D'Addario EPS165-5 XL ProSteels 5-String Bass (.045–.135): light top, medium bottom, bright stainless

Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team · 2026-08-24

D'Addario

EPS165-5 XL ProSteels 5-String Bass Regular Light Top / Medium Bottom (.045–.135)

.45–.135

D'Addario EPS165-5 is the Regular Light Top / Medium Bottom five-string set in the XL ProSteels bass family, .045 to .135, stainless-steel roundwound on a hex steel core, long scale. It pairs a light .045 top with a medium .135 low B, so the strings you solo on stay fast while the low B gains mass and stays tight when you dig in. ProSteels is the brighter, more aggressive sister line to XL Nickel Wound.

Check current price on Amazon

How it rates (0–10)

CYS editorial

Output7

Brightness9

Warmth4

Tension5

Flexibility6

Longevity6

Our editorial read of how this product behaves, scored relative to others in its class. A guide, not a lab measurement.

Anatomy

Model: D'Addario EPS165-5 XL ProSteels 5-String Bass Light Top / Medium Bottom
Family: D'Addario XL ProSteels Bass (stainless-steel roundwound)
Five-string gauges: EPS170-5 Regular Light (.045–.130), EPS165-5 Regular Light Top and Medium Bottom (.045–.135, this set), EPS160-5 Medium (.050–.135)
Gauge: .045 – .135 (Light Top / Medium Bottom)
Gauge set: .045, .065, .085, .105, .135
String count: 5 strings
Core wire: Hex steel
Wrap wire: Stainless steel (D'Addario ProSteels alloy)
Coating: None, uncoated
Winding: Roundwound
Intended scale: Long-scale (34") fits most production 5-string basses: Fender fives, Music Man StingRay 5, Spector, Warwick, Lakland, Ibanez SR
Intended tunings: Bass B standard (5-string) primary; the E, A, D, G core also covers standard four-string tuning
Tension at B standard: See D'Addario's published per-string tension chart on the product page. The light .045 top keeps the upper strings fast; the .135 low B runs firmer than the .130 B on EPS170-5
Made in: United States (D'Addario manufacturing in Farmingdale, NY)
Package: Single pack, recyclable VCI bag with Players Circle code

Why the light-top, medium-bottom five-string works

Fast top, firm bottom: The .045 top string is the same light gauge as the all-purpose EPS170-5, so your soloing and fills stay quick and easy. The .135 low B is a medium gauge that adds mass and tension where you want it. You get speed up top and authority down low in one set, which is exactly why the light-top, medium-bottom pairing exists.
Stainless wrap, hex core: Stainless-steel wrap delivers more harmonic content and a sharper attack than nickel-plated. The hex core gives the wrap stable mechanical grip and tight intonation. On a five-string that matters most on the low B, where the stainless brightness keeps the fundamental clear instead of letting the thickest string turn to mud.
A tighter low B than EPS170-5: Stepping from the .130 B on EPS170-5 to the .135 B here firms up the bottom of the neck and holds together better under a hard pick attack or when you tune the B down. If you want the whole set to feel fuller, the EPS160-5 Medium adds a .050 top as well; if you want the lightest, most even set, drop back to EPS170-5.
D'Addario manufacturing consistency: D'Addario's NY production is the industry's tightest-tolerance bass-string manufacturing. Set-to-set consistency means the EPS165-5 you string this week feels like the one you strung six months ago, which matters for working bassists who restring per tour leg or before sessions.

The three ProSteels five-string gauges compared

All three are XL ProSteels. Same stainless wrap, same hex core, same long-scale fit. The gauge is the only variable, and on a five-string it changes the feel of the low B and the mass under your fingers more than the numbers suggest.

	EPS170-5 Regular Light (.045–.130)	EPS165-5 Light Top / Medium Bottom (.045–.135)	EPS160-5 Medium (.050–.135)
Gauge set	.045, .065, .080, .100, .130	.045, .065, .085, .105, .135	.050, .070, .085, .105, .135
Top-string feel	Lightest, fastest .045 G	Light .045 G top	Fuller .050 G, more push
Low B	.130, articulate and quick	.135, thicker and tighter	.135, thicker and tighter
Best tuning lane	B standard, all-purpose	B standard, low-B focus	B standard, dig-in and detune
Fretting effort	Lowest	Low up top, firmer bottom	Firmer overall
Pick this when	Versatility and comfort	Light top over a beefier low B	Maximum mass and grip

The decision rule mirrors the four-string ProSteels line. Lightest and most even, the EPS170-5. A light top with a beefier low end, EPS165-5, this set. Maximum mass under the pick and a fuller top, the EPS160-5. Same alloy, same bass, same brightness. EPS165-5 is the pick when you want your top strings fast but your low B tight.

Verdict

EPS165-5 ProSteels is the light-top, medium-bottom five-string, the set for players who want the fast .045 top of the all-purpose EPS170-5 but a firmer, tighter low B under it. The .135 B carries more mass than the .130 on EPS170-5, so the bottom of the neck stays defined when you dig in with a pick or drop the B, while the upper strings keep the speed you rely on for fills and soloing. The stainless wrap and hex core keep the whole set bright and articulate.

If you want the lightest, most even feel, drop back to the EPS170-5. If you want the whole set fuller, with a .050 top as well as the .135 B, step across to the Medium EPS160-5. For nickel warmth instead of stainless bite, the exact tonal alternative at this gauge is the nickel-plated EXL165-5.

D'Addario manufactures bass strings in Farmingdale, NY, with the tightest tolerances in the industry. Set-to-set consistency is the practical reason working bassists trust D'Addario for session and tour discipline.

View D'Addario EPS165-5 XL ProSteels 5-String Bass Regular Light Top / Medium Bottom (.045–.135) on Amazon

Want the lightest, most even five-string? Drop back to D'Addario EPS170-5 ProSteels Regular Light (.045–.130).
Want the whole set fuller, with a .050 top too? Step across to D'Addario EPS160-5 ProSteels Medium (.050–.135).
Play four-string too? The four-string D'Addario EPS170 (.045–.100) shares the light .045 top.
Adding a high C? The six-string D'Addario EPS170-6 (.032–.130) extends the ProSteels line to six strings.
Steel or nickel for bass? Compare them in nickel vs steel strings.
New to restringing a bass? Follow our how to change bass strings guide.

Frequently asked questions

What gauge is D'Addario EPS165-5?

.045, .065, .085, .105, .135. Long-scale (34-inch) fit, 5-string. EPS165-5 is the Regular Light Top and Medium Bottom gauge of the XL ProSteels five-string family. It pairs a light .045 top string with a medium .135 low B, so it splits the difference between the all-purpose EPS170-5 (.045 to .130) and the fuller EPS160-5 Medium (.050 to .135). The result is a fast top with more mass and grip on the low strings.

What is the string tension of EPS165-5?

D'Addario publishes a full per-string tension chart on the EPS165-5 product page; use those numbers rather than a guess. In feel, the light .045 top keeps the strings you solo on fast and easy, while the .135 low B carries more mass than the .130 B on EPS170-5, so the bottom of the neck feels firmer and holds together better when you dig in. The set is deliberately uneven from top to bottom, which is the whole point of a light-top, medium-bottom design.

What's the difference between EPS165-5, EPS170-5, and EPS160-5?

All three are XL ProSteels, stainless on a hex core, long scale, five-string; only the gauge changes. EPS170-5 (.045 to .130) is the lightest and most even. EPS165-5 (.045 to .135, this set) keeps that light .045 top but drops to a medium .135 low B. EPS160-5 (.050 to .135) fills out the whole set with a fuller .050 top as well. Pick EPS165-5 when you want fast upper strings but a beefier, tighter low B.

What's the difference between ProSteels and D'Addario XL Nickel Wound?

Wrap alloy. ProSteels (EPS series) uses a stainless-steel wrap; XL Nickel Wound (EXL series) uses nickel-plated steel. Same hex steel core, same long-scale fit, same gauge ranges across both lines. Stainless reads brighter, with more harmonic content, more aggressive attack, and more finger and pick noise. Nickel reads warmer and rounder. The closest nickel match to EPS165-5 is EXL165-5, the same .045 to .135 light-top, medium-bottom spread in nickel-plated wrap. Pick by sonic goal, not by quality.

RelatedNickel vs steel bass strings

Which bassists play D'Addario ProSteels?

D'Addario's bass roster is one of the deepest in the industry: Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica, Voivod, Newsted), Frank Bello (Anthrax), Mike Inez (Alice in Chains), Cliff Williams (AC/DC, retired), Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck / NIN session), and Bryan Beller (Aristocrats / Joe Satriani / Dethklok) are documented D'Addario artists. Specific ProSteels-vs-XL-Nickel and exact-gauge attribution per artist, including who runs a five-string EPS165-5, requires primary-source citation. CYS flags the line where Sleuth has a documented source and flags it unconfirmed where we don't. We do not fabricate gear claims.

Will EPS165-5 fit my 5-string bass?

Yes, if your bass is long scale. The 34-inch fit covers most production five-string basses: Fender and Squier five-strings, Music Man StingRay 5, Spector, Warwick, Lakland, Yamaha, and Ibanez SR fives. Confirm your bass is long scale before buying, some five-strings are 35-inch super-long scale and need a super-long set. If you are unsure, measure from the nut to the bridge saddle or check the maker's spec sheet.

Are ProSteels coated?

No. EPS165-5 ships uncoated stainless. D'Addario's coated options are the XT and XS lines; uncoated ProSteels is the standard SKU and the one most bassists prefer for the unfiltered stainless high-frequency content and pick attack. Stainless roundwound also holds its brightness longer than nickel-plated roundwound, so the trade for skipping a coating is smaller on this alloy.