A few years ago I had to replace a string in the lower bass section
of a fine German grand piano from 1911 with original good sounding
strings. I had tried to splice the string, but it had broken too close
to the winding.  The new string I ordered from a reputable Canadian
supply house arrived and its dimensions were fine.  I was very
disappointed when I pulled it up to pitch: it sounded very poor
compared to the old strings.  Twisting the new string improved the
tone only marginally.

The lesson I learned is that new bass strings do not necessarily
mean an improvement in tone.  They have to be made properly.  As I am
not a string maker, I don't know what all contributes to making a good
sounding string, however factors such as the tension of the core and
the copper during the winding process are paramount.  There is more,
I'm sure.  I have experienced old sets of bass strings that not only
looked better (except for the color), they also sounded just as good
if not better than the _new_ ones.  (Just wait ten years!)

When I restring now, I obviously order my strings from a different
source, and I pay more for the strings.  I hope I am getting the best
product possible, but who can really say?

Jurgen Goering