does during the manufacturing stage, but Nanoweb strings just don't die.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by NancyJohnson
Sump juice sandwich daddy-o.

[NancyJohnson]

Double posty fail.

Edited May 8, 2022 by NancyJohnson

[dmccombe7]

I've had Elixir nanowebs on my Thumb bass for god knows how long now. Can't remember the last time i changed them.

I dont play that bass very often these days even at home.

I'll try the NYXL's tonight and see how i get on with them.

Failing that i might go back and try a set of elixirs but from memory i found the tension a bit too much for me altho i'm fine with my Warwick when i do use it. I find that if my strings have too much tension i get more aches or pains on my fingers over a full gig. 

I've gone from 35-95's up to 45-100 at moment. Have tried heavier but just couldn't get used to them at all. Think they were 50-105 or thereabouts.

I guess its all down to personal preference. If i can get a set that i'm happy with i'll stick with them. I'm not gigging every other night and strings will last me 2-3mths with EXL's if i'm using that bass every gig and practice at home.

Dave

[Misdee]

23 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

I've had Elixir nanowebs on my Thumb bass for god knows how long now. Can't remember the last time i changed them.

I dont play that bass very often these days even at home.

I'll try the NYXL's tonight and see how i get on with them.

Failing that i might go back and try a set of elixirs but from memory i found the tension a bit too much for me altho i'm fine with my Warwick when i do use it. I find that if my strings have too much tension i get more aches or pains on my fingers over a full gig. 

I've gone from 35-95's up to 45-100 at moment. Have tried heavier but just couldn't get used to them at all. Think they were 50-105 or thereabouts.

I guess its all down to personal preference. If i can get a set that i'm happy with i'll stick with them. I'm not gigging every other night and strings will last me 2-3mths with EXL's if i'm using that bass every gig and practice at home.

Dave

Regarding the Thumb Bass, have you ever considered trying Warwick Black Label strings on it? I know they are not a particularly common string choice, but there is a certain synergy between those strings and Warwick basses. Firstly, they are quite pliable in terms of tension/feel for their given gauge.  Something of a respite to the tight feel you get with a lot of Warwick basses.

 

Secondly, they have got a particular sound that compliments that slightly compressed Warwick tone very well. Not as bright as some strings but strong mids. Not dissimilar to  regular Dunlops in that respect.

 

I used to use them on an active Jazz Bass I had that was my main bass in the early 2000's and they worked a treat. Nowadays I think the do a coated set(EMP) similar to Elixir, but I can't vouch for them myself.

 

[dmccombe7]

3 hours ago, Misdee said:

Regarding the Thumb Bass, have you ever considered trying Warwick Black Label strings on it? I know they are not a particularly common string choice, but there is a certain synergy between those strings and Warwick basses. Firstly, they are quite pliable in terms of tension/feel for their given gauge.  Something of a respite to the tight feel you get with a lot of Warwick basses.

 

Secondly, they have got a particular sound that compliments that slightly compressed Warwick tone very well. Not as bright as some strings but strong mids. Not dissimilar to  regular Dunlops in that respect.

 

I used to use them on an active Jazz Bass I had that was my main bass in the early 2000's and they worked a treat. Nowadays I think the do a coated set(EMP) similar to Elixir, but I can't vouch for them myself.

 

I originally started with Elites which came with the bass plus Warwick sent me 3 free sets when i had an electronics issue with the bass and it was returned to Germany for repair. I quite liked the Elites 35-95 that came with the bass.

I have tried Warwick red labels and they were ok but didn't last long. 

Used the NYXL's on my MarloweDK last night and they felt ok but i was too close to my amp to hear the top end clearly which is an issue with this particular venue. I have to just set up at soundcheck and go for it hoping i've got it right. Once i hear some of the vids taken by same guy every time we play i might get a better idea how they sounded. 

Certainly didn't get too many issues with finger blisters on plucking hand altho i was trying to play a bit lighter but i just get caught up in the moment with some songs 

I want to see how long they last and it might just be a trade off of tone V's longevity.

Dave

[Misdee]

I remember when the Bass Center were the UK distributor for Warwick. I never realized they supplied the strings for their basses in those days, but it makes sense.