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Attn String Experts! What Strings Are These?

Twocan

Twocan

Living the Dream
Supporting Member
Oct 5, 2009
1,885
2,186
New England, USA
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#1
189832.jpg
189833.jpg

The strings shown below came on a 98 Epic that I acquired last year. They are hands down the best strings I've ever used and I'd like to buy more!

They appear to be medium gauge (I think the E string is a .105) and have a very fine winding, being smoother to the touch than other brands, but not smooth like half rounds. There is very little finger noise There is no thread winding at either end and the end rings are gold.

I've spoken with two prior owners and neither ever changed the strings on the bass. There was an owner before so I cannot be sure if these strings are original to the bass. I've been told at the Alembic forums that Alembic strings have green thread windings.

Any help / thoughts would be appreciated.
 
#4
Twocan said:
View attachment 404413
View attachment 404414

The strings shown below came on a 98 Epic that I acquired last year. They are hands down the best strings I've ever used and I'd like to buy more!

They appear to be medium gauge (I think the E string is a .105) and have a very fine winding, being smoother to the touch than other brands, but not smooth like half rounds. There is very little finger noise There is no thread winding at either end and the end rings are gold.

I've spoken with two prior owners and neither ever changed the strings on the bass. There was an owner before so I cannot be sure if these strings are original to the bass. I've been told at the Alembic forums that Alembic strings have green thread windings.

Any help / thoughts would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Methinks they be ernie ball slinky's.
 
#8
Twocan said:
Tx all. Getting as many ideas as I can before going to GC for (hopefully) a side by side comparison.
Click to expand...

Problem is you wont find Sunbeams, Fodera, or SIT at GC. They now carry only a limited selection of srings, mostly ones that these are definitely not.

Try www.bassstringsonline.com
They carry all of these. You could order a few singles if each to try.

One other thing you can do is take one off and measure it from the ball end to where the taper starts. Might give a clue. DR will be a hair under 38".
 
#9
Round 2 of this thread:

My Alembic is currently at a very reputable repair shop here in Ann Arbor, MI getting a Q switch installed. The tech looked at the strings and concluded the following:
1) He doesn't know what they are.
2) They are not nickel.
3) They do not appear to be a hex core.
4) They are not D'Addario, GHS or DR strings - he knows these companies well and these do not fit the bill.
5) He also noted that they are a very close, smooth winding, but not to the extent of half rounds.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!!
 
#10
Measure Ball End to Taper. The first taper where it starts to get thinner which looks like it is right on the nut.

If it is 37.25" on the E-String then I'd say that these are an Ernie Ball product as well. The A string is longer which is consistent with how a EB set is packaged.
 
#13
Twocan said:
Thanks, I'll check it out as soon as I get the bass back. Is there a particular EB string that is notably smoother?
Click to expand...

You said they do NOT appear to be hex core, so that right there eliminates pretty much everybody but DR, Fodera, and Dean Markley.

Dean Markley will normally have silks. These do not.
Your guy said they are not DR.

That leaves Fodera. Just like I said in post #3 back in April :)
 
#16
You need to maybe use a jeweler's loupe (sp?) or strong magnifying glass, to see the core well as it goes around the barrel- hex cores reflect off the flats.
Just going by the photos, I don't think the windings are close/tight enough together to be Fodera's.
I picked up some extra-long scale round-wound round-cores from a seller on the 'bay, that they'd got from a bulk lot- no silks, brass ball ends, really good sounding, with great growl, (nickel. tho), but no clue as to who made them. Wish they'd fit 34" better.
 
#19
Christian Joseph Allbee said:
Until you said "smooth", I thought that they were Rotosound 66 strings. I have yet to see any other type/brand of bass string with gold ball ends and no taper...
Click to expand...

Fodera, SIT, D'Addario, Dunlop, GHS, DR, Ernie Ball, Curt Mangan, and many others have gold ball ends and no taper. It would be quicker to list the strings NOT made like that.

Plus, Rotosounds have bright red silks.
 

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