D'Addario NYXL45100 (.045–.100): the flagship nickel-wound bass, built for tuning stability
Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
D'Addario NYXL45100 is the Regular Light gauge of the NYXL bass family, .045 to .100, long scale, reformulated nickel-plated steel wound on a NY Steel hex core. It is D'Addario's premium uncoated bass string: higher break strength and tuning stability than the standard XL Nickel bass line, with an accentuated mid-range for more presence and crunch. Same gauge as the standard EXL170; the difference is the NY Steel wire and reengineered core-to-wrap ratio.
What this set is
D'Addario NYXL45100 is the Regular Light gauge of the NYXL bass line, the bass-string counterpart to the NYXL electric guitar sets that built D'Addario's modern working-pro reputation. The pack ships in the standard .045 to .100 long-scale gauge, the same gauge profile as D'Addario's best-selling EXL170 XL Nickel Wound bass set, but built on the company's reformulated NY Steel hex core and a reengineered nickel-plated wrap.
D'Addario positions NYXL as its premium uncoated bass string: higher break strength and better tuning stability than its standard bass line, with an accentuated mid-range that pushes more presence and pick or finger attack through a mix. It is the bass line to reach for when you already know NYXL's reputation from the electric guitar side and want the same durability under stage and studio conditions.
Anatomy
- Model
- D'Addario NYXL45100 Nickel Wound Bass Regular Light
- Family
- D'Addario NYXL Bass (reformulated nickel-plated steel roundwound)
- Variants
- NYXL4095 Super Light (.040–.095), NYXL45100 Regular Light (.045–.100, this set), NYXL45105 Light Top/Medium Bottom (.045–.105), NYXL50105 Medium (.050–.105), NYXL55110 Heavy (.055–.110)
- Gauge
- .045 – .100 (Regular Light)
- Gauge set
- .045, .065, .080, .100
- String count
- 4 strings
- Core wire
- NY Steel hex (reformulated D'Addario high-carbon steel)
- Wrap wire
- Reformulated nickel-plated steel
- Coating
- None, uncoated
- Winding
- Roundwound
- Intended scale
- Long-scale (34") fits Fender Precision, Jazz, Music Man StingRay, most production 4-string basses
- Intended tunings
- Bass E standard primary; handles Eb standard and Drop D comfortably
- Tension at E standard
- .045 G 40.3 lbs, .065 D 47.6 lbs, .080 A 38.4 lbs, .100 E 34.3 lbs (about 160.6 lbs total)
- Made in
- United States (D'Addario manufacturing in Farmingdale, NY)
- Package
- Single pack, recyclable VCI bag with Players Circle code
Why this is the flagship nickel bass pick
- The default NYXL bass gauge
- NYXL45100 (.045–.100) is the Regular Light gauge, the direct bass-side counterpart to the .045–.100 that's the industry-standard starting gauge for 4-string long scale. If you already play D'Addario's standard nickel bass gauge and want more break strength and stability, this is the drop-in upgrade.
- NY Steel hex core
- D'Addario's reformulated high-carbon steel core, drawn in-house at its Farmingdale, NY facility. The company markets it as delivering unmatched tuning stability and superior break resistance versus its standard core wire, the same claim that built the NYXL electric guitar line's reputation.
- Reengineered wrap, accentuated mids
- The nickel-plated wrap wire and core-to-wrap ratio are reformulated versus D'Addario's standard bass strings. Per D'Addario, that delivers an accentuated mid-range frequency response, more presence and crunch cutting through a mix, on top of the added tuning stability.
- Same gauge, more demanding build
- NYXL45100 doesn't change the gauge math versus D'Addario's standard nickel bass line. It changes the wire. That means no relearning feel or intonation on a bass you already know, just a more durable, more stable string in the same fit.
NYXL45100 vs D'Addario EPS170 ProSteels: nickel or stainless bass
Both are .045 to .100-adjacent long-scale 4-string bass sets built on a hex steel core. The alloy is the real fork in the road, and it changes the tone more than the gauge does.
| NYXL45100 (.045–.100, nickel) | EPS170 ProSteels (.045–.100, stainless) | |
|---|---|---|
| Wrap alloy | Reformulated nickel-plated steel | Stainless steel (ProSteels alloy) |
| Core wire | NY Steel hex | Standard hex steel |
| Total tension (E std) | About 160.6 lbs | About 154 lbs |
| Tone | Warmer, rounded, accentuated mid-range | Bright, harmonic-rich, more pick attack |
| Break resistance | Higher than D'Addario's standard nickel line | Standard for the ProSteels line |
| Best genre lane | Rock, funk, prog, punk | Rock, funk, prog, alt-rock |
| Pick this when | You want nickel warmth with more durability | You want stainless brightness and harmonic content |
The decision rule is the same one guitarists use picking between nickel and stainless: nickel reads warmer and rounder, stainless reads brighter with more edge. NYXL45100 is the nickel pick with the added tuning stability and break resistance the NYXL name is built on. For the brighter alternative in the same gauge neighborhood, see D'Addario EPS170 ProSteels.
Best for
- Bassists who already know NYXL from the electric guitar side and want the same tuning stability and break resistance on bass
- Working session and touring bassists who restring often and want a string that holds up under repeated tour cycles
- Standard-tuning rock, funk, and prog players who want a nickel tone with more mid-range presence than a standard nickel bass string
Worst for
- Budget-conscious daily players: D'Addario's standard XL Nickel bass strings deliver a similar tone at a lower price point
- Players chasing maximum brightness: stainless-wrap ProSteels reads brighter and more aggressive than any nickel-wound set, NYXL included
- Down-tuned 5- and 6-string rigs needing a thicker low end: step up to NYXL50105 Medium or NYXL55110 Heavy, or the 5-string NYXL45130
Verdict
NYXL45100 is D'Addario's flagship nickel-wound bass gauge: the standard .045 to .100 long-scale fit, built on the same NY Steel core and reformulated wrap process that made the NYXL electric guitar line the modern working-pro default. The upgrade over D'Addario's standard nickel bass strings is real and specific, higher break strength, better tuning stability, an accentuated mid-range, without changing the gauge feel a player already knows.
If you want stainless brightness instead of nickel warmth, EPS170 ProSteels in the same gauge neighborhood is the alternative. If you down-tune or play a 5-string rig, step up to NYXL50105, NYXL55110, or the 5-string NYXL45130. For everything else in standard E, Eb, or Drop D on a 4-string long-scale bass, NYXL45100 is the durability upgrade over D'Addario's standard nickel line.
NYXL45100 Nickel Wound Bass Regular Light (.045–.100)
Why this one: The flagship nickel-wound bass gauge: same .045-.100 fit as the standard nickel bass line, built on D'Addario's NY Steel core for more break strength and tuning stability.
Related
Related
- New to restringing a bass? Follow our how to change bass strings guide.
- Steel or nickel for bass? Compare them in nickel vs steel strings.
- For when bass strings start to dull, see bass string longevity.