Nickel, or Stainless?..And WHY?

[Mickey Adams]

I can remember years ago buying D'Addario strings for my guitars, and they were always Nickel...But, for years I've been buying Steel Guitar Strings, and they've always been stainless.
So I just had 10 sets of a "new" manufacturers strings sent to try...5 Stainless and 5 nickel sets...Since I haven't used Nickel in a while, I tried them first...My guitar does NOT sound nearly as good...The strings are fine...just not as bright, dont sustain as well....and sound rather foreign.
Your OPINONS PLEASE!

[Lane Gray]

That is my finding as well, Mickey.
Every experience with nickel reminds me why I prefer stainless

[Donny Hinson]

I think the stainless wound strings stay lively a little longer and have more "twang", but they don't feel as good (smooth) as the nickel if you use a stainless bar.

[Jim Bob Sedgwick]

I also prefer the brightness of stainless strings. They sounded so good, I decided in a dumb moment to try them on my standard guitar.
They also sounded great on a 6 string, but the wrapping on the wound strings is so hard it sanded off my callouses. After 2 sets, my fingers were very sore. I still prefer them for steel guitar though.

[Sid Hudson]

I can remember years ago buying D'Addario strings for my guitars, and they were always Nickel...But, for years I've been buying Steel Guitar Strings, and they've always been stainless.
So I just had 10 sets of a "new" manufacturers strings sent to try...5 Stainless and 5 nickel sets...Since I haven't used Nickel in a while, I tried them first...My guitar does NOT sound nearly as good...The strings are fine...just not as bright, dont sustain as well....and sound rather foreign.
Your OPINONS PLEASE!

It has been my experience that Nickel strings have considerably more midrange to them than Stainless Steel strings. Now if you like a calmer, warmer, more midrangier sound, you just might favor Nickel strings. For me, the nickel strings seem to be more even across the spectrum (as in volume and tonal qualities).

One the other hand it has been my experience if you like a Bell type of tone as in crystal clear and snappy you just might like the Stainless steel strings.

So my choice is: Nickel on the E9 and Stainless on the C6.
I am looking for my strings to sound even when I am playing E9. When I am playing a single note solo on the C6 I want those notes snapping out of the amp.

With all this being said; some folks like Fords and others like Chevys.

Sid Hudson

[Herb Steiner]

I've been using stainless since the early 80's because of the tone, and playability. However, a stainless bar can drag on stainless strings. So using a hard chrome bar like a BJS solves this problem.

[Richard Sinkler]

Well Sid, I tried a Ford on my E9 and a Chevy on my C6, and what a disaster.

But seriously folks, I also prefer stainless to nickel for the (what I think is) better tone.

Donny brought up something bout the stainless bar not being as smooth on stainless strings. May be true (I use a BJS chrome bar). But I also notice a little more drag using the chrome bar on stainless as opposed to nickel. Maybe my imagination.

By the way Sid... Lovin' the strings. I just may be a customer for life.

[b0b]

I've been using the GHS Progressive alloy for the past 6 months or so. They're brighter than nickel but not as bright as stainless. I really like them.

www.steelguitarshopper.com/ghs-e9th-progressive-wound/

[Richard Rice]

I like the nickel strings at this point, the stainless strings are too bright for my tastes with my system. I think alot of it depends on the amp/speaker and any effects you may be using. My amps are very powerful tube amps with very efficient speakers. Stainless strings through bright amps and speakers hurt my ears at concert levels, and I like the bump in midrange I get from the nickel. It give more girth to the tone than I get from stainless. A little more "organic", and less "clinical". YMMV..

[Jack Stoner]

I've used George L's SS (wound) strings basically since the beginning of the brand. I've tried almost every other brand including Cobra Coils, Franklin Guitar Co composite strings, various Nickel strings and none of them have the sound of the SS strings and just "something missing".

I used Nickel strings for many years, first the Sho-Bud branded strings, then Little Roy Wiggins branded strings (I worked at Little Roy's store) and finally Emmons Extra Lively strings on my PP Emmons.

I was happy with the Nickel strings until I got my Franklin, that came with Lawrence strings (SS) and from that point on nothing sounded right except SS strings and that has been almost 31 years ago.

[Karen Sarkisian]

Both of my guitars are very bright, so nickel for me.

[Howard Steinberg]

I've generally used stainless on C6 and E9. I've found that I can go longer without having to change the wound strings and I prefer the brighter sound of the stainless. I acquired a quantity of Dean Markley stainless strings with Robert Randolph's picture on them. Ive never tried Jagwires or Cobra Coils and am a little curious. Perhaps I'll give these a try when the stash of Robert Randolph strings is depleted.

[Franklin]

I use nickel strings....Tried a set of stainless a few weeks back and the engineer asked me what was different? He said it sounded a little too bright. I had to back the top down a notch....I took them off after two days and the tonal difference is amazing.......What Sid says is also true with my experiences using both stainless and nickel strings......Nickel strings are more evenly balanced sonically over the neck......In the studio nickel has less hot spots which are always troublesome for mixing the steel into the track. Balance over the fretboard, sustain, and less twang is why I use nickel.

Paul

[Richard Rice]

I'm with you, Paul. I ended up putting a tone control on my steel so I can attenuate the high freq's on the fly. I'm forever adjusting it to taste. Stainless slice through the mix so easily that I can't control it- messes with everything else, then, even the way I play..

[Brett Lanier]

Nickel here, and fwiw I really really like the string gauges on Paul's signature set. They feel pretty good all the way across, and the .015/.018 for the 4th and 5th strings make a big difference for me.

http://www.jagwirestrings.biz/catalog/i200.html

[Mickey Adams]

Now that's what I like to see here on the Forum..
I recorded some tracks yesterday with 2 different G2s...One with each type of string...The balance WAS better with nickel, tone was definitely brighter with SS...And now that the Nickel have been on my 90 PRE RP for 3 days...they're starting to become more appealing to me...Paul thanks for your input on this thread, and that goes for everyone else too of course!....

[Richard Sinkler]

It's been years since I tried nickel strings. All of you who use them are describing what I am looking for. I just never noticed that with the nickel strings, or it's probably more that I was looking for something different when I switched to stainless. You all have convinced me to give a set of nickel strings a shot next time.

[Martin Vigesaa]

How about the balance of the wound/unwound strings after hours of playing for those of us who don't change strings until at least 1 or 2 break ?

I find the plain strings retain their tone as long as you clean them, but the wound strings start losing brightness immediately. For this reason, I lean toward stainless on my Sho-Bud Professional which is a very mellow sounding guitar. The initial bright wound sound wears off farily quickly and settles into something I like, which lasts.

On my PROMAT i'm undecided as the guitar is brighter to start with and is a new guitar to me.

I think if I changed strings every show or recording session I would go nickle, but the majority of my playing is on strings that have had several (or many) hours of playing.

[jackie harmon]

Stainless for me

[Paddy Long]

I prefer Nickel wound strings myself, they have a little less "bite" which is what I prefer.

[Ricky Davis]

Well EVERYONE has a sound in their head that they are trying to produce with their hands and equipment. So I say you try any and everything you can until you are able to deliver the sound in your head; outwardly. What works for some; may not work for others...it is up to "US" to find what works for ourselves.

Ricky

[Richard Rice]

I think it's great that we have a choice, actually. When I started guitar, I'd walk into a music store and tell 'em I want an E string- they had Black Diamond strings, never knew what a gauge or materials were.. Always too heavy until Super Slinkys came out- What a game-changer.. Now it's a whole different story.. Thank heavens.

[billy tam]

After using GHS boomers for many many years I went to stainless for several months. I play push/pull guitars, one laquer, one mica and am going back to the boomers. The stainless lasts longer(I was playing a lot of outdoor gigs, fairs-festivals) but now I only play in a club house band and prefer the nickel. JMHO
Billy

[Rick Abbott]

Boy, here's a good one for ya! I bought a Carter U-12 several months back. It is the guitar of my dreams, and my 4th Carter. It came strung as any guitar would and sounded absolutly great. I changed the strings...

So, I emailed the former owner as to the brand of strings; no reply. Seriously, what I put on it is the same as what I liked on every other guitar: GHS Roller Wound. I hate them on this guitar. I've used D' Addario stainless and nickel, GHS Boomers, Ernie Ball nickel and Whatever Carter used to put together their sets. The ones that came on the guitar looked different than any of these, almost a blue-grey color. Could they be S.I.T.'s? I really don't know. They remind me of Dean Markley Blue Steel strings. But I would love to put the same set back on it, the balance between the wound and plain was just perfect! And the low half had nice presence in the B6 mode. Help!

[Sid Hudson]

Boy, here's a good one for ya! I bought a Carter U-12 several months back. It is the guitar of my dreams, and my 4th Carter. It came strung as any guitar would and sounded absolutly great. I changed the strings...

So, I emailed the former owner as to the brand of strings; no reply. Seriously, what I put on it is the same as what I liked on every other guitar: GHS Roller Wound. I hate them on this guitar. I've used D' Addario stainless and nickel, GHS Boomers, Ernie Ball nickel and Whatever Carter used to put together their sets. The ones that came on the guitar looked different than any of these, almost a blue-grey color. Could they be S.I.T.'s? I really don't know. They remind me of Dean Markley Blue Steel strings. But I would love to put the same set back on it, the balance between the wound and plain was just perfect! And the low half had nice presence in the B6 mode. Help!

Rick, Try this. You will not be sorry!
http://livesteelstrings.com/gbook.shtml