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Post subject: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 5:44 pm
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Hey good people
Any experience with string tension difference between pure nickel and nickel coated strings of same gauge? Currently wearing D'Addario 10-46 nickel coated on my Am Std Strat, which I like the feel of but find a bit too bright. Wanting to try some pure nickel for a warmer tone, not sure if to keep with 10s, or try 11s. I couldn't get along with 11s nickel coated on the strat, but have heard pure nickel have less tension and could go up a size with similar feel? I know its easy to try them and see, but I've got the strat set up so nice at the moment I get kind of precious about changing the set up to try something, just to have to change it all back if I don't like it!! Its making me sweat just thinking about it!! Do pure nickel have enough slackness about them to go up a size?

Cheers all
Matt


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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:35 am
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Pure nickel? Wound strings have a steel core, and of course plain strings are steel, no nickel.

Some sites for tension info.

http://www.kennaquhair.com/

http://www.daddario.com/DAstringtensionguide.Page?sid=b65af50c-8569-45f6-8f71-835ad2a50ada

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f21/string-tension-charts-73846.html

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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 8:33 am
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Matt237 wrote:
... Wanting to try some pure nickel for a warmer tone, not sure if to keep with 10s, or try 11s. ... I know its easy to try them and see, but I've got the strat set up so nice at the moment I get kind of precious about changing the set up to try something, just to have to change it all back if I don't like it!! Its making me sweat just thinking about it!! Do pure nickel have enough slackness about them to go up a size?
    Hi Matt and welcome to the forum. :)
    If you're worried about changing setup to try 11s and then going back if you don't like them, may I suggest you try the 10-gauge version first which should not require any new setup. If you like the feel you can then try the same set with 11-gauge.

shimmilou wrote:
Pure nickel? Wound strings have a steel core, and of course plain strings are steel, no nickel. ...
    I have recently switched from 10s to 11s and in the process of trying various sets of strings I've been wondering about the terms "Pure Nickel" and "Nickel Wound". Are they interchangeable? I don't think there are any electric guitar strings which are actually pure nickel, are there? For example in a set of Fender® Original Bullets™ Pure Nickel I believe that the first two strings are plain steel and the rest have a steel core which is wound with nickel wire so "pure nickel" would refer to the winding?

    Cheers!
    BM

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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:04 am
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Bluer Monkey wrote:
Matt237 wrote:
...I believe that the first two strings are plain steel and the rest have a steel core which is wound with nickel wire so "pure nickel" would refer to the winding?...


That's my understanding. The first three strings are steel, unless you use a wound G, and the wound strings are a steel core with either a "pure nickel" winding, or a nickel-plated steel winding. Not sure if the winding difference affects string tension though.

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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:45 am
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shimmilou wrote:
That's my understanding. The first three strings are steel, unless you use a wound G, and the wound strings are a steel core with either a "pure nickel" winding, or a nickel-plated steel winding. Not sure if the winding difference affects string tension though.
As far as actual measurable tension goes I'm not sure. From my ongoing experimentation with 11-gauge strings I can say that the Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt strings feel significantly stiffer than Ernie Ball Power Slinky Nickel Wound 11s as well as D'Addario XL Nickel Wound 11s. I checked the EB website but couldn't find any information on the type of winding.

Cheers!
BM

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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 4:21 pm
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Thanks for the replies and advice. Yeah, I was half asleep when I posted it :roll: (late night in UK!) but by pure nickel I did mean pure nickel wound around a steel core, as opposed to nickel plated steel wound around the steel core. I'd just been looking at the D'Addario website, which uses the branding 'pure nickel' and 'nickel wound' and had them in my head! Interesting thought with the top 3 strings being unwound plain steel though, not really thought about that, could lead to a slight imbalance across the strings in output / brightness and possibly tension if there is a difference? Oh well, one way to find out, guess I'll suck it and see!! :) The joys of constantly tinkering with our toys eh!
Cheers guys


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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:15 pm
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I am trying the cobalts at the moment. They sound good, feel quite a bit different then the reg eballs. As for tension, I notice more of a difference between say... Daddario and eb then I feel between the different coatings of one brand.
Cheers


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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 7:27 pm
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Hey Matt, I've used the 10-46 D'Adarios as well, & I agree that they're bright. You should check out the GHS Boomers 10s or 11s, they're more balanced sounding.


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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:13 pm
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I'm a string junkie. I try all kinds of strings, but I keep going back to DR Pure Blues.

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Post subject: Re: nickel coated Vs pure nickel strings - tension
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 10:33 am
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Drew365 wrote:
I'm a string junkie. I try all kinds of strings, but I keep going back to DR Pure Blues.
Me too - I think - but I keep going back to Fender Original Bullets. :)

The only DR strings I've tried have been of the Neon variety.
    Image
The coolness of the novelty wore off almost as fast as the coating and although they were fun, I don't think they'll ever become my standard fare. :lol:

I haven't tried the DR Pure Blues but seeing as they're "pure nickel" like the Fender Original Bullets, there's a good chance I'll like them so I'll just add them to my growing list of strings to try. Thanks, Drew.

Cheers!
BM

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