Di- and tricarbonylnickel phosphine complexes (22) were prepared and their liquid-state Ni-61 NMR spectra were recorded with the use of special solenoid glass sample tubes and a solenoid probehead, which are described. The acquired chemical shifts delta(Ni-61), linewidths nu(1/2)(Ni), relaxation times T-1 and coupling constants (1)J(Ni-61,P-13) are discussed with reference to the electronegativity of the substituents at the phosphine ligands and the Tolman angle theta of the latter.