Used to be able to buy Fender Super Bullets that had a soldered ball-end, don't know if they're still available. Getting back to jlowther's original question re the feel of the strings, I used to work for what is probably the UK's biggest online string retailer and managed to try more makes than I care to or can remember. The reality is that there are far fewer actual string manufacturers in the world than there are brands BUT.....having used EB's for ages I found a distinct difference when I changed to D'Addario's. They felt like they were more slinky than EB Slinky's. Give 'em a try jlowther.....you might feel the same about them as me. And do as Jeff suggested.....wash your hands before you play and wipe the strings down afterwards 
never give up, never slow down
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