Can I figure out what strings I have?

[GIBrat51]

Well, I was going to delete my last post and try it again, since it seemed a little too pedantic-sorry about that. However.. Yeah, might be a recent change, or maybe Ibanez just uses more than one supplier, and you could get strings from any of them.. who knows? Personally, I usually yank whatever strings are on a newly acquired bass ASAP after a quick function check; I just forgot about the Magnum. I felt it needed some upgrades, and it sort of got lost in the shuffle, I guess. Now, if I can remember what I was going to do to it..

 

[Honch]

Actually the OP has a valid point. Apart from that you can gauge them with a caliper to see what gauge they are, what model and brand is definitely harder. For example, it's very hard to detect if its Stainless Steel string and/or Pure Nickels or nickel wrap. Coated strings (like Elixir) one can detect from the start on. And all others, like tapered, open core, flatwound, half round. If a tag says they use Elixir, well then, so be it. One just have to trust them. But coated they can be, regardless of being on Stainless Steel, or Nickel strings. And if you have nickel allergy... well, then you know very soon what the strings are.

But other than the tag, do determine the actual brand of strings, I think it's virtually impossible. You just have to know this from information given to you from the start on, i e when the bass is brand new, and bought brand new.