Are silks supposed to line up?

[Peter - Oregon]

I just put on these LaBella 760FL set. Surprised that one of the silk lines doesn't line up with the others. My previous flats, and current tapes are in a nice row. Wondering if there is a reason these don't? Curious if it bugs you when they don't line up?

I am the first to admit this is not an important issue.

 

[HaphAsSard]

I just put on these LaBella 760FL set. Surprised that one of the silk lines doesn't line up with the others. My previous flats, and current tapes are in a nice row. Wondering if there is a reason these don't? Curious if it bugs you when they don't line up?View attachment 5308595 I am the first to admit this is not an important issue.

Totally normal for long-scale La Bella flats, and disclosed by them upfront here:
https://www.labella.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/La-Bella-Strings-Bass-String-Guide-2-1.pdf

 

[Peter - Oregon]

Totally normal for long-scale La Bella flats, and disclosed by them upfront here:
https://www.labella.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/La-Bella-Strings-Bass-String-Guide-2-1.pdf

Thanks for confirming that. I thought there might be some type of mix-up in the string set.

 

[michael_t]

I just put on these LaBella 760FL set. Surprised that one of the silk lines doesn't line up with the others. My previous flats, and current tapes are in a nice row. Wondering if there is a reason these don't? Curious if it bugs you when they don't line up?View attachment 5308595 I am the first to admit this is not an important issue.

If you look at where the silks start on A-D-G, and where the E tuner post is, you can tell the E string would be too long if it were the same length as the other three. La Bella wants to make sure only the thinner silked part of the E string wraps around the post. I actually like their design.

 

[micguy]

I have often used a through the body anchoring for an E string, and top loaded the rest, because I wanted to make sure th efat part of the E string didn't warp around the tuner post. When I did that, it looked like this.

At this point i'm playing 5's. I have Boomers (red silks) on one bass, but...I use a GHS Bassics 130 for the B string - it matches the rest of the set sonically better than the Boomer 130 (go figure). On that bass, I have silks on 4 strings, no silk at all on the B. I'm OK with that; this is a bit less of an issue.

 

[michael_t]

At this point i'm playing 5's. I have Boomers (red silks) on one bass, but...I use a GHS Bassics 130 for the B string - it matches the rest of the set sonically better than the Boomer 130 (go figure). On that bass, I have silks on 4 strings, no silk at all on the B. I'm OK with that; this is a bit less of an issue.

I've been mix-and-matching the low B's on my fivers in order to achieve a better tonal balance as well.

 

[micguy]

If you look at where the silks start on A-D-G, and where the E tuner post is, you can tell the E string would be too long if it were the same length as the other three. La Bella wants to make sure only the thinner silked part of the E string wraps around the post. I actually like their design.

They could have had the silks run down further on the other 3 strings; the reason they did what they did is they use the same design for the top 3 strings in both the long and extra long sets (only the E string changes) - they're saving sku's - not having to make as many variations. I buy Kaliums, and everything from .094" and down in gauge is the same string regardless of scale.

 

[micguy]

I've been mix-and-matching the low B's on my fivers in order to achieve a better tonal balance as well.

Great minds think alike. And so do ours....

 

[Peter - Oregon]

They could have had the silks run down further on the other 3 strings; the reason they did what they did is they use the same design for the top 3 strings in both the long and extra long sets (only the E string changes) - they're saving sku's - not having to make as many variations. I buy Kaliums, and everything from .094" and down in gauge is the same string regardless of scale.

Thanks, I was wondering why they did it that way.

 

[Katoosie]

Depends on the strings. Some match better than others!

 

[Chickenwheels]

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/my-eyes-my-soul-what’s-he-talking-about-willis.1520060/

 

[sedan_dad]

Agreed.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I just put on these LaBella 760FL set. Surprised that one of the silk lines doesn't line up with the others. My previous flats, and current tapes are in a nice row. Wondering if there is a reason these don't? Curious if it bugs you when they don't line up?View attachment 5308595 I am the first to admit this is not an important issue.

No, not really

 

[wiscoaster]

If you look at where the silks start on A-D-G, and where the E tuner post is, you can tell the E string would be too long if it were the same length as the other three. La Bella wants to make sure only the thinner silked part of the E string wraps around the post. I actually like their design.

Yes, it's entirely intentional and definitely good design.

Though ... now you've got me running around looking at the headstocks on all my basses - most of which have D'Addario Chromes - to check if they line up, too. And they do. Except ... on my Ibanezes, the G strings don't line up, and I'm assuming due to the staggered tuner positions on their headstocks.

 

[tpaul]

Wow... it never occurred to me to even notice this. Now I'll never be able to look at my basses the same way again.

But wait... all this careful planning on the part of esthetically conscious string manufacturers goes out the window as soon as you cut off excess string length, doesn't it?

 

[michael_t]

But wait... all this careful planning on the part of esthetically conscious string manufacturers goes out the window as soon as you cut off excess string length, doesn't it?

Cutting the string down to size to fit on a bass doesn't change the actual winding length as you're only cutting from the top end.

 

[tpaul]

Cutting the string down to size to fit on a bass doesn't change the actual winding length as you're only cutting from the top end.

Of course you're right. I have to remember to have coffee before posting in the morning.

 

[GreyBeard]

Honestly, I have never noticed this but, thanks to this thread it will probably bug me now. Thanks a lot.............lol

 

[Killing Floor]

Who cares? They serve no purpose other than identifying the brand. Even when someone from a current string vendor will chime in spinning some marketing yarn about function the old guard violin string makers historically used the wraps to label product.
My green labels:

 

[Discount Bassy]

I never even thought to notice if my silks aligned. They might, but I still haven't thought about it enough to check. What is the best number of windings of silk to compliment each of the various fingerboard woods? If I play a 6 strings with 66 windings of silk, is that the most metal string choice?