Double Bass Old Steel Strings ID

[bassobrutto]

I just picked up a 1947 Kay M-1 that came with some unfamiliar old steel strings. Seller did not know what they were. They reverse the usual pattern, with single colour for all peghead silks (dark red) and four different colours (orangey yellow, black, blue, and pale green) at the tailpiece end (see pics). The ball ends are plain solid brass (no hole, numbers, letters, or bevelling), with a very narrow, deep channeling for the wire loop. They may be very weathered cheapo Chinese strings, or perhaps something a bit more interesting. They certainly look quite old. I have never played regular Spirocores, but from hearing so much chat about them over the years, I think these strings probably have a similar feel and sound--they work quite well on this bass. Any suggestions much appreciated!

 

[Francois Blais]

I'm also guessing for cheapo chinese strings.
Never seen something similar with good known makers.

 

[bassobrutto]

Thanks, Francois. There may have been a few recent sets of "good" strings, like Pirastro Jazzers, that have different colour silks at the tailpiece end, though they are certainly not common. But I would readily accept these ones were cheapos if it were not for their rather old appearance. Would not be shocked if it turned out they were made in, say, the 70s or 60s. They also feel pretty smooth and sound very decent, despite that age, better than some more expensive strings I have played. Just curious to know the truth either way!

 

[bass player 53]

Useful site:

Gollihur Music's Upright Bass String Identification Page

 

[bassobrutto]

It is a useful site! But these strings are not there, sadly.

 

[Francois Blais]

They certainly aren't Jazzers though.
Colors don't match at all.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Could be "Red Label" - absolute crap strings. Definitely would recommend replacing those with a decent set.

 

[bassobrutto]

Well, they are not Red Labels, and they actually sound good and play nicely. But thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

Might be more of a testament to the bass and the setup than the strings?

 

[bassobrutto]

I am sure there is some truth to that, though the strings do feel nice too--more like expensive ones than cheap ones. If I had to guess, I would say they might be old strings once made by a US company like Labella or Daddario

 

[Ross Kratter]

I am sure there is some truth to that, though the strings do feel nice too--more like expensive ones than cheap ones. If I had to guess, I would say they might be old strings once made by a US company like Labella or Daddario

I don’t think they are La Bella strings, based on the colors. They’ve never made a set with that set of colored silks on either end.

 

[Stuart.C]

These are absolutely the type of strings that ship with instruments from China.

Every bass I have ever tried in a big music store chain has them, in some variation of colors .

That's not to say they are bad,