Identifying strings - help!

windburnt · #1 04-24-2009, 04:03 PM

Hi,

Though I've found the link to the cunning web-page (http://www.quinnviolins.com/qv_stringidsearch.shtml) that identifies strings from the colours of the bits at the end, I've had no success whatsoever in making it work. Partly because I'm fairly colour-blind, and partly because I'm not entirely sure what the whole business of "peg-end", "ball-end", and "ring at either end" means. So! If some kind soul has a moment, could they please give me a hand?

To do my best attempt at a description: moving down from the bridge, first we encounter a stretch that is either orange, yellow, or gold. Below that stretch, a thread of the same colour continues downwards in a spiral, on top of a new colour of threads - which may be either purple or violet. Finally, that colour disappears and we return to the orange/yellow/gold alone.

Thanks in advance!

TroyK · #2 04-24-2009, 06:37 PM

I have a few ideas, but a photo would be really helpful.

In the pegbox (the other end) are all the silks the same color or different colors?

ctxbass · #3 04-24-2009, 10:52 PM

I'm guessing Helicore Orchestrals.

windburnt · #4 04-25-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyK

I have a few ideas, but a photo would be really helpful.

In the pegbox (the other end) are all the silks the same color or different colors?

Ooh, a photo. What a cunning idea. I'm afraid I've only got the camera in my phone, so be warned that the colours may not be quite right - in the picture, the purple/violet looks distinctly bluer to me than it does in real life. But here we go:

And in the pegbox, they are all different colours. For E-A-D-G, it's green, something blue-ish, yellow, red.

@ctxbass: Ooh, a guess! Thanks. A quick google later, and I come up with the following for Helicore Orchestrals:

Isn't that more of a green-blue than a purple? I couldn't really say myself. Can't see these things.

TroyK · #5 04-25-2009, 01:13 PM

You know, you've got a tough one there, I'm a bit stumped. What color is the peg end of the G string?

It does look like some kind of D-Addario string, but unless the color settings are off on your camera, I don't recognize. The Orchestrals are really royal blue, with a yellow spiral. You pictures looks more like purple with a yellow spiral.

Pirastro strings also look like that, but I don't recognize the color scheme as one of theirs either. With Pirastro strings the peg ends are almost always like this E = Green A = Black D = Red and G = brown

D'Addario had a string that I don't think exists anymore, that I saw once on a bass that Jake bought, maybe he'll weigh in. They were thick, bouncy strings that were metal wrapped around something synthetic. Artones, maybe? Jake what am I remembering and what color were they?

Aside from that, I don't know about things like Innovations and Kolstein Heritages. You've got an off the beaten path string there...unless the color on the photo is off and that purple is really royal blue. I don't have any Helicores around to check the pegend and don't remember what they do up there.

Thought I would win this one, but please hold for Francois, he's unstumpable.

windburnt · #6 04-25-2009, 01:25 PM

Ooh, the mystery deepens. Now that I check again, the peg-end of the A could well be a black. It's either that or a very deep blue. Which means that it could line up with half the normal Pirastro scheme (E - Green, A - Black)... but then we have the yellow D and red G, just to be perverse. I wouldn't be at all surprised for them to be some way off the beaten track, given that the reason I'm trying to find out what they are is that I don't like them at all and am planning to change them.

**Francois Blais** · #7 04-25-2009, 02:37 PM

I second the Helicore Orchestrals hypothesis!

dchan · #8 04-25-2009, 03:04 PM

Those are Helicore Orchestrals. I have no doubt about it.

TroyK · #9 04-25-2009, 04:44 PM

If so, the color is off. It doesn't look like a very natural color and I somewhat wonder if it is just the photo.

OP, I find that Helicore Orchestrals tend to be a little roughly wound for smooth wound strings. Does that match your take?

JoeyNaeger · #10 04-25-2009, 05:39 PM

+1 on the helicore orchestra's. I'd bet money on it.

Jake deVilliers · #11 04-25-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyK

D'Addario had a string that I don't think exists anymore, that I saw once on a bass that Jake bought, maybe he'll weigh in. They were thick, bouncy strings that were metal wrapped around something synthetic. Artones, maybe? Jake what am I remembering and what color were they?

Those were/are D'Addario Pro Arte Strings - steel-wrapped nylon with royal blue silks and red windings.

The ones in the pic sure look like D'Addario Orchestral to me - the colour balance is a little off...the peg end of the G should be red.

anonymous12251111 · #12 04-26-2009, 12:41 PM

http://www.contrabass.co.uk/strings.htm

Here are photos of pretty much every string. Hope this helps for the future...

dchan · #13 04-26-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyK

If so, the color is off. It doesn't look like a very natural color and I somewhat wonder if it is just the photo.

Photos very rarely show the exact color that the eyes see, especially if they're hastily taken. So in this case, you'd have to make an educated guess.

lunarpollen · #14 05-25-2009, 02:10 PM

Those look like the strings that came on my Musima/Eberle... I've been wondering what they are... The peg ends are green, black, gold, and red (EADG)... So I guess they are Helicore Orchestrals... I switched mine out for low-tension Innovation Silver Slaps. I guess maybe I should put an ad in the classifieds forum or something. But first I guess I need to find someone with a micrometer to measure the gauges?

(please excuse the very crappy photos. My webcam situation right now is extremely crappy)

**Francois Blais** · #15 05-25-2009, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lunarpollen

So I guess they are Helicore Orchestrals. [snip]

Yes they are.

Quote:

But first I guess I need to find someone with a micrometer to measure the gauges?

DB strings are not sold with gauge measurements.
It's different than BG strings.
In the case of Helicores, they're available in Light, Medium and Heavy gauges.
Yours seem to be the medium, as they don't have a color ring at the peg-end.

If you want to sell them, please post on the DB Classifieds, not on the Strings forum.

lunarpollen · #16 05-25-2009, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francois Blais

Yes they are.

DB strings are not sold with gauge measurements.
It's different than BG strings.
In the case of Helicores, they're available in Light, Medium and Heavy gauges.
Yours seem to be the medium, as they don't have a color ring at the peg-end.

I thought I would need to measure the gauges to find out whether they were light, medium or heavy. But I guess you've already answered my question... thanks!!