Strings

D'Addario EXL170 XL Nickel Wound Bass

Name: D'Addario EXL170 XL Nickel Wound Bass — Light .045-.100, long scale, four strings
Brand: D'Addario
SKU: B0002H04NE
Rating: 4.8 (3867 reviews)

Light .045-.100, long scale, four strings

The four-string bass set every other set gets compared to

7.8

Fretline score

4.8 (3,867)

$15 - $30

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The short version

The .045-.100 roundwound is the standard modern bass gauge and the EXL170 is its reference implementation. Roundwound means the outer wire is round in section, so you can feel the ridges under your fingers - and that texture is what produces the bright, growling, finger-noise-rich sound that has been the default since the 1970s. Nickel-plated steel keeps it from being as abrasive as pure stainless. Long scale here means an ordinary 34-inch bass; check the length before buying if your instrument is short-scale.

How we rate it

Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.

Brightness: 8.0
Sustain: 8.0
Durability: 6.0
Feel: 8.0
Tuning stability: 8.0
Value: 9.0

7.8/ 10 overall

Specifications

Full specifications for the D'Addario EXL170 XL Nickel Wound Bass
What it is
Brand	D'Addario
Model	EXL170 XL Nickel Wound BassLight .045-.100, long scale, four strings
Category	Strings
Strings in the set	4
Materials
Alloy	Nickel-plated steel
Winding	Roundwound
Core	Hexagonal high-carbon steel
Coating	Uncoated
Measurements
Gauges	.045, .065, .080, .100
Fit
Scale length it fits	Long scale, for an instrument up to 34 inches
In the box
Sets included	1

11 verified fields, taken from the manufacturer first and the Amazon listing second. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.

What it gets right

The standard modern bass gauge, comfortable in standard tuning
Bright, growling roundwound voice that suits rock, funk and pop equally
Hexagonal core keeps intonation stable across a long scale
Cheap and stocked everywhere, so replacing one broken string is easy

Where it gives ground

Roundwound texture wears frets and fingerboards over the long term
Uncoated, and bass strings collect grime faster than guitar strings
Long scale only: check your instrument before buying

Who it is for

BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedProfessionalBass

What owners report

Patterns drawn from published owner reviews. Summarised, never quoted.

What comes up most

The bright, articulate attack when new is what owners buy them for
Repeatedly described as the safe default when nothing else is known about a bass

Frequent complaints

Owners note they lose their zing within a few weeks of regular playing
Occasional confusion over scale length leading to a set that will not fit

Recognised strengths

Consistency between sets is very widely reported

Recognised weaknesses

Finger noise is part of the design and not to everyone's taste

The verdict

Unless you specifically want the thud of flatwounds, this is where a bassist should start, and the gauge is light enough to be comfortable without going floppy in standard tuning. It is bright and aggressive when new and settles into something more usable after a week, which many players actively prefer. The compromise is the one every roundwound makes: the ridges that make the sound also wear frets and fingerboards over years, and they trap grime, so uncoated roundwounds go dull faster than most players expect.

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