Hello dears.
This is my first post and I would like to contribute to the knowledge and comparison of double bass strings. A few years ago my teacher shared this link with me https://gollihurmusic.com/string-identification-chart/ to distinguish the colors of the different brands of double bass strings. At that time (2016) I was buying my first double bass and I replaced the factory strings, which were Alice, with some Kaplan used by my teacher Henry Santander (Peru / Chile). In 2020 I replaced my double bass with a second-hand Engelhardt and used its strings (which were apparently Flexocore) for a couple of years until I bought some Belcanto strings online.
Let's say that that has been my personal journey of brands with the double bass. However, I have had the opportunity to try other double basses and even work with them for several years in different orchestras and universities which allowed me to play strings: Pirazzi, Zyex, Spirocore, Belcanto, Obligato, Corelli, Flexocore and Flexocore Deluxe.
Under this frame of reference, here I share data about the tone, timbre and playability of different strings:
-If your double bass already has a dark tone, it would be advisable to use bright strings such as: Corelli, Pirazzi, Zyex or Spirocore (order from lowest to highest brightness)
-If, on the other hand, your double bass has a bright tone, it would be advisable to use warm strings such as: Obligato or Belcanto, the latter being the warmest and best quality.
-Belcanto are for me the sweetest strings you will try and that they are excellent in response to the bow. perhaps his pizzicato is a bit dark. Not recommended for jazz but highly recommended for classical.
-Obligato are very balanced strings, I mean, they are not specialized in a particular genre. The tension of the strings is somewhat below average (without being as low as the Corelli ones) which makes it easier to play. Maybe the sound quality is not too much. Due to its price and benefits, I recommend it for beginner students.
-Flexocore Deluxe are very rich in tone strings, excellent for pizzicato, however with the bow they generate some noise (that is, it is usually difficult to achieve a clean tone). I would think they work better with wooden double basses. Likewise, their tension is usually higher than average. I would recommend it for jazz players in my opinion.
In conclusion (and considering that this post is a personal point of view):
from lowest to highest tension:
Corelli < Obligato < Belcanto < Spirocore < Flexocore Deluxe < Pirazzi
from bright to warm:
Spirocore < Zyex < Pirazzi < Corelli < Flexocore Deluxe < Obligato < Kaplan < Belcanto
I would like to know your opinions
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