Which 'B'?

[Arnold Schnitzer]

I just strung up a new fiver. I had a new set of BelCantos already for the top four, so I needed a low B that would blend, but with gusto. My supplier had just a few in stock, so I chose a Thomastic Superflexible (rope core, blue silk ends). I remembered that Orin O'Brien and others in the NY Philharmonic section use this as their low string. It works beautifully. Clear, strong fundamental, and pretty good grab with the bow. Not quite as easy to grab as the BelCantos, but worth it for the slightly brighter tone, which I feel you want on the bottom. My pet peeve with many string sets (mainly Pirastro) is that as you progress from top to bottom, the strings seem to get increasingly dark. I believe the opposite is desireable. By the way, this string measures a whopping .147"!