just purchased an upright and need some string recs. Used for bluegrass 80% of the time so I'd like some recs on strings and how to tune and setup this big boy. Any additional comments or suggestions are most certainly welcome.

Some additional info that may (or may not) help.

Palatino VB-009 Flamed Bass Outfit
Double Big Twin Pickup
Pure Preamp

strings appear flat and worn out un-amplified. Thanks in advance.

Welcome Aboard! I like the UB Blacks for bluegrass. They are a synthetic made by Innovation for Upton Bass.(See banner top of page) They are easy on the hands and have a fairly old school sound.

Also, to get the most out of this puppy you should have a qualified luthier check your setup. Good setup will do wonders for tone and playability.

Thanks Donnie. I've lurked on this sight for a few years now. Thought I join in. How are they for slapping tech and how do they compare to gut?

Gotta tell ya I have yet to take the gut plunge! But I do some light slapping in this current show and they work well.
If your looking more for slap you might check out the Innovation Silver Slaps