Heritage LEGACY Upright Bass Strings - NOS Single Strings

Orchestral/Jazz Perlon Bass Strings

The Kolstein Heritage strings were designed by Kolstein Music, Inc. -- a well-known shop in New York with a long-standing reputation for excellence.

So what are the Heritage Bass Strings all about? They are a Perlon (synthetic) core Bass String that offers the player the wonderful feel and tension of gut strings, but emulates the best arco and pizzicato tonal qualities of the finest steel orchestral or jazz string. Heritage were the first string of its type of construction to not only afford the player the best in jazz quality playing, but remarkably, not "roll" under the bow... thus creating an arco/orchestral quality string that can be utilized under the most demanding bowing requirements. To play on Heritage Bass Strings is to experience the vast quality of this string.

For 2022, Kolstein re-introduced these strings (after a short absence from the market) in a NEW and "Very Improved" formula.

The strings on this page are the ORIGINAL formulation, some singles I have available, and are being sold at a very nice discount while supplies last.

What changed, though? Based on what Barrie Kolstein told me, the updated strings' tone and feel remain mostly unchanged. Put simply, they are using newly improved production techniques, primarily intended to improve the durability and longevity of the strings -- while keeping the character and playability that people know and love. So the tonal differences (compared to the "old" Heritage strings) should be subtle, and the strings are more durable and long-lasting.

Here's what they say on the Kolstein website:

What are the new Heritage Bass Strings all about? Three years of research and development with the highest attention to creating the first Perlon, synthetic core Bass String that offers the player the wonderful feel and tension of gut strings, but also emulates the best arco and pizzicato tonal qualities of the finest steel orchestral or jazz string. Heritage offers the first string of its type to not only afford the player the best in jazz quality playing, but remarkably does not roll under the bow…thus creating an arco/orchestral quality string that can be utilized under the most demanding bowing requirements. To play on Heritage Bass Strings is to experience the vast quality of this string.

As is typical of a synthetic core string, they have a more flexible feel and a warmer tone than steel strings do. Those looking for a more "gut-like" vibe without totally going over to the dark side will probably appreciate their blunter attack and shorter sustain -- but they have good definition and a solid fundamental, so you won't get "lost in the sauce" of a dense stage mix.

The Heritage strings are considered to be "hybrid" strings; meaning that they are intended to be equally suitable for both pizzicato (plucking) and arco (bowing) play. And they don't "roll" under the bow like a lot of synthetic core strings do!