strings i've never heard of

[Blacksack]

ok so its nearing the time when some of my bass's are going to get re strung and i figured i might shop around for some new strings so i did a few ebay searches and found a few strings i'd never heard of
just wondered if any of you guys had heard of them and if or not they were any good or you had any experience with any of them be it good, bad or ugly
*just incase anyone cares my tone is a kinda maiden style "dinga dinga" tone lots of high end and fret noise*
for years i've used rotosound 66's and 77's (45-105) and i'm happy with them but i just fancy a change and i dont like the feel of ernie balls and i'm not sold on the sound fender's own brand strings give me
i'm tempted by the DR's and i'm sure there fab but i fancy a trek on the wild side at something really fresh (to me anyway)

the strings ive found that i've never heard of are....

Kerly "long life strings"
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Alice
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bass-Guitar-4-...item3cb30fa825

Roberts "growlers"
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BASS-GUITAR-ST...item5632dabb11

Alembic (i knew they did bass's but not strings)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Alembic-Bass-S...item27b2899924

D'Aquisto "rock bottoms"
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DAquisto-Rock-...item2eb21f60a8

Pendulla (again heard of the bass's not the strings)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pedulla-Bass-S...item4cf4337555

meridian
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-SETS-MERIDIA...item35a3701b90

and finally Mapes (i love the retro packaging)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mapes-Bass-Gui...item588b6b5b4e

..... any suggestions

[markanini]

Most are some kind of regular nickel-plated steel strings. Alembics are real compressionwound unlike DR which are just tightly wound. Pedullsa are probably a good deal, heard good things about quality. Mapes are said to be OEM to many different brands and probably the best deal.
Watch of for brands that are too generic if you're unlucky these might come from factories in china not up to code which In some batches have contained poisonous additives.

[pharaohamps]

FWIW, Mapes makes most (if not all) of the winding materials for the stringed instrument industry. I imagine they know how to make bass strings...Mapes Music Wire

[iiipopes]

And most of these brands are not their own factories, but have them made in one of the larger factories to their specs; they're contract supply.