Can you ID these strings?

[mantelclock]

I just bought a used 4-string Cirrus, and it came with strings that I have not seen before. They are round wound and have gold wrap at the peg end. They also have an exposed core on the D, A, and E strings for about two inches from the ball end, so the full gauge of those strings starts about a half inch after they pass over the saddles. I have GHS, Roto, Fender, EB, and Peavey Cirrus strings on hand, and all of them have the full wind going all the way to the ball end. Are these strings designed for string-through-body and were just put on a top mount bridge erroneously, or is there some innovation that I have missed? Sorry to sound stupid, but there are some things that I still haven't seen before...

[mantelclock]

Okay, so I've been blind all these years. The strings are Taper Wound (Not sure if they're yours, Ken). I've been playing stringed instruments for many years (decades) and I just haven't ever used strings like these. I'm not ready to change my old fashioned ways, but is there a way that I can do a head to head comparison of taper vs. regular round wound strings. I have two Cirrus basses, so the question is, Which manufacturer makes a Taper and a round wound set that is otherwise identical? Or is such a comparison not practical?