String Silk

[paste]

Just recently I noticed a lot of wear on my tuning pegs due to using strings without the silk at the end. I'm thinking of buying new strings and wondering which brands carry strings with silk on them. any suggestions?

[Coolhandjjl]

It's hit or miss. What strings are you looking for?

[paste]

Originally Posted by Coolhandjjl

It's hit or miss. What strings are you looking for?

Mostly D'Addario and DR Strings at the moment.

Edit: It would make it so much easier if they specified if it comes with silk or not

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by paste

Mostly D'Addario and DR Strings at the moment.

Edit: It would make it so much easier if they specified if it comes with silk or not

DR and D'Addario (other than Chromes) are unsilked.

My favorite silked strings are GHS Progressives and RotoSound SwingBass 66's (either nickel or steel).

Other than that, I much prefer unsilked strings.

Jason at Bass Strings Online can also help you pick out a set.
Welcome to Bass Strings Online - Your Custom Bass String Shop...

[mmbongo]

There's also a big thread on here which lists silked strings, along with a bunch of pictures.
Silk colors

[paste]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

DR and D'Addario (other than Chromes) are unsilked.

My favorite silked strings are GHS Progressives and RotoSound SwingBass 66's (either nickel or steel).

Other than that, I much prefer unsilked strings.

Jason at Bass Strings Online can also help you pick out a set.
Welcome to Bass Strings Online - Your Custom Bass String Shop...

Is there a noticable sound difference in silked vs. unsilked strings? or just pure looks?

[paste]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

There's also a big thread on here which lists silked strings, along with a bunch of pictures.
Silk colors

very helpfull, thanks

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by paste

Is there a noticable sound difference in silked vs. unsilked strings? or just pure looks?

Merely cosmetics. I hate when silks start to look ratty and frayed out though.

[Coolhandjjl]

Originally Posted by paste

Is there a noticable sound difference in silked vs. unsilked strings? or just pure looks?

It has to do with how the strings are finished and tapered off at the top. If you install silk'd string sans silk, the string's core can chew up your tuning pegs.

Originally Posted by mmbongo

I hate when silks start to look ratty and frayed out though.

+1

They only look cool if installed and left on. If you are trying out assorted strings to see what sounds good on what bass, they often start to fray when pulled back out of the bridge.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by paste

Is there a noticable sound difference in silked vs. unsilked strings? or just pure looks?

It has nothing to do with tone. Nothing going on north of the nut has any effect upon tone.

It's purely an aesthetic choice. (I personally prefer unsilked strings as well...)

MM

[254 stringer]

Strings with blue silk have more sustain

[Timmah]

Originally Posted by 254 stringer

Strings with blue silk have more sustain

Strings with black silk are better for metal.

[Jay2U]

Strings with brown silk sound dirty. As far as I know, d'Addario recently stopped using silk on the chromes as well.

[Coolhandjjl]

Originally Posted by Jay2U

s far as I know, d'Addario recently stopped using silk on the chromes as well.

Must have been very recent. I just got some Chromes last month and they had blue silks. Hard to tell when a dealers inventory will be exhausted though.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

I have chromes I got in a shipment on Friday... They are sealed otherwise I'd take a look.

I havent heard about that though?

I'm going to ask...

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Originally Posted by Jay2U

As far as I know, d'Addario recently stopped using silk on the chromes as well.

Sorry this is false information.

If you have received a set of strings like this, it is either a packaging error or a set of counterfeit strings...

Check the "Play Real" page and put in the numbers on the plastic baggie packaging to make sure your set is real.

D'Addario Strings : Play Real

If need be, drop me a PM and I can get you some info on who to contact at D'Addario

[Jay2U]

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

Sorry this is false information.

If you have received a set of strings like this, it is either a packaging error or a set of counterfeit strings...

Check the "Play Real" page and put in the numbers on the plastic baggie packaging to make sure your set is real.

D'Addario Strings : Play Real

If need be, drop me a PM and I can get you some info on who to contact at D'Addario

I solved the problem myself. From the next quote, taken from another thread by Don Dawson from d'Addario, it becomes clear that chromes still do have silk. My chromes do as well, but they are have been on the bass for a few month already.

Further to the confusion - we here at D'Addario, no longer silk our strings. If there is silk on those strings, you either have a really, really old set of strings (like maybe early 90's, late 80s) or you have a counterfeit set, which has started to become an issue in the state but mostly outside the US at this point...

...I did say "silk our strings" as though I was referring to our entire line. I didn't mean to mislead. I was referring to the EXL line. Chromes (including the nylon tapewound) do still have silk.

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by paste

Just recently I noticed a lot of wear on my tuning pegs due to using strings without the silk at the end...

Umm, why does this even bother you? I doubt anyone--but you--even looks at your tuning pegs that closely.

Select strings based on tone, tension, quality, etc. Who cares about what the tuning pegs look like?

[ddawson2012]

Originally Posted by Jay2U

I solved the problem myself. From the next quote, taken from another thread by Don Dawson from d'Addario, it becomes clear that chromes still do have silk. My chromes do as well, but they are have been on the bass for a few month already.

+1 - hopefully i didn't confuse matters too much with that post. Thanks for clarifying it for me.....and for others!

[Coolhandjjl]

Originally Posted by totallyfrozen

Umm, why does this even bother you? I doubt anyone--but you--even looks at your tuning pegs that closely.

Select strings based on tone, tension, quality, etc. Who cares about what the tuning pegs look like?

+1