MrYikes said
My new strings suck. And I bought 5 sets.  Yuck.
on ebay I normally buy my Opera strings from a guy called Chen.  But last time he had none of his 5 packs on buy it now, just bidding.  I bought from someone else.  Wrong move.  These are called Opera and have a similar tail wrap but have a copper colored ball.  But they are weak, so at the bridge they are in tune, at the fingerboard they are almost a half step flat.  I guess I can use them for bow placement training.  I still have about 10 sets of the old style so I'll be okay for awhile.  I just hate losing trust in a brand.  That is why I value FM so much.  Sure wish he would sell a good sounding  set of perlon strings for $5.  

Oh man!  Yeah - I sometimes mess around with strings from ebay - and sure - I've found some I would  (and do) keep - and some I discarded after a day or so...   I have found some, branded OEM strings ( although, admittedly, they COULD be fakes but didn't appear to be so ), and they were fine.   Others, clearly were just plain rip-off-fakes. I even got a set of "synthetics" that were quite clearly steels- complained, expecting no response at all, but - eventually got my $5 back via pay-pal  !!!!!

I know what you mean though - you're happy and well-pleased with a certain item and then it's either no longer available ( from the same supplier ) or you find "the same" ( which it's not ! ) elsewhere and it's just cr4p....  yup

I wouldn't "lose faith" in the brand - if you liked the original ones - I wouldn't blame the "brand", rather the"supplier"...  yeah  

Heyy @mryikes - enlighten me further on the issue of what you said here -

but they are weak, so at the bridge they are in tune, at the fingerboard they are almost a half step flat.

 "Simple" ( lolol ) physics says if your finger is in the "right place" - it should (in theory!) be in tune...   but yes - I have 4 fiddles here.  Only 2 of them have the "proper" nut to bridge length ( bridge on one, an EV, is fixed, the other is a somewhat-larger bodied instrument, but not a viola and I've set the bridge at the 2:3 ratio and even I in my relative beginner-mode notice the difference ) so I'm more than well used to adapting finger positions and just using my ear to quickly draw a note in-to-tune until, after a few minutes on any one instrument - I'm pretty-much there.....  It's like driving a different car - much the same all round - just some minor differences in handling !

But, I don't really think that's what you are describing or talking about....

I'm just curious about this - go on - talk to me more about it !   I'm intrigued....

Sure wish he would sell a good sounding  set of perlon strings for $5.  

  Hahahaha - all of us, MrYikes !!!!

  Keep us advised !

Ahhh - right - I'm with you now !   Thanks !