Nickel Plated Vs Stainless Steel Guitar Strings

As far as material is concerned we can divide strings into two main categories.

Nickel plated vs stainless steel guitar strings. They produce more volume and have more sustain. Guitar strings nickel vs stainless steel. Stainless steel strings are brighter with more bite. Nickel is a bit softer than steel so nickel or nickel plated strings won t wear your frets out as quickly as stainless steel strings will.

Country and rock players might choose nickel plated. Some players say that it feels a little dryer than or just not as slick. Both terms are referring to the wrap wire of the wound strings in the set. Pure nickel pure nickel strings are more mellow and warmer sounding than stainless steel or nickel plated strings.

Stainless steel does not feel quite a bit different than other electric strings. I like chrome strings for old school blues and jazz. They also last a long time and stay bright due to stainless steels inherits ability to resist corrosion. Nickel is a bit softer than steel so nickel or nickel plated strings won t wear your frets out as quickly as stainless steel strings will.

Stainless steel strings are the brightest and sharpest sounding of all electric guitar strings. Nickel strings and stainless steel strings. Steel strings are made from a highly magnetic alloy and usually produce a brighter sound and a rougher feel under the fingers. 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.

One trick that evens the playing field for me is to take a piece of crocus cloth and lightly sand the outside of the wound strings before putting them on. As others have mentioned stainless steel is harder than nickel steel and often has burrs from the manufacturing wrapping process. In pure nickel guitar strings the wrap wire is well pure nickel.