Purple binding on strings

[Fretless Eric]

Hi,
I was recording yesterday and in speaking to the engineer, who was also a bass player, he was telling me about his bass that he had bought from a touring bass player when he came to Melbourne, where I live now. The sale of the bass funded his ticket home as sounded like a well thought out strategy.

The bass is an Overwater, I have no other details of it, but he said that the strings were the best sounding that he had come across and he is older than me!

He has changed them a few times for other makes but always came back to the original set that came on the bass because they just sounded great.

I said that I would endeavour to find out what they were as this forum is full of generous and knowlegeable people and also UK based, as was the touring bassist and the Overwater.

The only clue as to the strings are the fact that they have purple binding. I have not come across this before but then again I don't get around as much as I used to

The Overwater site is awaiting images of their strings so I don't know if they are their own make.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

That touring bass player may actually be on here - are you?

Thanks guys,
Eric.

[Mr. Foxen]

Ken Smith strings are purple bound. The steel ones keep just the right bit of the bright end even when they are really old.



Planning on getting a pile more at some point.

[Fretless Eric]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='635757' date='Oct 25 2009, 09:48 AM']Ken Smith strings are purple bound. The steel ones keep just the right bit of the bright end even when they are really old.



Planning on getting a pile more at some point.[/quote]
Thanks Mr Foxen.

I have also just spotted that Thomastik may use purple as well. I need to ask some more questions about the strings I think.

[Mr. Foxen]

Bassbod gave me some Thomastics I think, they are a lighter purple than the Smiths, and funny guages. MAybe you could take a micrometer to them and if its .047 instead of 0.045 then it might be them.

[velvetkevorkian]

The Overwater strings have black silks (when I bought them last year anyway).

[BassBod]

Yes, Mr Foxen is correct - the Thomastik powerbass set (47-10?) uses purple. So do Pyramid gold flats. Overwaters are always black (well, mine have been).

[henry norton]

I could be wrong but I think I've heard Pyramid Gold strings have purple silks. I'm wrong allot though

[LeoFender]

Overwaters in my experience are Black for Steels and Dark Blue for NIckles.

Thanks

Leo

[Fretless Eric]

[quote name='BeLow' post='639301' date='Oct 29 2009, 05:02 AM']Hey Fretless Eric - no answer to your question but great to see a post - hope life is good for you down under.[/quote]
HI and thanks for the welcome. It's been a busy (almost) 3 years and been playing a lot. As it turned out the recording I was doing last week highlighted more differences in the band than had been apparent and I feel a sense of relief to be out of it. I have other stuff going on anyway now.

Melbourne is entering summer now and it is a great time to be here with no regrets. Unfortunately the time difference on forums isn't conducive to adding much. The same goes for Hi-Fi Forum, although I do feel more comfortable with UK based discussions that Aussie doe the the differnt backgrounds of the contributors: interesting.

Thank you all the other posters. I will try Thomastiks myself one day but I'll use my stock of Rotos first.

Edited November 1, 2009 by Fretless Eric

[littleal]

I would bet They are ken smith's, if they sound that good!
Ever since i've owned a smith bt6 that came with ken smith taper cores, i use them on everything.
I put a set on my Thumb 6 string a couple of weeks ago & our sound engineer thought i'd changed my pickups, it sounds awesome.
You can get them on ebay for a reasonable price: Heres a link,

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120359801291&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

These are what i use

[redstriper]

They could be GHS precision flatwounds - my personal favourites for old school smoothness which just gets better with age.

[Mr. Foxen]

If someone is after some I might order a bunch from dude in america and distribute them. He has to order the ones I'm after, but is happy to ship.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='jmsjabb' post='644791' date='Nov 3 2009, 10:28 PM']Mr Foxen, thread hijack briefly, have you a pic of the rest of that bass?[/quote]

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