D'Addario EPS170-6 XL ProSteels 6-String Bass (.032–.130): the bright stainless six-string standard

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

D'Addario

EPS170-6 XL ProSteels 6-String Bass Regular Light (.032–.130)

.32–.130

D'Addario EPS170-6 is the Regular Light six-string set in the XL ProSteels bass family, .032 to .130, stainless-steel roundwound on a hex steel core, long scale. It is the five-string EPS170-5 plus a high .032 C: a .130 low B on the bottom, a bright top C on top, and the familiar .045 to .100 core in between. ProSteels is the brighter, more aggressive sister line to XL Nickel Wound, harmonic-rich and articulate.

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How it rates (0–10)

CYS editorial

Output7

Brightness9

Warmth4

Tension4

Flexibility7

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 EPS170-6 XL ProSteels 6-String Bass Regular Light
Family: D'Addario XL ProSteels Bass (stainless-steel roundwound)
Related gauges: EPS170-6 Regular Light 6-string (.032–.130, this set); the five-string gauges are EPS170-5 (.045–.130), EPS165-5 (.045–.135), EPS160-5 (.050–.135)
Gauge: .032 – .130 (Regular Light)
Gauge set: .032, .045, .065, .080, .100, .130
String count: 6 strings
Core wire: Hex steel
Wrap wire: Stainless steel (D'Addario ProSteels alloy)
Coating: None, uncoated
Winding: Roundwound (the .032 high C is a wound string in this set)
Intended scale: Long-scale (34") fits most production 6-string basses: Ibanez SR sixes, Warwick, Spector, Yamaha TRB
Intended tunings: Bass B standard with a high C on top (6-string: B, E, A, D, G, C); 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 four middle strings match the four-string EPS170 and the .130 B matches EPS170-5; the .032 high C is the thinnest string
Made in: United States (D'Addario manufacturing in Farmingdale, NY)
Package: Single pack, recyclable VCI bag with Players Circle code

Why this is the bright stainless six-string standard

Five-string low B plus a high C: EPS170-6 is the five-string EPS170-5 with a .032 high C added on top. You keep the familiar .045 to .100 core and the manageable .130 low B, and you gain a high C that opens up chords, tapping, and upper-register soloing without shifting position. It is the standard high-C six-string set, B to C, low to high.
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. Across six strings that consistency matters: the low B stays defined and the high C stays bright and clear rather than thin, so the whole range reads even.
A high C that needs a lighter touch: The .032 C is the thinnest, most delicate string in the set. It rewards a gentler right-hand attack than the wound low strings, and it is the string most likely to break if you overplay it. Fresh stainless keeps it bright and singing, which is the point of a high C on a six-string.
D'Addario manufacturing consistency: D'Addario's NY production is the industry's tightest-tolerance bass-string manufacturing. Set-to-set consistency means the EPS170-6 you string this week feels like the one you strung six months ago, which matters most on a six-string where the high C and low B both have to speak evenly.

EPS170 Regular Light across 4, 5, and 6 strings

The EPS170 Regular Light gauge runs across all three string counts. Same XL ProSteels alloy, same stainless wrap, same hex core, same long-scale fit. What changes is which strings are added around the familiar four-string core.

	EPS170 4-String (.045–.100)	EPS170-5 5-String (.045–.130)	EPS170-6 6-String (.032–.130)
Gauge set	.045, .065, .080, .100	.045, .065, .080, .100, .130	.032, .045, .065, .080, .100, .130
String count	4	5	6
Low string	.100 E	.130 B	.130 B
High string	.045 G	.045 G	.032 C
Best tuning lane	E standard	B standard (5-string)	B standard with high C
Who it's for	Standard four-string	Five-string, extended low	Six-string, extended low and high

The core .045 to .100 strings feel the same on all three. Add a .130 low B and you have the five-string EPS170-5; add a .032 high C on top of that and you have the six-string EPS170-6. Start from the string count your bass has, then match the ProSteels gauge to it.

Verdict

EPS170-6 ProSteels is the bright stainless six-string standard, the Regular Light gauge extended to a full high-C six-string. You keep the familiar .045 to .100 core and the manageable .130 low B from the five-string EPS170-5, and you add a .032 high C that opens up chords, tapping, and upper-register soloing. The stainless wrap and hex core keep the low B defined and the high C bright, so the whole six-string range reads even rather than lopsided.

Treat the .032 C with a lighter touch than the wound strings; it is the thinnest string in the set and the one most likely to break if you dig into it. For nickel warmth instead of stainless bite, the exact tonal alternative at this gauge is the nickel-plated EXL170-6. If you play a five-string, the EPS170-5 is this set without the high C.

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 EPS170-6 XL ProSteels 6-String Bass Regular Light (.032–.130) on Amazon

Play five-string? This is the five-string D'Addario EPS170-5 (.045–.130) with a high C added.
Play four-string? The four-string D'Addario EPS170 (.045–.100) is the same Regular Light core.
Want a firmer five-string low B? See D'Addario EPS165-5 Light Top / Medium Bottom (.045–.135) or the EPS160-5 Medium (.050–.135).
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.
Wondering how long stainless strings stay bright? See bass string longevity.

Frequently asked questions

What gauge is D'Addario EPS170-6?

.032, .045, .065, .080, .100, .130. Long-scale (34-inch) fit, 6-string. EPS170-6 is the Regular Light gauge of the XL ProSteels six-string family. It is the five-string EPS170-5 (.045 to .130) with a high .032 C added on top, so you get a .130 low B on the bottom, a bright .032 C on top, and the same .045 to .100 core in between. This is a high-C six-string set, not a low-F# set.

What is the string tension of EPS170-6?

D'Addario publishes a full per-string tension chart on the EPS170-6 product page; use those numbers rather than a guess. In feel, the four middle strings match the four-string EPS170 and the .130 B matches the five-string EPS170-5, so the low and mid tension is familiar. The added .032 high C is the thinnest, most delicate string in the set and needs a gentler touch than the wound strings. Total set tension is higher than the five-string because of the extra string.

How is a 6-string bass tuned, and who is EPS170-6 for?

A standard six-string bass is tuned B, E, A, D, G, C, low to high: a five-string's low B on the bottom plus a high C on top. That high C opens up chords, tapping, and soloing in the upper register without shifting position, which is why six-strings are common in prog, fusion, and solo bass. EPS170-6 covers that standard six-string tuning. If your six-string is instead a low-F# instrument, you need a set built around a low F#, not this high-C set.

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 EPS170-6 is EXL170-6, the same .032 to .130 six-string gauge 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 six-string EPS170-6, 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 EPS170-6 fit my 6-string bass?

Yes, if your bass is long scale and a standard high-C six-string. The 34-inch fit covers most production six-string basses: Ibanez SR sixes, Warwick, Spector, Yamaha TRB, and similar. Confirm your bass is long scale before buying, some six-strings are 35-inch super-long scale and need a super-long set. Also confirm your instrument is a high-C six-string (B to C), not a low-F# six-string, because the two need different sets.

Are ProSteels coated?

No. EPS170-6 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.