I always wipe the strings down after playing either with a clean cloth or preferably a blitz cloth.
Nickel plated vs stainless steel bass strings.
This is getting complicated.
In nickel wound nickel plated steel strings the wrap wire is steel plated with nickel typically about 8 of the finished wrap wire is nickel and 92 is steel.
Oh and then there is pure nickel vs nickel plated.
Chrome and steel strings.
Stainless steel tonally speaking the opposite of nickel strings stainless steel is clear and bright with clarity throughout the frequency range great for modern sounds.
Country and rock players might choose nickel plated.
Pure nickel is what guitarists used in the 50s so if you like that early rock and roll sound you might like pure nickel.
As far as material is concerned we can divide strings into two main categories.
Plenty of products advertised as nickel strings however aren t entirely golden era formulations using steel wraps plated with nickel rather than wraps made entirely of nickel.
Also nickel strings are softer and are easier on your frets.
Spector nickel plated steel strings use a tapered string design on the e also the b strings for 5 string set to deliver the maximum tone possible and have an even response across the neck of your electric bass.
How is the core wire different.
Nickel plated steel no surprises nickel plated steel offers a compromise between pure nickel or stainless steel.
Both terms are referring to the wrap wire of the wound strings in the set.
They are round wound and are available in 4 or 5 string sets.
In pure nickel guitar strings the wrap wire is well pure nickel.
If i do a stainless set can last a month of 2 3 gigs wk.
Nickel strings and stainless steel strings.
An all round option for the bassist who plays a bit.
The confusion arises from the fact that some manufacturers don t include the word plated on the labels for their nickel strings.