Re: Silk at the bridge...

[ColBuckwalter]

Hello-

Just got a Epiphone Jack Cassidy bass. Snazzy, live the sound... but I gotta change the strings. You know how strings on a new bass are; they must be changed.

I had a very early Gibson Ripper with the string through and the three point bridge. Which was fine, but I'm not looking to getting silk over the saddles and having intonation ills which at best will either me abd at worst drive me to a coniption fit.

I'm not just looking at String Joy mind you. I used to use DR, but not Hi-Beams. Not a big d'Addrio or Early ball fan and frankly I can't remember if my Roto flats have silk and kts cold and I'm too lazy to move.

Help a bassist out?

 

[michael_t]

First, what type of strings are you looking for? Flats or rounds? If rounds, stainless or nickel? Please be specific.

 

[ColBuckwalter]

First, what type of strings are you looking for? Flats or rounds? If rounds, stainless or nickel? Please be specific.

Rounds, nickel, 45-105

But I got a message back from DR which I used back innthe goid 'ol bad 'ol days. Zero silk.

 

[michael_t]

Rounds, nickel, 45-105

But I got a message back from DR which I used back innthe goid 'ol bad 'ol days. Zero silk.

Most nickel rounds are without silk these days. DR, D'Addario, Ernie Ball, SIT, LaBella, Rotosound, Dunlop, etc.

 

[ColBuckwalter]

Most nickel rounds are without silk these days. DR, D'Addario, Ernie Ball, SIT, LaBella, Rotosound, Dunlop, etc.

Tganks. I got the bass in the mail and I've been playing Fenders recently. With flats.

The JC is super cool, the neck is great. Very Gibson feel to it, which 8 have been missing. But it has these tiny flat wounds and I was getting a weird sound, and LO!, 'twer the slik over the saddles.

Please excuse incoherent question. It was before my small swimming pool of coffee.

 

[michael_t]

The JC is super cool, the neck is great. Very Gibson feel to it, which 8 have been missing. But it has these tiny flat wounds and I was getting a weird sound, and LO!, 'twer the slik over the saddles.

If you like flats on that bass but the silk at the ball end is the problem, you can try flats by either La Bella or GHS as they don't have silk at the ball end.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Why are silks at the ball end still a thing?

 

[ColBuckwalter]

Why are silks at the ball end still a thing

Sils keep the string from coming apart.

 

[ColBuckwalter]

If you like flats on that bass but the silk at the ball end is the problem, you can try flats by either La Bella or GHS as they don't have silk at the ball end.

I have Roto flats on a Jazz that I use a lot. Bought it from a friend abd that is what was on it. But I'm switching to LaBella as the strings I have now are a tad too stiff. (Or I'm weak from three years of playing my Ashbory pretty much exclusively)

The hollowbody is really nice, and I want to get a brighter sound out of it. Considering the three position switches ohm ratings goes from a real woody upright to this Thunderbird like 'boom' I figured rounds would be a good idea.

I contacted Stringjoy, of which I have read mixed reviews but thought of trying, abd DR, which I used back in my good 'ol bad 'ol punk rock days.

Stringjoy sent ne a nice email back, abd no silk at the bridge. DR sent me a return email that read like I had eaten too much orange sunshine. But also no silk. Considering the flexibility of the DR vs the unknown Stringjoy, I'm going with the DR.

That silk is driving me nuts too. Ordering the new strings next week.

 

[FRoss6788]

Sils keep the string from coming apart.

Uh...

Really doubt that.

Maybe to protect the player from sharp, pokey wire....

 

[sunbeast]

The 3-point bridge on the Casady Bass is an arcane thing. They could have easily redesigned it to make the path from ball-end to saddle longer without any issues on that bass and others that use it without the string-through path. You can slide a bolt over each string to the ball-end to pull the silks behind the saddle or buy something like this "Mod Bar" product and use whatever strings you want: Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[michael_t]

Maybe to protect the player from sharp, pokey wire....

The flat ribbon wires used on flats can have sharp edges that can be hazardous. So, this is certainly one of the reasons for the silk.

Also, according to Ken Smith, who insists on having silk at both ends on all of their strings, it's supposed to protect the hardware on the bass by avoiding metal-to-metal contact both at the tuner post and at the bridge.

 

[FRoss6788]

The flat ribbon wires used on flats can have sharp edges that can be hazardous. So, this is certainly one of the reasons for the silk.

Also, according to Ken Smith, who insists on having silk at both ends on all of their strings, it's supposed to protect the hardware on the bass by avoiding metal-to-metal contact both at the tuner post and at the bridge.

Exactly

I can’t imagine that silk wraps are robust enough to hold the outer wrap intact.

 

[michael_t]

I can’t imagine that silk wraps are robust enough to hold the outer wrap intact.

The only case of the silks holding the outer wrap intact is tapewounds. The outer nylon wrap would unravel without the silks at both ends.

 

[iiipopes]

The 3-point bridge on the Casady Bass is an arcane thing. They could have easily redesigned it to make the path from ball-end to saddle longer without any issues on that bass and others that use it without the string-through path. You can slide a bolt over each string to the ball-end to pull the silks behind the saddle or buy something like this "Mod Bar" product and use whatever strings you want: Pardon Our Interruption...
View attachment 7438641

This^ I put together a Franken-EB with a different scale neck and moved the 3-point bridge back for the longer scale. I found one of these from another person here on the forum. They were originally sold to help tone and sustain, but to me the best benefit is that it extends the ball farther down from being right up under the bridge flanges, so especially the E string it gets the silks/ball winding off the saddles.

 

[GIBrat51]

Hello-

Just got a Epiphone Jack Cassidy bass. Snazzy, live the sound... but I gotta change the strings. You know how strings on a new bass are; they must be changed.

I had a very early Gibson Ripper with the string through and the three point bridge. Which was fine, but I'm not looking to getting silk over the saddles and having intonation ills which at best will either me abd at worst drive me to a coniption fit.

I'm not just looking at String Joy mind you. I used to use DR, but not Hi-Beams. Not a big d'Addrio or Early ball fan and frankly I can't remember if my Roto flats have silk and kts cold and I'm too lazy to move.

Help a bassist out?

Well...
Yeah, a lot of flats do have silk on both ends. Since 27 of my 30 basses wear flats (the others wear tapes), I use a lot of different flats. But... La Bella DTF's and Roto 77 Monel Flats do not have silk on the ball ends. Which is one of the reasons why my '78 Kramer 450B "Lumie" wears La Bella 760FS's, and my Epi Jack Casady Bass wears the Roto 77s. I replaced the Optima 4099 "Chromes" on the Kramer with the La Bellas because the Optima's do have silk on the ball ends, and yeah; the silk was juuust on the G and D string saddles. and would not intonate. Replaced the La Bella 750G White Nylon Tapes on the JCB with the Rotos, for the same reason. I will admit to being a bit... nervous... about putting the Rotos on a set neck hollow-body bass. But, it's been a couple of months, and... all seems well. And, gotta say; they do sound good on that bass... and, yes, the La Bella DTF's also sound good on the Kramer. It's pickups are way, way over-wound, and are prone to being... shrill... with a lot of strings. But the DTF's "Old School Thump" counters the shrillness quite well. Now, it's just... LOUD...

 

[ColBuckwalter]

The 3-point bridge on the Casady Bass is an arcane thing. They could have easily redesigned it to make the path from ball-end to saddle longer without any issues on that bass and others that use it without the string-through path. You can slide a bolt over each string to the ball-end to pull the silks behind the saddle or buy something like this "Mod Bar" product and use whatever strings you want: Pardon Our Interruption...
View attachment 7438641

I know its an ancient style of bridge. I had an EB and a Ripper, and I know it sounds weird but I kinda like it.

 

[GTHintz]

Good news for you is aside from some magma, Ken smith strings and a couple other niche brands the ball end side of the string is pretty much no silk. Even rotosound ditched it on the ball end. Ken Smith is right about silk helping keep your tuners and bridge area safer from chips burrs and scuffs but honestly if you have chrome it’s barely noticeable. Only dark and gold plated hardware tends to show scuffs. I like Dunlop and Labella strings and neither of them have silk on the round wounds. To be fair I miss the black silk on the old Hard Rockin Steels. It looks cool.

 

[ColBuckwalter]

Good news for you is aside from some magma, Ken smith strings and a couple other niche brands the ball end side of the string is pretty much no silk. Even rotosound ditched it on the ball end. Ken Smith is right about silk helping keep your tuners and bridge area safer from chips burrs and scuffs but honestly if you have chrome it’s barely noticeable. Only dark and gold plated hardware tends to show scuffs. I like Dunlop and Labella strings and neither of them have silk on the round wounds. To be fair I miss the black silk on the old Hard Rockin Steels. It looks cool.

Thanks.

I put some DR rounds on the hollow body. Really opened up the tone. As a rule keep flats on my Jazz bass. Silks there don't matter and they have some class to them.

I'm thinking about the LaBellas as I don't change my flats like I do my round wounds. With gigs coming up this summer I go through a pack a month on the rounds.

I appreciate y'all's help on this.

 

[GTHintz]

Thanks.

I put some DR rounds on the hollow body. Really opened up the tone. As a rule keep flats on my Jazz bass. Silks there don't matter and they have some class to them.

I'm thinking about the LaBellas as I don't change my flats like I do my round wounds. With gigs coming up this summer I go through a pack a month on the rounds.

I appreciate y'all's help on this.

You’re welcome. If you are playing DR lo riders the labella RX will feel similar but a little bit more flex which kinda makes them sound a little edgier. I’m playing lo riders one a bass right now as well as labella so it’s fresh in my brain. They both are nice strings but I notice the labella are a little bit better for my playing. I do really like DR fat beams. I think they are the best DR string of the bunch just because I like the easy access to growly fat tone they have. To me Dunlop signature series and labella rx are the closest to Dr fat beams just because they sound growly compared to other steels that emphasize more highs and sound more clicky vs a high mid type bite. It seems to make my tone have more presence. I’ve been through almost every steel string on the market. lol