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Post by cedarchoper58 on May 8, 2020 18:50:25 GMT -5
can any one tell a difference in sound between nickle plated wound and pure nickle wound
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Post by LTB on May 8, 2020 19:06:22 GMT -5
can any one tell a difference in sound between nickle plated wound and pure nickle wound Because I play with clean tones I can tell. The Pure Nickel are a little lower volume wise and sweeter sounding to me. I do not know how they are for overdriven tones because frankly I can't tell a lot about amplifier and speaker tones when they are overdriven.
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Post by Leftee on May 8, 2020 19:31:42 GMT -5
The plain strings are the same. It’s the wound strings.
Pure nickel are less bright, rounder and fuller sounding, all other things equal. The brightness (or lack thereof) is the most noticeable difference.
Pretty much all recorded guitar tones before 1970 would be pure nickel sets.
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Post by LTB on May 8, 2020 20:38:24 GMT -5
The plain strings are the same. It’s the wound strings. Pure nickel are less bright, rounder and fuller sounding, all other things equal. The brightness (or lack thereof) is the most noticeable difference. Pretty much all recorded guitar tones before 1970 would be pure nickel sets. Right, less bright, rounder and fuller sounding are what I like. I don't like dark but don't like harsh highs either. Pure Nickel seems to smooth them out to me. I like a sweeter clean jazzier tone (not that I play jazz) but for instrumentals like surf etc. If I just played overdriven tones then I might be prone to like plated nickel.
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Post by Leftee on May 8, 2020 20:53:17 GMT -5
I used to use pure nickels on everything, but I migrated away from them in the last couple years. I still love ‘em on a Strat.
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Post by pcalu on May 8, 2020 20:59:45 GMT -5
Yea I can tell...Pure Nickle are warmer and not as bright. I think they sound great on a Telecaster
Currently, I'm on a PYRAMID STRINGS binge. Both the hand-wound "green label" max performance pure nickel/silver-plated steel core & the Orange "machined wound" Nickle Classics with a steel core. Both sets are made the old way with a round core and give that "old school feel". Priced on the high side of strings' Over $10 a set.
As far as longevity .. the Pyramids are top-notch ... last forever!
Surprisingly, I just tried a set of Fender's Pure Nickle (made for Fender by D'Addario) that I had laying around forever. Not bad. little noisier than Pyramids probably a hex core and not polished like the Pyramids. (just guessing) For $4.50 a set, I'm impressed, I'd totally use them again. I probably like the because I used D'Addario Nickle wound for years and years.
My next venture is to try some "flat wound" Nickle/chrome.
Anybody play with Flat wound nickel chrome strings?
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Post by LTB on May 8, 2020 21:24:51 GMT -5
Yea I can tell...Pure Nickle are warmer and not as bright. I think they sound great on a Telecaster Currently, I'm on a PYRAMID STRINGS binge.. As far as longevity .. the Pyramids are top-notch ... last forever! My next venture is to try some "flat wound" Nickle/chrome. Anybody play with Flat wound nickel chrome strings? I have played the Flat Wound D'Addario Chromes and still have a set. They are decent strings but I like the sound of a Round Wound D'Addario Pure Nickels. As far as flats go, they are decent just not as vibrant as rounds. Update: I just looked at Pyramid Strings and see they offer Pure Nickel Flats they call chromes. Have no experience with those. D'Addario Chromes are Stainless Steel Flats so they would not be the same as Pyramid Pure Nickel flats. BTW: Do you know how the Pyramid Pure Nickel sound compared to D'Addario Pure Nickel's OR are the Pyramids flatwound?
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 8, 2020 22:07:24 GMT -5
There is a difference. I'm a pure nickel fan. Like LTB, I pretty much always play clean. My ideal tone is somewhere between blues, jazz and old soul. I like brightness without brashness. Pure nickel doesn't do it all for you, but it is a really nice ingredient in that mix.
I'm not a fan of the ground wound style of pure nickel, like the GHS nickel rockers or others. They're too dark, and sort of a worst of both worlds for me. I've used the Thomastik Blues Sliders and like them, but long ago opted for the Fender Original 150s, switching to the D'Addario Pure Nickel when they first came out, and then switching back. The Fenders got better when D'Addario took over their production, too. One of my philosophies on strings is that fresh cheaper strings are usually way better than older nicer strings, so if I buy in bulk I don't have to agonize about how costly it is to swap a set. When I was actually playing with a group, I liked the idea of having fresh strings on whatever I brought to practice (I was getting dealer cost and they were stupid cheap at the time). The Fenders and D'Addarios are different by the way. Made by the same people, but the recipes are different. The D'Addarios seem a little chunkier, and always have different overtones to my ears. Good for some, not what I'm personally after. No idea what is different about how they're made specifically, but there is definitely something there.
I'm yet to try the Ernie Ball pure nickel strings.
Flats are a whole other vibe. I think they're best for that range between western swing and jazz. The 1950s and first half of the '60s is when they were most popular, so keep that in mind. They're also great for surf, some rock'n'roll up until the mid/late 60s, and some country. Keep the treble up and bang out "I Feel Fine" and you'll know what I mean. Kenny Vaughan, session guy and side man to Marty Stuart, plays flats on a Tele and sounds great. I love flats on my Korean Gretsch.
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Post by LTB on May 8, 2020 22:19:16 GMT -5
Funky, I agree about ground wound and pressure wound. Blah sounding to me. "I think they ground the sound out of em " Ha ! I may try some pure nickel flats. For me I loved the sound of Thomastik Infield BeBop Jazz rounds but they were expensive and didn't keep their tone long before they got dull sounding..Usually about 2 weeks of just playing at home. If those lasted I would never use anything different
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Post by pcalu on May 9, 2020 8:07:02 GMT -5
Yea I can tell...Pure Nickle are warmer and not as bright. I think they sound great on a Telecaster Currently, I'm on a PYRAMID STRINGS binge.. As far as longevity .. the Pyramids are top-notch ... last forever! My next venture is to try some "flat wound" Nickle/chrome. Anybody play with Flat wound nickel chrome strings? I have played the Flat Wound D'Addario Chromes and still have a set. They are decent strings but I like the sound of a Round Wound D'Addario Pure Nickels. As far as flats go, they are decent just not as vibrant as rounds. Update: I just looked at Pyramid Strings and see they offer Pure Nickel Flats they call chromes. Have no experience with those. D'Addario Chromes are Stainless Steel Flats so they would not be the same as Pyramid Pure Nickel flats. BTW: Do you know how the Pyramid Pure Nickel sound compared to D'Addario Pure Nickel's OR are the Pyramids flatwound? Pyramids make a flat wound, but I haven't tried those yet.
I Played D'Addario Pure nickels for a long time. Pyramid Pure Nickel are not flat wound, a little softer in tonality but just as much deffinition. Less hand sliding noise (due to being polished) and with my playing last much longer. Seem to retain the majority of the thier detail well into the lifespan of the set. IMO I liked Pyramids string tension better than the D'Addarios. Very much like how I remember a set of strings used to feel back in the late 70 early 80s. Pyramids are less stiff than D'Addarios but not as rubber band like as say a GHS boomers.
We all play differently, and put different demands on strings. Have never tried Thomastik so I can't compare, they look to be a few dollars more .. but just a few. Pyramids hold their detail with me for about the lifespan of two average sets (Like D'Addarios Pure Nickle or GHS Big Core Nickle rockers i.e a fan favorite of mine)
I'm on the fence with Pyramids due to their price. funkykikuchiyo makes a huge point: Buying bulk (which I do with D'Addarios and GHS) you don't agonise swapping a set out to get that new strings feel and sound.
I agree with funkykikuchiyo on Fender Pure Nickle being different than D'Addarios, brighter and a softer feel. I liked them. I play Telecasters (known for being bright guitars) so I like the warmer side of nickle, hence why I liked the GHS Big Core Nickle rockers
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Post by cedarchoper58 on May 9, 2020 12:12:08 GMT -5
I have noticed that pure nickle are stiffer than nickle plated. When I go from plated to pure i have to tighten the claw screws on my strat about a turn to keep the action the same
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Post by Duke on May 11, 2020 12:27:03 GMT -5
Currently, I'm on a PYRAMID STRINGS binge. I've just started trying them. Pricey, but sounds worth it so far.
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Post by LTB on May 11, 2020 21:51:52 GMT -5
Okey Dokey pcalu, now I will have to give Pyramid and GHS Big Core Nickels a try.
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Post by LTB on May 12, 2020 20:05:34 GMT -5
Amazon wants $24 for a 6 string set of Pyramid Pure Nickel R/W strings...ah no thanks GHS Pure Nickel Rockers $10+ I will check other places but will not pay over $12 for a set of strings and that is high
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Post by Duke on May 12, 2020 20:52:15 GMT -5
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Post by stratcowboy on May 12, 2020 23:23:43 GMT -5
Yup. I use JustStrings.com myself. Wide range of choices, great prices and super prompt, efficient shipping. Good folks. And they don't hammer you with lots of e-mails afterwards, either.
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Post by LTB on May 13, 2020 4:48:40 GMT -5
Thanks Duke and Stratcowboy!
Here is another place where prices are a little less. I had forgot about them as I haven't bought strings from them in years.
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Post by Leftee on May 13, 2020 9:52:56 GMT -5
Curt Mangan make some very nice pure nickels at more reasonable prices.
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Post by LTB on May 13, 2020 21:14:31 GMT -5
Curt Mangan make some very nice pure nickels at more reasonable prices. Thanks Eric, I watched a few video reviews. from what i heard including the videos of the manufacturers tour they do look and sound decent. I will purchase a back or two and try them it 😉
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Post by guildx700 on May 14, 2020 22:21:00 GMT -5
Laugh and point and me, but regardless of my strings type and gauge I like em after they are well played in. Many folks would call em dead, I call em just right. Call me silly, but that's how I roll.
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Post by LTB on May 15, 2020 4:12:38 GMT -5
Laugh and point and me, but regardless of my strings type and gauge I like em after they are well played in. Many folks would call em dead, I call em just right. Call me silly, but that's how I roll. Yep dead is right 😂😂😂😂😉
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Post by Leftee on May 15, 2020 6:55:31 GMT -5
I don’t change mine often.
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Post by LTB on May 15, 2020 7:07:38 GMT -5
I don’t change mine often. Don't change TI Jazz Flat Bass strings but once every 5-8 years as they last that long Some guitar strings last me 6-8 months or more. Some such as TI Jazz Bebop rounds lasted about 3 -4 weeks before they lost their beautiful tone. Had same issue with Martin Marqui Phospher Bronze in years past of lasting 4 weeks. Some of their newer string types last longer now. I can't do dead dull
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Post by Auf Kiltre on May 15, 2020 7:56:19 GMT -5
I've been an Ernie Ball user for most of my life, bouncing between regular and power slinkys. I did use their "rock and roll" pure nickel version for a while but felt they quickly descended into dullsville so went back to the regulars. Maybe I'll give the Pyramids a shot for giggles.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 15, 2020 8:09:34 GMT -5
When strings are truly "dead" to me is when the intonation is shot. I don't know how they do it, but the premium brands like TI keep their intonation, even after the strings are worn to a thud. I've had other strings where the intonation goes before the brightness. Who knows...
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Post by Leftee on May 15, 2020 8:15:34 GMT -5
When strings are truly "dead" to me is when the intonation is shot. I don't know how they do it, but the premium brands like TI keep their intonation, even after the strings are worn to a thud. I've had other strings where the intonation goes before the brightness. Who knows... That’s pretty-much my indication to change strings - intonation goes.
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Post by LTB on May 16, 2020 0:41:35 GMT -5
Curt Mangan make some very nice pure nickels at more reasonable prices. Shout out to Leftee! I put a set of Curt Mangan Pure Nickel 10-46's on my Ibanez Archtop. Wow, these strings are incredible. They have the Pure Nickel tone and the Higher output of Non Nickel strings. I can't believe how powerful the lows are and not muddy on top of that. The highs are crisp sounding but not harsh, Plus they feel good, balanced tone string to string. This is the first time I put strings on did a quick pre-stretch and They are staying in tune, Intonated perfectly. Now if they have decent longevity I will know I have gotten my money's worth. Thanks
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Post by Leftee on May 16, 2020 9:06:36 GMT -5
😎👍
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 16, 2020 9:24:02 GMT -5
Great, now I have to try another string...
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Post by Leftee on May 16, 2020 9:53:47 GMT -5
I’ll order D’Addarios on sale from time to time. But Mr. Mangan get 90% of my business.
The way I look at strings...
Even if you only paid $500 for a guitar, what’s an extra couple bucks per set of strings? 🤔
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