I use Corelli 370 TX gauge. I have osteo-arthritis in my right shoulder and tendonitis. I'm considering dropping two gauges to the 370M to minimize my pain. Should I expect a significant drop in volume? ..growl?

Hi,
I'm currently using the 370F's (between the XF and M) and i'm very unhappy with the volume produced. I've got a thread going in the setup and repair section about it. Even so that i've just shelled out some cash on some Evahs.

Depends on your bass.
The extra forte ID is TX, by the way, not XF.

Many find the Corelli M's to be too light for jazz and orchestral use. However they do have the distinction of being the string of choice for some virtuoso classical solo players. They shine when played arco in thumb position.

You and I have physical issues beyond what other posters may be dealing with at this time. I also have arthritis - in my neck - and have carpal tunnel in left hand. After playing on the Bel Cantos and Spiros, which are both nice sounding strings, I found the pain to achieve a louder pizz sound was not worth it. In fact, I was losing interest in practicing. I decided to go back to the Corelli M's, as a physical accommodation. Ideally, you would continue to play the TX strings and I would have stuck with a combo of Spiros and Bel Cantos. For $125 or less, I would without reservation advise you to try the 370M's.

Saturday night I subbed in a Bluegrass/Gospel group in a hotel lobby. I never played that style before. I’ve mostly played jazz and, recently, orchestral music. During a before the gig run-through, I was pleased that the bass (strung up with the 370Ms) blended very well with the acoustic guitars and banjo. I amplified the bass with a Shure SM58 through a 60 watt Roland keyboard amp. I had many compliments from the pickers and grinners. Played the 70 minute set no problem; no added pain the AM. It works on my bass.

Good Luck!

I'm interested in trying out the Corellis, especially the M's (coming from a primarily EB background). I wonder: I'm not so concerned about the volume difference between gauges since I play amplified, but is there a SOUND difference? I would assume heavier strings simply sound better; is this generally the case?

Thinner strings like these have indeed a thinner tone.
Less bottom end, more mids and highs.
Kind of shallower tone.

Kind of shallower tone.

Nice description Francois. :)

I'm interested in trying out the Corellis, especially the M's (coming from a primarily EB background). I wonder: I'm not so concerned about the volume difference between gauges since I play amplified, but is there a SOUND difference? I would assume heavier strings simply sound better; is this generally the case?

I went with 380M and had my bass set up with them. With the new set up and strings it was hard to know how much of the loss in volume was from the strings or the resulting lower action of the set up. Sometimes I miss the output and fatness of higher tension strings but welcome the ease of play. The amplified sound suffers a bit in the E and A strings. However, I've been very pleased with my overall amp'd sound since the change. There seems to be more clarity in pitch. I've played in church a few times since the change and attended one jam session. I had better than average outings in each case with the amplified sound. The tradeoff is worth it for me. Someone without shoulder problems might feel differently.

I'd have to concur with the other post that there is a sacrifice in unamplified play with lower tension strings. I really like the sound that's coming out of my bass, it's just a little harder to hear sometimes. I try to face something with a large mass to get the bounceback when I'm practicing. Having made the adjustment, I don't think I'll go back to higher tension strings. Everyone is different.

Now, in terms of higher tension, that means the strings feel "tighter" right? Less gut-like flexibility? I'm wondering if in fact lower tension strings are easier to play than higher tension ones...

Higher tension doesn't necessarily means more stiffness.
The flexibility is a characteristic of its own.
A low tension string (low pull) can be stiffer than a higher tension one.
Depends on the material(s).