Silk colors

G.Bisson · #1 12-03-2010, 01:09 PM

Why this hasn't been done before baffles me. How many times have you played a bass in a store or borrowed a buddies bass and was curious of what kind of strings are on that bass when the only obvious identification is the string silk color. After trying other folks basses at a recent GTG, I was impressed with a P bass loaded with flats with light blue silks and wanted to try them on my P. I didn't know who's bass it was to ask what strings they're using. Many many TB searches later I couldn't find a clear answer. So I took a chance and bought a pack of flats that turned out to have different color silk windings. Through the process of deduction and trial & error, I now know the strings I tried at the GTG were D'addario Chromes.
My mistake is TB's gain! This has prompted me to catalogue the silk colors of strings I have used. With some contributions from other members we can make string identification easier. Hopefully this will grow to be a sticky worthy database.
Since manufacturers use similar colors I have tried to give a more specific description of the color in parenthesis, but I do not have a pack of crayola's in front of me to compare to so that is only an approximation. Consider also that silk colors fade over time becoming duller with less luster.
I have also included the exact model # of the string photographed to avoid any confusion, just in-case some manufacturer might use a different color silk on different gauge strings (none do that I know of).

ROTOSOUND 55 SOLO BASS
Silk Color: Green (forest green)
Silked @ ball end: Yes
String Type: Stainless Steel pressure wound
Specific model referenced: SM55 (.100 'E' string)

ROTOSOUND 66 SWING BASS
Silk Color: Red (Flyer wagon red)
Silked @ ball end: Yes
String Type: Stainless Steel roundwound
Specific model referenced: RS66LC (.095 'E' string)

GHS BOOMERS
Silk Color: Red (metallic luster, fire engine red)
Silked @ ball end: No
String Type: Nickle plated roundwound
Specific model referenced: M3045 (.105 'E' string)

GHS Precision Flats
Silk Color: Purple (magenta hue purple)
Silked @ ball end: No
String Type: Stainless Steel flatwound
Specific model referenced: 3025 (.095 'E' string)

Fender 7250
Silk Color: Black
Silked @ ball end: Yes
String Type: Nickle plated roundwound
Specific model referenced: 7250M (.105 'E' string)

FretlessMainly · #2 12-03-2010, 01:45 PM

Great idea for a thread. I've got a bunch of strings at home I can photo and add when I have more time. I suspect some strings do have different colors for different gauges or perhaps scale lengths. You describe your D'A Chromes as having light blue silks; mine (the ECB81 set) have royal blue silks (sort of the color of the Indianapolis Colts).

DwaynieAD · #3 12-03-2010, 01:48 PM

i wish all my strings had dark purple silks. i've only ever had two sets of strings with silk, the strings that came on my cort p bass ten years ago had red silk, and my blue steels for my five string 9 years ago had white silk

Brad Barker · #4 09-10-2011, 12:41 PM

i support this idea!

dean markley sr2000 have gold silk.
blue steels have gray silk.

ghiadub · #5 09-10-2011, 12:48 PM

TI Jazz strings (rounds and flats) have red silk.

Sadowsky strings have grey silk (at least the flats do)

La Bella Tape flats have purple silk

neptoon · #6 09-10-2011, 12:50 PM

there have been several threads like this over the years...i just did a search and came up with a pretty good bit of information...there were maybe two or three in the past that had a LOT of string types and the associated silk colors...my faves were slowounds for a long time, and i really liked how all of the silks were all different colors

rojo412 · #7 09-10-2011, 12:59 PM

Ken Smith (Tapercores, at least) use Purple silk, at the balls and the tuners.

GHS Chromes are Blue silk.

neptoon · #8 09-10-2011, 01:02 PM

here's one:

String Silk Colors?

MysticMichael · #9 09-10-2011, 01:29 PM

I just picked up several sets of Rotosound Swing Bass nickel roundwounds. The silk color is powder blue.

MM

SLaPiNFuNK · #10 09-10-2011, 01:39 PM

LaBella Flats have different color silks...

760FX (Extra Light .039 .056 .077 .096) = Almost Red Orange Silk
760FL (Light .043 .060 .082 .104) = Red Silk
760FS (Standard .045 .065 .085 .105) = Black Silk
760FM (Medium .049 .069 .089 .109) = Blue Silk

0760M (Jamersons) = Blue Silk

All Ken Smith Stainless Steel strings - Purple Silk at Tuners & Ball End
All Ken Smith Compressors - Purple Silk at Tuners & Ball End
Ken Smith Burners (NPS) - Red silk at Tuners, Purple at Ball End

Josh Pelican · #11 09-10-2011, 02:40 PM

The real question is what silk color is best for metal?

SLaPiNFuNK · #12 09-10-2011, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Pelican

The real question is what silk color is best for metal?

BLACK!

or all black strings

Brad Barker · #13 09-10-2011, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neptoon

here's one:

String Silk Colors?

ah, cool. i believe the current "search" algorithm lists most recent threads first.

fourstringgirl · #14 09-10-2011, 04:16 PM

The Steve Harris Signature Rotosound Flats have light blue silk at the headstock end and red silk at the ball end. Or maybe it's the other way around...

And who is it that does the four different ball end metal colors? Is it D'Addario?

neptoon · #15 09-10-2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringgirl

The Steve Harris Signature Rotosound Flats have light blue silk at the headstock end and red silk at the ball end. Or maybe it's the other way around...

And who is it that does the four different ball end metal colors? Is it D'Addario?

it is...they used to have strings called slowounds that had a black ball end and blue silks at the ball end with different color silks on the peg end for different guages...they pulled the slowound strings when they started using the same winding process for all of their strings and shifted to multi-color ball ends