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Innovation by GHS

SuperSilver - 140SS (Super Silver) Med Tension Strings

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  • SuperSilver - 140SS (Super Silver) Med Tension Strings
  • SuperSilver - 140SS (Super Silver) Med Tension Strings, ball end
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Description

Innovation Double Bass Strings have a unique, non-metallic core which provide a gut-like tone without the cost or maintenance of gut upright bass strings. They hold their pitch well in climate and temperature changes, and most of their strings are equally suited for pizzicato (plucking) and arco (bowing).

Includes our exclusive Gollihur Music tipsheet to get the most out of your purchaseMany of Innovation's strings are similar in design, but they assign different names to the different tensions/gauges/colors. For instance, if you like the description of these strings but prefer a bit lighter feel, Silver Slaps are essentially the "Super Silver Light." (And the Golden Slaps are the same as the Silver Slaps, just with a different color thread under the outer clear windings.) By the way -- you don't have to play slapstyle to enjoy the so-called "slap" strings, either, they have a great pizz tone.

Innovation Super Silver Strings are often used for Rockabilly and Bluegrass - they're a synthetic alternative to true gut strings. According to players who favor them, the 140-SS strings lean towards a more organic, gut-like tone than the Rockabilly Strings (also from Innovation). They have a round tone with a blunter attack and quick decay, giving a closer approximation of the gut tone - providing that 'old-school' flavor.

As synthetics, they may not quite be as warm and organic sounding as the real thing - but they're far more affordable and don't have the maintenance requirements of real gut. You'll also likely find that the Super Silver Strings don't have the same "bounce" as gut.

Users have reported that these strings might be the synthetics that get the closest to plain gut in sound for pizz playing, but that they do have higher tension than plain guts. It's still a "low tension" string, but some have reported that the tension is roughly equivalent to the Eurosonic light gauge strings.

Note: All of the Innovation strings do not contain any ferrous materials; they are not suitable for use with a magnetic pickup, like the Schaller we carry. They will work with all typical piezo-based pickups (like the Realist, Full Circle, and all the K&K pickups and systems).

Innovation designs these 3/4 size bass strings to fit on a standard 3/4 size bass. They may very well fit your bass if it is larger than 3/4. For your reference, the lengths of the string, as measured against the bass tailpiece to the nut is 51.5 inches, plus an additional 17 inches to handle stringing in the headstock.


For a comparison chart of the differences between the different Innovation String models, check out the "comparison" tab.

String Lengths

  • Ball end to nut (Afterlength + Playing Length): 51.5 inches/136cm
  • Afterlength (Ball end to bridge): 5.5 inches/14cm
  • Wound top of string (pegbox): 17 inches/43cm



String Gauges:

G D A E
.086 .093 .106 .126

Important note about the gauges listed above: the measurements were done here at the shop with a (cheap) digital caliper, so they may not be spot on – they’re not intended to be critically accurate, as they are here for basic guidance to give you a rough idea of what to expect. Additionally, variances in raw material supplies (at the manufacturer) can result in strings that may be slightly different from batch to batch. GHS makes the strings to meet a certain tension spec and mass, but (for instance) if there are variances in the gauge of the nylon wire or nylon tape used for the outer winding, it can make for a difference in the strings' overall diameter. All that to say, don't get too caught up in the numbers! Where the rubber hits the road is how the strings feel under the fingers.

Innovation Comparison

Differences and comparisons between the Innovation Strings we carry are as follows:

Set Tension Outer Winding Tonal Character
Ultra Black Set Medium/High Black Nylon Tape Clearly-defined attack with more sustain.
Honey (Solid Core) Set Medium/High Chrome Tape Most "gut-like" of their offerings, tonally.
Braided (Stranded Core) Set Medium/High Chrome Tape Dark for pizz, short sustain. Rich tone under the bow.
Polychrome Set Medium Chromesteel Tape Good hybrid string, a modern take on gut-like sound.
Super Silver Set Medium Clear Nylon Wire Pretty close to Traditional gut-like sound and feel.
Rock-a-Billy Set Medium/Low Black Nylon Tape Mix of articulation and gut-like sustain good slap/click
Rock-a-Billy Reds Set Medium/Low Red Nylon Tape Mix of articulation and gut-like sustain, good slap/click
Golden Slap Set Low Clear Nylon Wire
(inner winding has gold color)
Similar to the Super Silver, with less tension. Very slappable, but great for pizz, too.
Silver Slap Set Low Clear Nylon Wire
(inner winding has silver color)
Similar to the Super Silver, with less tension. Very slappable, but great for pizz, too.
Psycho-Billy Set Low with
thicker gauge
Clear Nylon Wire Similar to the Silver Slaps, but thicker diameter for slap (similar tension).
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4 Reviews

  • 4

    Satisfying Gut-like Punch

    Posted by J. Michael Lee on Apr 7th 2024

    I have (almost) a set of these on my Lascale New Standard hybrid bass and have overall been pleased with the combination. The strings are fairly large in diameter and smooth-surfaced, moreso than the bare Genssler gut strings which I've used. They're reasonably responsive in terms of dynamics in pizz, but there's a limit to the extreme quiet and extreme loud ends of the response. They do punch, though, and sound gut-like and great in the old school small/large jazz ensembles where I do most of my upright playing. I've found that the strings will deliver a reasonable arco response—although I'm a pretty poor judge of such matters—enough for practice and the starts/ends of the odd ballad. While the pitch definition has been satisfactory—although not as focused as the Innovation Ultra Blacks which I've also used—I did find that the E string was too flabby for use and I have a Spirocore Stark string there. The combination works fine. Contrary to an earlier review here, I've had these on for eight months so far without any deterioration of the sound. Nice strings!

  • 2

    Sounds amazing, lasted 2 months

    Posted by Eli on Nov 18th 2023

    These are my favorite sounding pizz strings ever! Unfortunately, they only lasted 2 months before starting to rattle/buzz. I even took it to a luthier and he told me the same thing- the strings are already dead.

  • 5

    I'll Buy Them Again

    Posted by John Bond on Feb 16th 2023

    The Innovation Supersilver strings were recommended for Bluegrass when I bought my Bass. I like the feel and the sound and volume. I tried Eurosonic strings and the G string buzzes when I fret it on 2, 3, & 4 and that's where I play a lot for my wife (keys A, Bb, & B). I raised that side of the bridge to try and help, but that only helped a little. I'm going back to Innovation strings where I never had a problem.

  • 5

    Innovation Super Silvers

    Posted by Joshua Dowdy on Jan 26th 2021

    I have these on a '39 Kay which I play slap/pizz and a little arco. These strings play very easily. I like a little bit of tension when I play slap and these work very well for me. They can be bowed if you are generous with the rosin, but I wouldn't want to bow them all the time. Some synthetic strings lack definite intonation on the E-string; I found these to have good definition.

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