52% iron mixed with 48% nickel is the formula for Alloy-52. This magnetically active alloy makes for an extremely durable, highly responsive string, with awesome resonance characteristics. It resists tarnish up to 3 times over its nickel-plated steel predecessor and delivers more sustain and overtones. Alloy-52 is a mysterious metallic substance found in the desert just outside Pahrump, Nevada. We think it probably fell from space.