Corelli Mix and Match Sets--Yes or No?

[DaveAceofBass]

I need some advice...

I want to put some Corelli 370 strings on my new Kolstein Guarneri bass. I've used the Medium and the Forte guages, I prefer the 370F but even with that set the low E just doesn't have enough projection for jazz--but that's with my old 1930s King Mortone bass.

I called Lemur and asked about the 370TX, but they were out of D strings. When I mentioned what I thought about the E from the Forte set, the salesman suggested maybe trying the 370TX on the E and A and the 370F on the D and G. I placed the order, but it won't ship until Monday, so I thought I'd get some of your opinions while I still have enough time to cancel the order.

Knowing about my type of playing may help with your advice: I play a variety of jazz, church, and theater gigs, and I work on my classical and Rabbath chops at home. Sometimes I take bowed solos on jazz gigs. Recently I've tried a lot of strings on my King bass. The Spirocore Weichs have the best jazz tone but they don't bow very well. I have Superflexible on my King now, but they're harder to play on than the Corellis, and they don't bow quite as well. I don't care for the Obligatos--the Kolstein Heritage that I have now on my new bass are better. So, the Corellis 370Fs are my favorite all around for feel and overall tone, but I think the low strings could sound fuller. Do you think I will have fixed my problem with this mix and match set I've created? How do you think it will be different on my new fully carved bass vs. my old plywood?

[16fuss]

Hi Dave, I really like Corellis. I use 370 Tx.
On my Bass there were also E-String Problems. The Set was good for bowing, but E-String pizz was weak- although my Pöllman is very open down there. Now I use a Pirastro the Jazzer E.
This string is a little heavier than the Corelli. In general I dont like to mix and match, but in this case it fits unbelievable good. The pizz has the same color an E and A-String. Bowing on the Jazzer-E is ok too.

hope this helps

[COUNT ZACULA]

yeah I mix and match correllis all the time to no ill affect, they are my string of choice as well for many of the same reasons you have cited.

[DaveAceofBass]

Originally Posted by COUNT ZACULA

yeah I mix and match correllis all the time to no ill affect, they are my string of choice as well for many of the same reasons you have cited.

Have you tried this particular combination? According to Bob Gollihur's site the G string of the Forte set is actually higher in tension than the G string of the TX set, so this might be a good thing. However, the D string is quite a bit lower in tension in the Forte set compared to the TX, which may be problematic for an even feel. I'm curious to hear some of your comments. Here's what Bob Gollihur's site says:

Corelli does not list gauges on their packages; originally I measured and posted each, but I have since obtained the following measurements from them:

370M Diameter (inches) Tension (pounds) 370F Diameter (inches) Tension (pounds) 370TX Diameter (inches) Tension (pounds)
G 371M 0.0457 53.5 371F 0.0453 59.5 371TX 0.0453 57.1
D 372M 0.0520 51.4 372F 0.0547 57.8 372TX 0.0559 60.2
A 373M 0.0642 53.6 373F 0.0677 58.4 373TX 0.0724 63.1
E 374M 0.0831 54.0 374F 0.0866 58.0 374TX 0.0980 61.7


How do I look using the 371F, 372F, 373TX and 374TX?

[Francois Blais]

FWIW: I presently use 380TX (nickels) on the A, D & G, and a solo Spiro E on my EUB and like them very much!

[16fuss]

Hi Francois, how is the Thomastik E with the Bow? Do you think it is better than The Jazzer?
By the way, does anyone know the tension of The Jazzer E_String?

[COUNT ZACULA]

Originally Posted by DaveAceofBass

How do I look using the 371F, 372F, 373TX and 374TX?

I have not used that particular combination, so only trying will tell. My current bass really likes the solos and mediums. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Wil de Sola]

I've found a good combination with 380 TX G/D and Spiro Orch A/E. On one of my basses the tension match is good and the sound even.

[Francois Blais]

Originally Posted by 16fuss

Hi Francois, how is the Thomastik E with the Bow? Do you think it is better than The Jazzer?
By the way, does anyone know the tension of The Jazzer E_String?

I'm not bowing, so I can't comment on that!
It's the solo E I'm using.
It has much less tension than the regular, and matches better with the Corellis on my instrument, tone and volume wise.
The Jazzer is too loud on my bass.
Its tension (Jazzer's) is somewhere between the weich and the mittel.

[Basschair]

Sorry to add my .02 a little late, but here it is

I don't really dig the 370 TX's too much. Keep in mind that I'm a little impatient regarding the breaking-in period: I didn't give them that much time. I love the 370F strings (not my favorite, but considering the price they are hard to beat).

Right now, I'm trying 370M G,D,A over a spiro mittel E which may stand out like a soar thumb, but I like the big sound I get out of that one for E.

Good luck with the TX's, and let us know how they work, especially after the first 3 or 4 weeks.

[DaveAceofBass]

Originally Posted by Basschair

Sorry to add my .02 a little late, but here it is

I don't really dig the 370 TX's too much. Keep in mind that I'm a little impatient regarding the breaking-in period: I didn't give them that much time. I love the 370F strings (not my favorite, but considering the price they are hard to beat).

Right now, I'm trying 370M G,D,A over a spiro mittel E which may stand out like a soar thumb, but I like the big sound I get out of that one for E.

Good luck with the TX's, and let us know how they work, especially after the first 3 or 4 weeks.

IMO Corellis always take some breaking in time. I doubt the TX are that much different compared to the Fortes in that regard. I'll tell you my results when they are in.

On another note....should I buy a B-Band Statement now or wait until they update it for a newer version later this year? There is also a possibility that they will discontinue upright bass pickups all together. What do you think?