Why You Should Try Pure Nickel Strings

[gmacdonnell]

Originally Posted by Carroll1218

Seeing a lot of mixed reviews. Are the DR pure blues 10s easier or harder to bend than D'addario 10s?

I've been thinking of trying some pure nickel strings, but on their website, the Thomastik sliders don't seem to come in nickel (I only see steel), but I might be reading it wrong. Also, I read that the pyramid website is outdated?

I'm more interested in the Thomastik/Pyramid brands than DR pure blues because they're easier to bend and are warmer/less bright.

I play a lot of classic/alternative/progressive rock, including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Muse, Tool, Radiohead and many others.

If anyone has a suggestion to what would be the best?

Personally, I've always found them much easier to bend than the equivalent gauge in D'Addario's, (those are about the stiffest strings around, which I personally don't enjoy.)

But some guys have found them to be harder to bend, and at least 1 has found them to harder with one set, and much easier, with another set. In general though, a Nickel wound string will always be easier to bend than a nickel-plated steel string, because nickel is a much softer metal.

As far as the Pure Blues, whether it's a consistency issue or something particular to some guy's setups- it's hard to say. I've used them for years, and installed them on many other players guitars, without running into this issue before. Maybe they temporarily changed the formula or got metals from a different supplier? Who knows...

The Pyramids and Thomastik's are always easier to bend, no doubts in anyone's mind about that. While the DR's are really high-quality strings, the Pyramids and Thomastiks are like Roll-Royce: just the best.

For an all-around pure nickel, (which is only referring to the wrap, btw,) I'd suggest the Pyramid. It's built like strings were in the 60's and 70's, and gets incredible tone- very rich, filled with harmonics, and super easy to bend. It's great for all styles of music, esp. blues and rock, where you use a lot of vibrato and bending. They're very warm, but not unclear or muddy at all.

The Thomastik's are more specialized. The Blues Sliders are a very silky smooth, warm and fluid string, and super easy to bend. Maybe the easiest. They're perfect for blues, and classic rock, but because they're so rich and warm, they're not the best choice if you use a lot of gain. What might have been confusing is that the core of the strings are still steel, but the wraps themselves are pure nickel.

The BeBops are designed as a roundwound jazz string, for modern players, but they're great for most styles. They have more punch and power, and a bit more snap to them. While they're warm, they're very crisp and clear. They're also easy to bend, but not quite as easy as the Sliders.


I'd also mention the Snake Oil Brand, (S.O.B.) Strings, again. They make two formulas. The Original, is a very vintage-accurate string, (sort of similar to the Pyramid.) Very smooth sounding, warm and fat, easy to bend and lasts a really long time. The Rock Formula has a bit more punch, clarity and is slightly less warm. It's ideal for playing with more distortion, and is really clear, but warm, with Gibson-style guitars. While these strings have to be ordered direct, and at $8.50, they're a great value, and a wonderful string: Snake Oil Brand Strings


I still think it's worth trying out the DR Pure Blues, though. Much more guys have found them easier to bend than harder, and most have found them to sound much better and last much longer than what they were using before. DR has recently changed up their packaging a bit, so I'm sort of curious if maybe that has some correlation with the different feels of the sets...

At some point, it's great to give all of these a shot, but for starters, from what you've said, you'll probably be best off with either the Pyramids or the Snake Oil Brand. They're really wonderful sounding, great for all kinds of music, easy to bend, and last 2-4 times longer than nickel-plated strings.

[Carroll1218]

Oh wow, so much info

I think I'm going to go with the Pyramids though.

Are these the only type of nickel electric guitar strings they carry?

Pyramid Pure Nickel Round Wound 6 String, .010 - .046, GR61046

On their website, those strings of different gauges were all I could find; just making sure there aren't any other choices like with the original+rock that Snake Oil has.

Thanks again!

[roadhog96]

Originally Posted by Carroll1218

Oh wow, so much info

I think I'm going to go with the Pyramids though.

Are these the only type of nickel electric guitar strings they carry?

Pyramid Pure Nickel Round Wound 6 String, .010 - .046, GR61046

On their website, those strings of different gauges were all I could find; just making sure there aren't any other choices like with the original+rock that Snake Oil has.

Thanks again!

These are not the strings you want to buy if your looking for a round core wire. These are Pyramids Maximum Performance strings, they are Pure Nickle with a Hex core wire. You want the Pyramid Classics with the Round core wire. The sets can be ordered the way you want. I use a 10-48 which isn't listed on any sites but it's listed on the paperwork that came with them as being a standard offered set. I also ordered Wound G strings in 18 gauge to replace the standard 17 guage plain string that comes in the set and had all the sets including the G string wrapped with a silk wrap on the ball ends. Contact Toneman for quick service and the best prices. Toneman Pyramid Strings

[Dexter.Sinister]

Nickel strings are all I've used for decades. I used to use DR Blues, but I had a run where I kept breaking them or they would unravel at the bridge of my guitars. I have been using Snake Oil Brand strings since Dean brought the strings back and they are really great. Feel good, sound amazing and last for freakin ever. I wipe mine down after ever session with a cloth pad impregnated with a cleaning compound and that keeps them sounding new for months at a time.

I actually prefer strings to be played in a bit and these sound better to me after a little bar spooge gets into them.

Big fan.

DS

[Carroll1218]

Originally Posted by roadhog96

These are not the strings you want to buy if your looking for a round core wire. These are Pyramids Maximum Performance strings, they are Pure Nickle with a Hex core wire. You want the Pyramid Classics with the Round core wire. The sets can be ordered the way you want. I use a 10-48 which isn't listed on any sites but it's listed on the paperwork that came with them as being a standard offered set. I also ordered Wound G strings in 18 gauge to replace the standard 17 guage plain string that comes in the set and had all the sets including the G string wrapped with a silk wrap on the ball ends. Contact Toneman for quick service and the best prices. Toneman Pyramid Strings

Ah, so on that page you linked me, the strings labeled 'Pyramid Nickel Classics' are the ones with the round core? These are the ones that gmacdonnell was talking about?

[JM Vasek]

I just ordered some DR Pure Blues to try out. Musiciansfriend has 2 sets paired with a set of DR black beauties for $10. Sweet deal! After reading this thread I'm looking forward to them!

[greengriff]

Call me a simpleton but I don't know the answer to this, so I'll ask at risk of being mocked for my ignorance:

With 'pure nickel' strings, are the plain strings and the string cores of the wound strings made of nickel, or is it only the wrapping of the wound strings?

[clear and blue]

/\ well im stupid too because id also like to know this. i guess the cores on the wounds are nickel but are the plain ones nickel too? i had a feeling they still used steel

[roadhog96]

The core wires used with the Nickel wound strings is steel same as the plain strings. There is a difference from manufacture to manufacture. The Pyramid strigs use the purest grade of nickel available, they do not cut corners to sacrifice quality. They use a German steel and silver plate the plain strings. Other manufactures use Sweedish stell and it is Tin plated. This can affect the tone, how long it will last, and how easily the string can be stretched from bending. You usually get what you pay for, these strings are expensive and there is a reason for it and it's not greed on the companies part. They are a very small family business that's been around for a while and is enterested in staying in business by treating their customers right and producing the finest strings they can.

[greengriff]

So the tone of the plain strings in a pure nickel string set is going to be similiar to the tone of the plain strings in a 'normal' string set of similar quality, with the only tonal difference being on the wound strings?

[roadhog96]

Originally Posted by greengriff

So the tone of the plain strings in a pure nickel string set is going to be similiar to the tone of the plain strings in a 'normal' string set of similar quality, with the only tonal difference being on the wound strings?

The plain strings are not going to sound the same, they are made from a different grade of steel and plated with different plating. Different types of steel stretch and vibrate at a different rate, it requires more or less tension to tune to pitch. Plating can change tone as well as the appearance. The Nickel wound strings will have a considable amount of less output than a Nickel plated string so the PUP's and poles will have to be adjusted closer to the string to compensate for this. Why don't you do your own comparrison if you have any doubts, that's what I did.

[greengriff]

Will do, thanks for the info.

[Lance_S]

I have had the Zebop Thomstiks on for about a month. It was time to change. I really like the Thomstiks but they were a bit too bluesy for me. I was looking for something just a bit brighter, with a little more rock and roll. I was really impressed with how long they lasted. Obviously a great string and if someone is looking for an amazing, long lasting, thick sounding, bluesy type string, the Zebops in 11's fit the bill. It was no time to string up the pyramid 11's.

All I can say is wow. They are amazing. I only have about a half hour on them but they are what i was looking for. If they last as long as the Zebops do I think I have found my string. Amazing.

Thanks Gmac for the recomendation, a truly exceptional string. The best I have tried so far.

Lance

[Mayo5]

Originally Posted by Lance_S

I have had the Zebop Thomstiks on for about a month. It was time to change. I really like the Thomstiks but they were a bit too bluesy for me. I was looking for something just a bit brighter, with a little more rock and roll. I was really impressed with how long they lasted. Obviously a great string and if someone is looking for an amazing, long lasting, thick sounding, bluesy type string, the Zebops in 11's fit the bill. It was no time to string up the pyramid 11's.

All I can say is wow. They are amazing. I only have about a half hour on them but they are what i was looking for. If they last as long as the Zebops do I think I have found my string. Amazing.

Thanks Gmac for the recomendation, a truly exceptional string. The best I have tried so far.

Lance

Most definately.

The pyramids sound even more amazing on Acoustic. I use a crappy mid tier 1996 Yamaha 6-string(I love it), but man it brings out such a full dark sound. It's sooo smooth and exact in how you pick and fret it. They are expensive for sure, and probably out of the budget for this college player, but I will be trying to only use pyramids for my guitar from now on.

[Lance_S]

Originally Posted by Mayo5

Most definately.

The pyramids sound even more amazing on Acoustic. I use a crappy mid tier 1996 Yamaha 6-string(I love it), but man it brings out such a full dark sound. It's sooo smooth and exact in how you pick and fret it. They are expensive for sure, and probably out of the budget for this college player, but I will be trying to only use pyramids for my guitar from now on.

I agree that they are stupid expensive. But I also found that they last quite a bit longer than the cheaper strings. I was switching my strings out every week to ten days if I was playing daily. I had been using the Ernie Balls, Fenders and a few others. The Zebops lasted a month. So I do the math and it's a wash. And of course the benefit is that you get to use a better string, the guitar sounds better and you don't have to swap them out nearly as much.

My LP sounds great with the Pyramids, it's amazing loud unplugged, rings like an acoustic. I dig em.

[BIG Dave]

The DR Pure Blues are advertised in the June '09 Vintage Guitar on page 53. The ad shows Derek Trucks and states Derek "...has used Pure Blues strings by DR for years".

[kspeed]

Anybody have any numbers or a chart for string tension for round core, pure nickel strings? Specifically the 10-46 and 11-50 gauge DR Pure Blues, if possible. There's nothing in the DR Strings catalog about it. Thanks!

[mattymel]

i have tried the d'addario pure nickels and think they are pretty good. definitely less bright than the usual ones i used to use. gibson strings are okay but too much $$$. i think its funny listening to people talk about changing strings twice a week! when i put new strings on i dont even start liking them until after a week. but i guess they cant make strings warm and mellow enough for me. now on a classical guitar maybe...if you got the bread

[Tube Guy]

I use the Snake Oil Vintage on my strats. I also tried the Rock Formula and found that it was only the wound strings that were brighter, the unwound strings were identical in both sets. Previously I used the Pyramids which I found were warmer still than the SOB Vintage.

I also use Sadowsky Nickels when I want a brighter tone. Since reading this thread I've gone back to look at them and it seems they're simply nickel plated in a 50/50 iron/nickel mix. They also do a pure nickel which they describe as a jazz string.

Anyone else tried the Sadowskys?

[scissorlock]

Here's my review of the DR Blues:

I'll start off by stating that I'm not one to buy into hype. I find most guitarists project their preconceptions onto new things they try, especially when dealing with something as intangible as "tone" and "feel" (myself included). Somebody says "Hey, these pickups sound warm!", and everybody who follows suddenly identifies the sound they hear as "warmth". I tried to experience these strings as objectively as possible.

Once I tuned up and noodled a bit, I didn't find a whole lot of difference between my ususal Ernie Ball Slinky's and the DR's. I found the tension quite tight. However, the biggest difference I noticed was how they stayed in tune.

When you put on any set of strings and tune to pitch, then stretch the strings, the pitch drops substantially. Then, as you re-tune and stretch more, the drop in pitch becomes less. When I tuned these DR strings, they barely dropped their pitch on the first stretch. I mean BARELY, not even one or two ticks on my tuner. And they didn't drop their pitch at all on the second stretch. I couldn't believe it. I thought the strings were binding in the nut or the saddles, or something. It was the quickest stretch/tune-up I have ever done.

After leaving the guitar for a day, I played it the following evening. The tension had loosened substantially than when I initally put the strings on. Very pleasant on the fingers, but I wouldn't necessarily say their EASIER to bend. They just feel nicer on my fingers, and maybe that in itself makes bending a bit more pleasant.

Now, as for the tone....I won't go into detail about it, as adjectives mean different things to different people. All I will say, though, is that I definately prefer it to nickel-plated strings. I don't think I can go back to my old strings after hearing the difference.

So thanks to everybody here for turning one more guitarist onto the magic of DR Strings!!

[Pink_Floyd]

My local shop does not sell any of the strings recommended in the thread but I was visiting my Mother who lives in another city and decided to visit the local store there.

I went in and was greeted by the sales guy eating his lunch and told him I was after some strings, 'you've come to the right place' was his reply....... OK I am after some DR pure blues I stated. He told me sorry we don't sell those, what about these and recommended something else. I refused and he then started to tell me that all strings are the same, sound the same, and they all come out of the same factory

At this point I was getting uncomfortable as I would rather he just let me make my own mind up. However he then proceeded to tell me that DR make a string that is coloured and he fitted them to his maple necked Tele and that they looked terrible and SOUNDED worse!

Really? I thought all strings sounded the same????

I could not be bothered to point out his obvious faux pas and made my excuses and left. I was bemused to say the least and even my brother who knows nothing about guitars picked up on his obvious bull.......

[Torren61]

Here are just a few nickel string manufacturers: Search

More info in my thread:Web Site Links For Parts and Info

[River]

I finally got my hands on a set of DR Pure Blues - here in the boonies they're $12, not $6.

I just restrung my two player guitars last week, so the question for me is: are my expectations high enough to restring one of them immediately, or do I wait until a set goes dead on me? It's not the money, it's the time I spend changing strings - it takes me forever.

[Jonno_aus]

I'm trying the D'Addario's. Really nice! Like to try the DR Blues but nobody in town seems to stock them. Well, one shop has the DR brand but had never neard of the pure nickel strings.


It's like livin in a flamin third world country over here sometimes.

[Pink_Floyd]

Could one of you Pyramid Nickel String experts tell me what the difference is between;

These:

Pyramid Pure Nickel - Stringstar

And these:

Pyramid Nickel Classics - Stringstar

[Tone Seeker]

Originally Posted by Pink_Floyd

Could one of you Pyramid Nickel String experts tell me what the difference is between;

These:

Pyramid Pure Nickel - Stringstar

And these:

Pyramid Nickel Classics - Stringstar

The Classics use a round, rather than a hexagonal core. This is a good thing, and they sound a little smoother / nicer on the high end. I had to add just a bit more treble when I moved to them from the regular Pyramids. The difference is arguably subtle, but it's there.

Terry.

[VIREBEL661]

Originally Posted by gmacdonnell

Just real quick add-on

Easy to Find Alternatives:
There seems to be a trend towards these kinds of strings, even with the bigger makers.

*Dean Markley "Jimi Hendrix Pure Nickel"- have heard good things

*GHS "Carlos Santana Big Core"- tried a set on buddy's guitar, seemed real nice, and he loves them.

I haven't owned either set, but they should be worth a shot, and seem more common.

Then there's

*Gibson's pure Nickel are nice, but don't seem to last or sustain as long as the ones I mentioned before.

*Fender's is pretty good, but lack some of the sparkle and durability of the nicer strings.

FANTASTIC POST! THANK YOU! Because of your detailed information, I'm DEFINITELY going to check this out and see what's up... I've used about everything, but surprisingly never tried pure nickel; I assumed they would be muddy for some reason... I'm a HUGE fan of Fender Bullets... They actually manufacture all of their strings in house and inspect EVERY ONE! Just crazy - here's a link for those that might be interested.

Fender Mexico Factory Strings

I'm using Gibson Stainless strings on Lester currently and they sound great... I'm not sure if Gibson outsources their string production though; many use D'Addario and relabel them...

[Pink_Floyd]

Originally Posted by Tone Seeker

The Classics use a round, rather than a hexagonal core. This is a good thing, and they sound a little smoother / nicer on the high end. I had to add just a bit more treble when I moved to them from the regular Pyramids. The difference is arguably subtle, but it's there.

Terry.

Thanks Terry,

I think what was confusing me was the 'round wound' claim on the Nickel Classics, I was confusing this with round core. Hence why I could not see the difference...........

[StringStar]

Originally Posted by Pink_Floyd

Could one of you Pyramid Nickel String experts tell me what the difference is between;

These:

Pyramid Pure Nickel - Stringstar

And these:

Pyramid Nickel Classics - Stringstar

Hi folks,

My name is John and I run StringStar over in the UK.

I picked up on this thread and thought I would pop in and say hello to everyone so...hello everyone

This really is a great thread btw - thanks OP

Anyway, I thought i might just run through the Pyramid range to clear a couple of things up regarding cores and windings. Hopefully it might just help you decide what to use if you do choose to use Pyramid strings.

Pyramid really are a great company and they do make excellent strings so here goes:

Pyramid Nickel Plated Steel - Nickel plated steel wound on hexagonal steel cores similar to D'Addario EXL110, 120 etc

Pyramid Stainless Steel - stainless steel is wound on to hexagonal steel cores - similar to D'Addario Pro Steels - EPS520's, 510's etc

Pyramid Pure Nickels are made with 99.2% pure nickel wire wound onto hexagonal steel cores -similar to D'Addario Pure Nickel EPN110 etc

Pyramid Maximum Performance - 99.2% pure nickel wound onto round steel cores - IIRC this is the same as DR Pure Blues

Pyramid Nickel Classics are made from 99.2% pure nickel wrap wire wound onto pure nickel round cores

Pyramid Gold are pure nickel flatwounds (probably the best flat wounds in the world IMHO)


Thats a brief run down of the Pyramid electric range. I could probably have presented it a bit better to make it easier to understand but you should see the subtle differences as you read through the range.

Your more than welcome to look around my website StringStar

Its a new site and there is still lots of work to be done in terms of appearance and products but it works and is secure so feel free to have a look round.

I don't think the exchange rate and shipping costs will entice you into buying much from me but if you are struggling to find quality strings at reasonable prices please get in touch and I will see what I can do.

All the best

Regards
StringStar

[Ejecto]

Originally Posted by StringStar

Hi folks,

My name is John and I run StringStar over in the UK.

I finished trawling through this thread late last night and moved over to ebay to buy some Pyramid Nickel Classics. Can you guess where i ended up, John?
I'm the watcher on the Pyramid 11s, ordering as soon as the bank catches up.