SuperSilver - 140SS (Super Silver) Med Tension Strings

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).

Many 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:

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.