JDM Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 A daft question maybe, but if I don't ask, I aint gonna progress. After almost a month I am gradually navigating my way round my 4 string Ibanez (It's an entire culture away from my old 6 string acoustic , however the entire process of learning again is really mellowing and a pleasure) My question is, up at the machine head end, the strings have a knarled red outer coating as they proceed into and around the winder, Is this purely to aid grip and eliminate slippage, or does it do something else ?. Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I'm guessing you have rotosounds on your bass? Unless someone can tell me differently I don;t think it does anything. The strings on my Warwick don;t have any silk on them. One possible reason is that they put them on stainless steel strings so as to avoid scratching the chrome on the machine head post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 It's just a presentation thing I think, or like Del said, just to stop it damaging the paint/chrome on the tuning heads and brigde saddles. Deffo Roto's if they're red though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Not necessarily.... TI Jazz Flats have red silks as do some cheapo roundwounds that I have for emergencies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 It can help to stop the string unravelling, especially if they're round-cored... Otherwise, it is mainly for brand recognition purposes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelk27 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 (edited) [quote name='JDM' post='393126' date='Jan 27 2009, 08:17 PM']Is this purely to aid grip and eliminate slippage, or does it do something else ?[/quote] Traditionally, before machine winding became the industry standard, silk windings were applied to prevent the outer and inner wraps from separating, and the inner wrap from separating from the core. Silk wrappings were also applied at the ball end to protect the sealed end. Wrap separation was another reason why it was always advisable to bend the string when cutting it to size, and making the cut behind the bend point. These days, even most strings that are described as hand wound will use a higher level of machine application than when string were first developed, but for some hand wound strings the silk wrappings will still be applied to prevent wrap separation. For some it will simply be a heritage thing. Edited February 24, 2009 by noelk27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) I was about to ask the same question, having spent some time on Sunday restringing and swapping string sets between basses. The exact question I intended to ask was "What the hell are those stupid bloody silks for, all they do is get in the way, unravel and look a mess?" <rant>Rotosound silks, particularly, seem designed to discourage you from moving a set from one bass to another. As you pull the string back out through the bridge, the silks become a ragged ball of fluff. Then I spent a while hacking at a D'Addario Chrome Low B with a Stanley knife, as the ball end silk wouldn't fit through a standard Fender 5-string bridge. And the colours are hideous. bright red (Roto), bright blue (LaBella), who on earth thought those were rock'n'roll?</rant> Edited February 25, 2009 by spinynorman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 In the old days, some in the gay community would indicate their preferences by sporting different coloured hankies in their back pocket. Silks fulfil the same function among bass players - e.g. : 3 Yellow + 1 Blue = GAS-ing for a fretless Red and Yellow = Will play country for cash All Red on a 4 string = 5-curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='419330' date='Feb 25 2009, 03:13 PM']All Red on a 4 string = 5-curious[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='419330' date='Feb 25 2009, 03:13 PM']All Red on a 4 string = 5-curious[/quote] That explains why, after I put Roto Jazz Flats on my P, I felt compelled to buy the next Rebop 5 I saw on eBay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozbass Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='419330' date='Feb 25 2009, 03:13 PM']In the old days, some in the gay community would indicate their preferences by sporting different coloured hankies in their back pocket. Silks fulfil the same function among bass players - e.g. : 3 Yellow + 1 Blue = GAS-ing for a fretless Red and Yellow = Will play country for cash All Red on a 4 string = 5-curious[/quote] 'Nearly pi**ed myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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