D'Addario Manufacturers Helicore (Orchestra, Pizzicato & Hybrid), Golden Spiral (temporarily discontinued).

Pirastro Offers Evah Pirazzi, Obligato, Permanent, Flexocor (and Original), Flat-Chrom (and Original), Jazzer, Chromcor, Olive, Eudoxa, Chorda.

Thomastik Has Bel Canto, Dominant, Spirocore, Precision, Superflexible.

Super Sensitive Makes Red Label, Sensicore, Supreme, Stellar, Pinnacle, Old Fiddler Line.

LaBella Supernil, Steel, Rope Core, Black Nylon wound, Gut, Golden Tone.

Corelli Tungsten (370's) and Nickel

Jargar Steel rope core

Innovation By Picato Hybrid Composite core, Braided core, Black Nylon" Rockabilly"

Kolstein Varicore Steel Core

Eurosonic Steel rope core string.

Velvet Compas 360, Compas 180, Garbo and Anima.

Lenzner Gut Core

News

More and more, Bassists are asking for a string that can do it all. Good bow response, and the ability to be played Pizzicato with adequate sustain and evenness of tone. These are called hybrid strings and the most popular choices are D'Addario Hybrid, Corelli Rope Core Tungsten and Pirastro Obligato. Obligato is new and becoming a dominant choice quickly. All three of these choices are good for those looking for an easy playing string. If you play for hours a day, why work harder than you have to? Keep your limbs happy and try one of these three strings. The Corelli strings are often referred to as 370's. These are the Tungsten wound strings you have heard about.

Gut strings sound and feel good, but are typically too expensive for most players to consider. However, D'Addario offers the Golden Spiral G and D string with a gut core, over wound with Tynex, a clear synthetic material. For Jazz and folk style players, these strings are good for their thick tone, long sustain, and easy playing feel. They are less expensive than either Pirastro Eudoxa or Olive. LaBella Gut is a lower priced gut string. For basses with an extension mechanism, Pirastro offers extended length Eudoxa and Olive E strings as a factory special order. Delivery times are at least 4 weeks and the price is %50 higher.

Old favorites for Pizzicato intensive playing are Thomastik Spirocore (most players prefer them in the thin, or, 'Weich' gauge), Corelli Rope core (Tungsten wound for thinner diameter. Most players settle on the Forte, or Extra Forte gauges for this reason). The new Picato string with Black Nylon wrap is called Rockabilly and as its name suggests, it is intended for slap style playing. For ultra light playing applications, Solo tuning strings tuned to orchestral pitches is an unintended use of these strings, but produces an even lower tension, lighter gauge alternative.

Synthetic core alternatives to steel strings are Thomastik Dominant and Super Sensitive's Sensicore. D'Addario's Pro Arté bass string has been discontinued. Pirastro Obligato is a composite core bass string. The thickness of Synthetic core strings tends to be greater than that of steel core strings, though this is a broad generalization The bow response is often slower, but less pressure is usually needed from the bow to get the string moving. For basses that do not require high tension to get the sound out, a non-steel core string may be appropriate.