Disclosure: D’Addario kindly sent me these strings for review. As always, all opinions expressed in this article are my own and reflect my personal experience with the product. This is the first of several D’Addario string reviews, so keep an eye on Bass Gear Reviews for more coverage of their bass string catalogue in the coming weeks.
D’Addario is hardly a name that needs introducing to bass players. Its strings have been a familiar sight in gig bags, studios and rehearsal rooms for decades. However, the company’s XS Nickel Bass range brings something interesting to the table: a coated roundwound string designed to retain the familiar brightness and response of traditional strings while offering a smoother playing experience and improved longevity.
I’ve been spending some time with the D’Addario XSB45105 set on my fretless Precision bass, and I have to say that my first impressions have been very positive. The strings have plenty of zing, the coating makes slides feel particularly comfortable, and there’s a growl to the sound that works beautifully with the character of a fretless instrument.
Let’s take a closer look.
A little history: D’Addario and the art of making strings
The D’Addario family’s involvement in string making goes back to the 1670s, when Donato D’Addario worked as a string maker in the Italian town of Salle, in the Abruzzo region. Several generations later, the family business made its way to the United States, eventually establishing the modern D’Addario brand in 1974.
Since then, the company has become one of the most recognisable names in the musical instrument accessories industry, with a catalogue covering everything from traditional guitar and bass strings to more specialised products.
Bass players have been part of that story for decades. D’Addario strings have been associated with musicians such as Mark Egan, whose fretless playing with the Pat Metheny Group helped establish him as one of the most recognisable voices in jazz fusion. Other notable bassists associated with the brand include Alphonso Johnson, Bryan Beller and Steve Di Giorgio.
It’s quite a diverse group of musicians, and that says something about the versatility of the company’s catalogue. From jazz and fusion to progressive metal and alternative rock, D’Addario has managed to establish itself across a remarkably broad spectrum of bass playing.
Introducing the XS Nickel Bass Strings
The XS series is D’Addario’s answer to one of the longest-standing compromises in the string market: how do you make a coated string that offers extended life without sacrificing the sound and playing characteristics of an uncoated roundwound?
The original XS technology was introduced for guitar strings in 2021, bringing an ultra-thin protective film coating designed to protect against corrosion and contamination. The technology eventually made its way into electric guitar strings, and in 2026 D’Addario expanded the range with dedicated XS Bass strings.
The XSB45105 is a four-string, long-scale set featuring a 45–105 gauge configuration, described by D’Addario as Light Top / Medium Bottom.
The gauges are .045, .065, .085 and .105, providing a familiar configuration for players who prefer a slightly more substantial low end without making the higher strings unnecessarily heavy.
The strings use a nickel-plated steel wrap wound around D’Addario’s NY High Carbon Steel hexagonal core. This combination is designed to provide a balanced response, enhanced harmonic content and improved tuning stability.
D’Addario uses an ultra-thin film coating on the wound strings, approximately one-tenth the thickness of a human hair. The company also applies a proprietary polymer treatment to the plain steel strings, protecting the entire set against the elements that typically contribute to string degradation.
The idea is straightforward: preserve the tone and feel of a fresh set of strings for longer.
Check the price of the D’Addario XSB45105 at Amazon
First impressions and playing experience
I installed the XSB45105 set on my fretless Precision bass, an instrument that has been particularly enjoyable to play since I started experimenting with different roundwound strings.
For a while, I’ve been moving away from flatwounds on this bass. Although I appreciate what flats bring to the table, I’ve increasingly felt that they were taking away some of the articulation I wanted. I also found their playing feel a little too resistant for my preferences.
The XS strings immediately felt like a good change.
The first thing I noticed was their brightness. There’s plenty of zing here, with a clear, lively top end that gives individual notes a nice presence. The strings have a very responsive character, and there’s enough harmonic content to make the instrument sound alive without becoming unpleasantly harsh.
I’ve played coated strings before, and one of the things that can sometimes put me off is the feeling that you’re playing something slightly artificial. That hasn’t been my experience with these.
The XS coating provides a very smooth playing surface, and sliding between notes feels effortless. Vibrato is comfortable, and moving around the fingerboard doesn’t produce the same sensation of friction I sometimes associate with traditional roundwounds.
This is particularly relevant on my fretless Precision, which has an epoxy-coated fingerboard. The combination works very well, allowing me to move around the neck comfortably while retaining the articulation I want from roundwound strings.
This is probably my favourite aspect of the whole experience. When you dig into the strings, there’s a lovely growling quality that brings out the character of the fretless bass. Notes have a satisfying presence, and the instrument responds beautifully to changes in playing dynamics.
It’s difficult to describe exactly what makes a particular set of strings work so well with an instrument, but these have certainly found a good home on my Precision.
Tone and versatility
D’Addario describes the XS Nickel Bass strings as having a punchy, balanced tone, with a combination of bright highs and a tighter low end.
That description is reasonably accurate based on my experience.
The nickel-plated steel wrap gives the strings a familiar roundwound character, with enough brightness to cut through a mix while retaining a balanced overall response. The 45–105 configuration also provides a nice compromise between a comfortable feel and a reasonably firm low end.
Although I’ve been particularly enjoying them on a fretless bass, I can see these strings working equally well on a conventional fretted instrument.
The combination of articulation, brightness and smooth playing feel makes them an interesting option for players working across different musical styles. Whether you’re playing fingerstyle, using a pick, exploring slides or incorporating more expressive techniques, there’s plenty to appreciate.
Of course, strings are an incredibly personal choice, and the interaction between the instrument, pickups, setup and playing technique will always influence the final result.
Coated strings and longevity
Longevity is one of the main selling points of the XS range, and understandably so.
Traditional roundwounds gradually lose their initial brightness as dirt, sweat and other contaminants accumulate between the windings. Corrosion also contributes to the deterioration of their tonal characteristics. D’Addario’s ultra-thin coating is designed to minimise these effects, helping the strings retain their original tonal characteristics for longer.
The company also incorporates its NY Steel core technology, which is engineered to improve tuning stability and break strength.
I haven’t had these strings on my bass long enough to make any meaningful claims about their long-term durability. That will be something worth revisiting after a more extended playing period.
However, the initial playing experience is encouraging. Importantly, the coating doesn’t seem to compromise the characteristics I look for in a good set of roundwounds.
Final thoughts
I’m genuinely enjoying the D’Addario XS Nickel Bass strings.
The XSB45105 set has delivered exactly the sort of playing experience I’ve been looking for on my fretless Precision. They’re bright, articulate, comfortable under the fingers and have a wonderful growl that brings out the character of the instrument.
The smooth coating is another major advantage, particularly when playing slides and moving around the fingerboard. It makes the strings feel comfortable without sacrificing the familiar response of a traditional nickel-plated roundwound.
I still want to spend considerably more time with them before reaching a conclusion about their longevity. That’s one of the main reasons to consider a coated string in the first place, and it’s something that deserves a proper long-term assessment.
Nevertheless, based on my initial experience, these are a very promising set of strings. If you’re looking for a coated roundwound that retains the brightness and articulation of a conventional nickel-plated set, the XS range deserves your attention.
For my fretless Precision, they’ve been a particularly enjoyable match.
I’ll be looking at more of D’Addario’s bass string offerings in the coming weeks, including some rather different approaches to construction and tone. Stay tuned for those reviews.
