Why don't manufacturers list the string silk color?

[MasterMonkeyMan]

None of the silks I use have strings on them. Problem solved!

 

[GIBrat51]

While the silk color isn't really a deal breaker for me ( well, 99.9% of the time, anyway), I do use flats on 22 of my 24 basses - and almost all flats have silk on at least one end of them. Come to think of it, so do the one set of rounds I use; the one set of tapes I use do, too. So, yeah; while tone, feel, stiffness, etc. definitely trumps the silk color, sometimes that color can be a little... off-putting, shall we say?... on a particular bass. However, sometimes it can be a definite plus. The bright, grass green silk on the short scale TI Jazz Rounds, for example. I really like them on my big orange Gretsch Broadkaster; those silks make it look even more like a big carrot than it normally does...
As for the 0.1% of the time the silks were the deal breaker? The burgundy and blue silks on Roto's Steve Harris Signature Flats are the team colors of his favorite FA football team - West Ham United. As a long time supporter - a very long time supporter - of West Bromwich Albion (blue and white), I can't have a rival team's colors on one of my basses; it just wouldn't be right... AFAIC, the regular Roto Flats work just fine, anyway...

 

[Vinny_G]

As a long time supporter - a very long time supporter - of West Bromwich Albion (blue and white), I can't have a rival team's colors on one of my basses; it just wouldn't be right.

OMG The level has been low lately.

 

[InnerBass]

Google / Images

 

[GIBrat51]

OMG The level has been low lately.

Uh... you left the off that quote. And, I'm pretty sure it was just to make a snarky comment, 'cause that emoji meant that the whole "rival team" thing was a JOKE. Which evidently went in one of your ears - and right out the other...

 

[Vinny_G]

Uh... you left the off that quote. And, I'm pretty sure it was just to make a snarky comment, 'cause that emoji meant that the whole "rival team" thing was a JOKE. Which evidently went in one of your ears - and right out the other...

OK Peace

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]

Multicolored silkies sure sound great!

 

[LBS-bass]

If it weren't for TB, I would still be playing the strings the bass came with. (...and saving a whole lot of money!)

And herein lies the true reason for TB!

 

[JimmyM]

But even if it doesn't matter to your average bassist, considering that strings are often $50 and that some players would care… wouldn't it make sense to add a line of text in the website or packaging? Just seems to make sense from a business perspective.
To me, the concern isn't necessarily picking an actual color, more so avoiding colors I don't want like say purple on a simple monochromatic bass. (But then if you put purple silk on a string, it almost seems like a statement and something that would be a good selling point for the manufacturer)

"I really don't like these strings but I love the purple silk color so that's why I use them," said no bassist ever.

 

[GTHintz]

"I really don't like these strings but I love the purple silk color so that's why I use them," said no bassist ever.

But purple silk is really cool though.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Why?
Because most don't care about color coordinating the minutia.

 

[swink]

To avoid getting strings returned because the silk is blue-green rather than turquoise.

 

[JimmyM]

To avoid getting strings returned because the silk is blue-green rather than turquoise.

I don't know if that's correct, but now that you mention it, I believe it to be.

 

[Grinderman]

The U.N. Convention on International Standardization and Transparency for Stringed Instruments and Amplification has been stymied for decades.

 

[LBS-bass]

Would they increase their odds of a sale if they put that on the package? I doubt it. I think that's only going to invite nitipickers and hopeless OCD types to worry too much about a new "decision point" that doesn't really matter to the vast majority of purchasers. If you were trying to sell a product I'm not sure you'd want to invite people to opt-out based on a minor characteristic that is not germane to the function of that product. But there likely are people out there who would decide to reject your strings based on that minor detail. Hmmm... blue versus red. Let's pick blue. Who needs that?

I'm sure there is a subset here who appreciate silk color and probably a small handful who would select based on silk color and not other qualities. I know of one person who will not purchase strings that don't have silk, but I don't think that person has a color preference. This is one of those details that you're better off not getting people hyperfocused on because it doesn't matter all that much. If it matters to one guy, at least right now you have a shot at getting one sale to that guy and maybe changing his mind if your strings sound good enough.