Acoustic bass strings with silks (tuner end)

[honza992]

Hi
Can anyone help with suggesting acoustic bass strings (phosphor bronze or similar) that have silks at the tuner end.

I'm asking because my current build is using guitar tuners, so the hole is smaller than you'd find on bass tuners. Strings with silks around the core are much thinner at the tuner end that those where the wrap goes all the way to the end.

Here's a previous build with La Bella Low tension flats. As you can see the silks easily fit through the guitar tuner holes.



I've got no phosphor bronze strings to hand, and none of the descriptions online mention whether they have silks or not.

So if anyone can't help, that would be great!

 

[michael_t]

Strings with silks around the core are much thinner at the tuner end...

Not necessarily true. As long as the non-silked strings have the correct winding length (ball end to taper) for the bass, the tapered end can be just as thin as the silked ends.

 

[michael_t]

I've got no phosphor bronze strings to hand, and none of the descriptions online mention whether they have silks or not.

Most bronze strings I know of do NOT have silk. LaBella Gold White Tapewounds are 80/20 brass under the clear nylon cover, and they do come with silk at both ends.

GHS has what they call "Pressurewound Bronze". The outer phosphor bronze wire is "rollerwound", resulting in a much smoother surface than the traditional bronze strings. The winding length on them is 37.25" from the ball end to the taper at the tuner end.

Products - PRESSUREWOUND™ BRONZE - GHS Strings

Since 1964, GHS Strings has been expertly winding high-quality electric guitar strings in the heart of southwestern Michigan. As a leading manufacturer, we blend tradition with innovation to produce a wide variety of strings for electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, classical guitars...

www.ghsstrings.com

Looking at the way the LaBella LTF fit on the bass, only the tapered ends of the GHS PWB would wrap around the pegs.

 

[Barton Lee]

Thomastik Infeld Acousticore strings have lovely purple silks. I have a set on my Martin and I find them a vast improvement over the bronze phosphor bass strings Martin uses. They're expensive of course, not quite as loud unamplified and lower tension (a good thing imo). I change and try different strings often on my electric basses but have never even considered trying different acoustic bass strings after the Acousticores.

 

[honza992]

Not necessarily true. As long as the non-silked strings have the correct winding length (ball end to taper) for the bass, the tapered end can be just as thin as the silked ends.

Yes, as long as they taper that's fine. It's not the silk I'm after, just the taper! Good spot.

 

[honza992]

Most bronze strings I know of do NOT have silk. LaBella Gold White Tapewounds are 80/20 brass under the clear nylon cover, and they do come with silk at both ends.

GHS has what they call "Pressurewound Bronze". The outer phosphor bronze wire is "rollerwound", resulting in a much smoother surface than the traditional bronze strings. The winding length on them is 37.25" from the ball end to the taper at the tuner end.

Products - PRESSUREWOUND™ BRONZE - GHS Strings

Since 1964, GHS Strings has been expertly winding high-quality electric guitar strings in the heart of southwestern Michigan. As a leading manufacturer, we blend tradition with innovation to produce a wide variety of strings for electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, classical guitars...

www.ghsstrings.com

Looking at the way the LaBella LTF fit on the bass, only the tapered ends of the GHS PWB would wrap around the pegs.

That would be great, GHS PWB were what I had in mind in the first place. Do all strings taper. I looked at a video on the GHS website and couldnt quite see. If anyone has got them fitted and wouldn't mind taking a photo, that would be great.

 

[honza992]

Thomastik Infeld Acousticore strings have lovely purple silks. I have a set on my Martin and I find them a vast improvement over the bronze phosphor bass strings Martin uses. They're expensive of course, not quite as loud unamplified and lower tension (a good thing imo). I change and try different strings often on my electric basses but have never even considered trying different acoustic bass strings after the Acousticores.

OK perfect thanks for that. They're on my 'possibles' list.

 

[michael_t]

Do all strings taper.

Anything thicker than .055 typically has two layers of winding, so it does get thinner after the full winding ends. Some strings larger than .100 have three layers of winding with two tapers at the tuner end.

One thing to keep I mind is the actual length of the full winding varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, 37.25" being the standard for most "long scale" strings

 

[Jeff Scott]

These are Acousticores.