Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

OK, here's a question for ya! What color is the silk winding on Rickenbacker strings, specifically the 8-string set? When it comes time to put new strings on my recently purchased 4008, I'd like to put the same strings as came with it, because it plays so great as is. But I'm not sure what kind they are!

Here's a pic:



I was wondering if maybe they were Zon strings - I bought a set of those a long time ago and seem to remember them having black windings, but after contacting them I'm not so sure. $50 is a lot of money to experiment with, so any help is appreciated!

The current RIC standard 4 string set has no silk.
If i remember correctly, the set on my 4000 when I got it had no silk either(I'm pretty sure they were the original flats).

The original Rickenbacker flatwound bass strings had blue silk wrap on the ball end.
For a while, ('80's - early '90's) Rickenbacker roundwound bass strings had red silk wrap on the tuner end.

I bought a set of those a long time ago and seem to remember them having black windings, but after contacting them I'm not so sure.

A while ago, D'Addario had black silk on the ends of their round wound strings until they came up with a way to wind the ends without needing the silk wrap to keep the windings together.

Thanks guys - sounds like they're not Ric strings. I think I'm going to order the Zon 8-string set and see if they match...