Happy Jack Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 @Silvia Bluejay has just pointed out (elsewhere) that the low B in a set of D'Addario strings is purple. And I thought, "why?". Given how many colours start with the letter B, why would you make your B-string ball-ends in a colour that doesn't start with B? And then I thought about it some more. The G-string is no problem at all, and the A-string is manageable, but trying to find colours that work with the E-string and D-string has turned out to be more problematic than I'd expected. Despite what Crayola says, I'm not sure that Electric Green is actually a colour, and don't get me started on finding colours that beging with D. Do I win a prize for Most First World Problem Of 2020? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 D'Addario have now deleted the purple ball end! The low B comes in gold, like - erm - the E string. Pretty sad, if you ask me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share Posted June 27, 2020 Well that's just lazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Although there may be a difference between string sets installed on new, shop-bought basses (two gold-coloured ball ends) and new string sets you buy as replacement. My two new-ish sets bought in Dec 2019 still have purple ball ends. It's a mystery! 😱 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 D'Addario strings on new, shop-bought Ibanez: Typical set of D'Addario strings bought as replacement: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Well I took me at least 5 reads to get the right vowel when it said purple ball end..... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 B string on a 6-string guitar set is purple too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Surely D should be deep purple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineweasel Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Bought a five string D’Addario set last month, purple B. But the tapered B I got separately was gold. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Does anyone really need to rely on the colours to tell them apart? My Elixirs and Status Hotwires are all the same colour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Of course we don't need the colours. But both @Happy Jack and I are seriously OCD... 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share Posted June 27, 2020 5 minutes ago, LeftyJ said: Does anyone really need to rely on the colours to tell them apart? My Elixirs and Status Hotwires are all the same colour. In fact, I normally string my basses in alphabetical order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 The only use I can think of is when you buy a new or used bass, really like the strings that come with it and want to be able to identify the brand from the colour of the ball ends or windings so you can get more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 I think originally it’s so all the strings can be packed in the same envelope so you can distinguish between which is which, maybe if you’re width blind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 I think it's mostly a marketing ploy, and it works brilliantly. Hence my doubts about getting rid of the purple low B ball end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-Belly Evans Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 On 27/06/2020 at 09:50, Silvia Bluejay said: D'Addario have now deleted the purple ball end! The low B comes in gold, like - erm - the E string. Pretty sad, if you ask me. Purple ball end..... the string with the most girth......... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 I'd expect that the basses coming out of a factory with gold-coloured b-string ends is due to the factory buying in bulk 4-string sets and then adding a single string for the low B, all of the single strings have gold ball ends and i have found the same buying strings from the small independent guitar shop in town, he doesn't keep 5 string sets of the xl's but does have a stock of .125's to make them up.# A qiock check of the chromes on my Lett's 5er shows a purple low B, this was definable a 5 string set as it was ordered in specially for me (the owner used to work with some of the guys at the D'addario warehouse back when he worked at CSL and the warehouse is half way between the shop and his home so he collected the strings on his way home and i got them next day.) Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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