Stainless steel strings dulled temporarily by humidity?

nemo

nemo

Mar 19, 2004
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#1
Hi, I am long time nickel plated strings player. Recently I found SS strings that I love but I have noticed one thing with them - at home they have great sound, but when I play outside gig or even in rehearsal room, they suddenly became dull, middy and lose their zing. When I come home, they are still dull, but after couple of hours, the zing is back and they ring nicely again. I guess it is because my home with central heating has quite dry air, while outside and in rehearsal room it is more humid. I have switched to nickels now and the issue is gone, but I miss the previous strings. Do you have similar experience with your SS strings?
 
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#4
nemo said:
Hi, I am long time nickel plated strings player. Recently I found SS strings that I love but I have noticed one thing with them - at home they have great sound, but when I play outside gig or even in rehearsal room, they suddenly became dull, middy and lose their zing. When I come home, they are still dull, but after couple of hours, the zing is back and they ring nicely again. I guess it is because my home with central heating has quite dry air, while outside and in rehearsal room it is more humid. I have switched to nickels now and the issue is gone, but I miss the previous strings. Do you have similar experience with your SS strings?
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I've had strings become a little sticky feeling in higher humidity, but never experienced this. I have found some speaker cabs sound a little different in higher humidity situations.

This is a huge stretch, but is it possible that string construction, specifically hex vs round core could be allowing moisture to build up between the wrap and core and acting to damp or dull down the string? Then after it "dries out", you get a crisper sound. That's all I got, and I'll fully admit it's a bit out there.
 
#5
I have used GHS Super Steels in the past and they were the oddest string I've ever used. Where I am temp and weather is very consistent other than seasonal changes. Very dry climate throughout the year also except for winter and spring.

I did notice day to day changes with the SS that I never experienced before. It was also at a time going from late summer into fall and the particular bass went through need of setup changes also. Your situation doesn't seem too different than mine.

Could be the bass and neck swell from humidity causing the strings to act differently or the strings themselves. But I never used a stainless string again after my experience.
 
#6
Strings are Sadowsky Blue Steel 45-130. The different amp home/rehearsal room is not a factor, because this dulling could be heard with the bass not plugged in. Bass is 2006 Sadowsky NYC 5, new to me from this summer. Now I am switching between Sadowsky Blue Nickels and Black Nickels for this bass. That periodic dulling and geting the zing back after "drying" is interesting phenomenon. I am long time nickel strings player so I don't have much experience with SS strings behaviour.
 
#7
Mystery solved. It was not humidity, it was the temperature. The reason is - my stupidity.. oh well. :banghead:

As a long user of Fast Fret I got used to a slick feel and easy gliding when applied. When my Fast Fret dried out, I started using coconut oil instead. All worked great in room temperature and in summer, fingers were gliding and strings had zing. Things changed in the cold, when it started to solidify (coconut oil solidifies at 24 °C or 76 °F). I was mistakenly attributing it to humidity, while all the time it was that coconut oil solidifying between string windings in cold and makig strings sound dull temporarily. I know, I know.. learn from my fault.

Now I have bought Dunlop 65 Ultraglide, put on a new set of Sadowsky Blue Label Steels and all is great again. :bassist:
 
#9
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Silly guy. Dont you know you have to “put the lime in the coconut”? (And then you’ll feel better).
 
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