What Kind of Strings Am I Using?

[OKBill]

Over the years I’ve built several Fender style basses, and I’ve experimented with different woods, pickups, scale lengths, tuners, control wiring and of course strings.
A few weeks I ago I had to hurriedly restring one particular bass, and several days later I realized how much I liked it’s strings. They’re unusually comfortable roundwounds and I’d like to buy some more. The problem is……I have absolutely no idea what brand and variation of strings I used, I just grabbed a set out of the New Strings box and put ‘em on.

So I turn to the string experts of TalkBass to help me identify these strings. Here are the characteristics of the E string:
- Nickle plated steel outer winding
- Hex core inner string
- Black thread on tuner end
- No thread on ball end
- Plain yellow brass balls, no color coding.

As many basses as I have (50+) these strings have a unique look and feel, almost as smooth and reflective as GHS Pressurewounds (which they definitely are not). I recently bought a set of Fender Studio Bass strings off Ebay and installed them….somewhere. No recollection of any particular visual features. Could these be the strings I’m describing?

 

[michael_t]

A couple of pics would help - one at the headstock and one at the bridge, including the ball ends if possible. Thanks.

 

[michael_t]

Here are the characteristics of the E string:
- Nickle plated steel outer winding
- Hex core inner string
- Black thread on tuner end
- No thread on ball end
- Plain yellow brass balls, no color coding.

...almost as smooth and reflective as GHS Pressurewounds (which they definitely are not)...

Everything points to the Pressurewounds in my mind based on the description. What makes you think they're "definitely not" PWs? Just curious...

 

[OKBill]

 

[OKBill]

Everything points to the Pressurewounds in my mind based on the description. What makes you think they're "definitely not" PWs? Just curious...

I compared them with some known Pressurewounds whose windings are noticeably flatter

 

[OKBill]

Th

A couple of pics would help - one at the headstock and one at the bridge, including the ball ends if possible. Thanks.

I pulled the thread off the E string to examine the core and winding.

 

[g-dude]

Definitely bass guitar strings - that much I can tell you.

 

[michael_t]

I pulled the thread off the E string to examine the core and winding.

I've asked for pics because there may be subtle visual clues for positive ID.

Without the pics, my only other guess would be the old pre-2010 Fender-branded NPS rounds (made in Mexico), which, as far as I know, did come with black silk at one point.

EDIT: I didn't see the pics when I posted this.

 

[michael_t]

View attachment 4921606 View attachment 4921604 View attachment 4921602

Would you be able to do something? Measure the G string from the ball end to the start of the silk at the tuner end and tell me how long it is?

 

[OKBill]

37.1 inches approximately, ball end to start of black thread.

 

[michael_t]

37.1 inches approximately, ball end to start of black thread.

This rules out the old pre-2010 Fender I mentioned above as they would have been 36.5" in winding length back then.

37.1" winding would be closer to the Pressurewound specs (37.25" to taper or possibly slightly shorter to the start of the silk).

Here's the pic of a brand new PW 96E in my stock:

One other possibility is the now-discontinued La Bellas Deep Talkin' Rounds, which, to the best of my knowledge, also came with black silk at some point.

 

[Killing Floor]

This rules out the old pre-2010 Fender I mentioned above as they would have been 36.5" in winding length back then.

37.1" winding would be closer to the Pressurewound specs (37.25" to taper or possibly slightly shorter to the start of the silk).

Here's the pic of a brand new PW 96E in my stock:

View attachment 4921683

One other possibility is the now-discontinued La Bellas Deep Talkin' Rounds, which, to the best of my knowledge, also came with black silk at some point.

Came to say LaBella. Not 100% but I feel pretty good about that too. I've played those and these look the part.

 

[matante]

I believe the original Sadowsky rounds also have or had black silk.

 

[OKBill]

After comparing a couple of unused sets of GHS Pressurewounds to what I have installed, they look “pretty close” so I’ll just go with those; I have them on hand and already like them. Thanks, all.

 

[iiipopes]

What is the scale length of this bass? Seeing winding length around the tuner posts has me wondering if this is a short or medium scale bass instead of a regular long scale bass. At @37.1 inches with a plate top load bridge, that is regular long scale territory.

 

[OKBill]

It’s a Warmoth 30” scale bass.