Flatwound Strings with red silk and colored ball ends

[Moondog]

Does anyone know what brand/model flats have red silk on the headstock end and colored ball ends with no silk on the bridge end?
(ball ends are red, white, blue, and brass)
Thanks!

 

[michael_t]

Does anyone know what brand/model flats have red silk on the headstock end and colored ball ends with no silk on the bridge end?
(ball ends are red, white, blue, and brass)
Thanks!

Those are the new La Bella ball end colors. And red silk means they are DTF 760FL (43-60-82-104).

 

[michael_t]

 

[Moondog]

Awesome, thank you so much!
I was really scratching my head on this one.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Idle curiosity — what color is the .128"?

 

[Heavy Blue]

Those are the new La Bella ball end colors. And red silk means they are DTF 760FL (43-60-82-104).

Michael you never cease to amaze me with the string ids. You are the String Ninja.

 

[Hillbilly Sam]

Has anyone tried these new ones? Do they feel and sound like the old (pre-colored) ones?

I just hope this is only an aesthetical change...

 

[michael_t]

Has anyone tried these new ones? Do they feel and sound like the old (pre-colored) ones?

I just hope this is only an aesthetical change...

No changes to the strings themselves. Ball end colors for ID purposes instead of the numbered cubes they used to be packaged with.

 

[jazzman64]

Either Labellas or Thomastik flats. Most likely Labella's though!

 

[michael_t]

Either Labellas or Thomastik flats. Most likely Labella's though!

TI Flats have red silk at both ends and the ball ends are all brass and not color-coded.

 

[jazzman64]

TI Flats have red silk at both ends and the ball ends are all brass and not color-coded.

Yeah I was just about edit my posting. I had a feeling it was Labellas.

 

[Lenny JG]

Ugh I loved that Labella didn't use colored ball ends.... I can't stand colored ball ends, they look so tacky to my eyes

 

[matante]

I wonder if companies use the colored ball ends because players actually ask for them or because they cost less. I can't imagine any player has ever asked for these.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Can't be long until someone starts a thread telling us the best solvent for stripping the paint off.

 

[michael_t]

Are the color-coded ball ends supposed to be for the end user to make sure they're installed correctly, or are they more for the people at the factory so they're packaged correctly in the first place?

I personally have never had problems figuring out which one is the thinnest (G) and which one is the thickest (E) and the two in between (D/A) without looking at the ball ends.

 

[TwototheValley]

Ugh I loved that Labella didn't use colored ball ends.... I can't stand colored ball ends, they look so tacky to my eyes

Agree 100%.

I love Labellas, but that REALLY undermines the appeal for me.

Petty I know, but it’s like that old saying about food…”the first bite is with the eye”

 

[Killing Floor]

I like LaBella Flats. I use them on my fretless. I miss the little dice things that came on the ends. They were fun.

 

[GregT]

To me, putting multi-colored ends on bass strings is like putting a color-clashing license plate on a nice car. Just looks wrong.

 

[brianrost]

D'addario is doing colored ball ends now, too. Easily IDed because one is purple.

 

[michael_t]

D'addario is doing colored ball ends now, too. Easily IDed because one is purple.

I think D'Addario was the first one with color-coded ball ends that started years ago. By the way, purple is for the low B.