D'Addario ESXL170-5 XL Nickel Wound 5-String Bass Guitar Strings — Double Ball End, Regular Light 45-130, Long Scale

The Industry Standard In Bass Strings, Built For Headless 5-String Instruments — D'Addario ESXL170-5 XL Nickel Wound Double Ball End Bass Strings

The D'Addario EXL170-5 is a set of five XL Nickel Wound bass guitar strings in the 45-130 regular light gauge, designed for long-scale headless basses. The strings are round wound, with nickel-plated steel wrap wire around a proprietary hex-core high-carbon steel centre. The hexagonal core — a construction pioneered by D'Addario — grips the wrap wire more securely than a round core, providing improved dimensional stability, consistent intonation along the full length of the string, and better durability over time. The nickel-plated steel wrap delivers the bright, articulate tone the EXL range is known for, with clear note definition, strong fundamental resonance, and a smooth playing surface that is comfortable under the fingers and gentler on frets than stainless steel alternatives. All D'Addario XL strings are produced at the company's New York facility using digitally controlled precision winding equipment, ensuring that every string in every set meets the same exacting tolerances.

Tone And Feel

The EXL170-5's nickel-plated steel wrap gives it a tone that sits slightly warmer and smoother than pure stainless steel strings while retaining the clarity and output that makes roundwounds the dominant choice for electric bass. The 45-130 gauge provides a comfortable playing tension that suits both fingerstyle and pick playing, and the round wound construction gives the strings the textured feel that fingerstyle players use for technique, slap, and popping. The strings are uncoated, which means they offer the brightest possible version of the nickel wound tone straight from the packet, with no tonal dampening from a coating layer.

Hex Core Construction

D'Addario's proprietary hex core is central to what makes the XL series perform consistently. Unlike a round core, which allows the wrap wire to rotate slightly during winding, a hexagonal core locks the wrap wire in a fixed position, ensuring the winding pitch is consistent along the entire length. This translates directly to accurate intonation at every fret, and to a string that maintains its tonal characteristics and intonation stability over a longer period of use than a round-core equivalent.

Scale Length And Compatibility

The EXL170-5 features a double ball-end construction, engineered specifically to Steinberger specifications for long-scale headless basses. D'Addario also produces the EXL170 in medium, short, and super long scale variants for instruments with non-standard scale lengths.

Gauges: .045, .065, .080, .100, .130

KEY FEATURES: D'Addario ESXL170-5 XL Nickel Wound 5-String Bass Guitar Strings — Double Ball End, Regular Light 45-130, Long Scale

• Double Ball-End Construction: Ball ends at both ends, for headless basses.
• Steinberger Specification: Engineered to Steinberger's exact tolerances.
• 5-String Set 45-130: Includes .130 low B string.
• Nickel-Plated Steel Wrap Wire: Bright, articulate tone and strong output.
• Proprietary Hex Core: Consistent intonation and dimensional stability.
• Made In The USA: Produced at D'Addario's New York facility.