Corelli string question/comparison
 

Background info:
I am a longtime bass guitar player turned noob hack doghouse player.
Christopher 3/4 plywood bass. Model? Beats me.
I play mostly pizzicato with a little slap, with probably more slap once I know what I'm doing a bit better.

My questions is regarding the strings on the bass now and whether they are appropriate. From the string ID website, I have found that they are Corelli 370s, as best I can tell. I don't know how old they are. They seem fine in a lot of ways, but sound a little muted. The muted sound may be partly due to poor technique that will improve, but I'm also curious to know how they compare to other types of strings. The most likely comparison would be to Tomastik Spirocores, since that's what Hammond Ashley recommends for just about everything out here. For what its worth, the bass was played with a bow enough that there was a lot of resin on the strings when I got it, but it has all worn off now. I wouldn't call the sound bright or dark so much as a bit muddy and muted, especially the E string. That's not so bad considering the challenge of getting intonation right when you are used to a 34" scale with frets, but I would really like to be able to hear a much clearer difference between an F and an F#. Better clarity would help with intonation improvements.

If I missed the information I'm looking for in another thread somewhere, please forgive me for being redundant. Thanks for any advice or information.

As it turns out, the strings are Extra Forte, so they are pretty thick. If I switch to lighter strings, will I have to do anything except put on the strings and tune it up? I don't want to screw up my bass and be without it while it gets repaired because I'm an idiot. Plus, not screwing it up is cheaper than paying for repairs.

All the Corelli Tunstens are very thin, even the "Extra Forte."

These strings have a finite useful life, and it's much shorter than other strings like Spirocores.

So the strings could be dead, or it could be your technique, or both. If you're just starting out, and you're not taking lessons, I'll bet your technique needs work. That's where I'd start.

In other words, FIND A GOOD TEACHER NOW.

Amen to finding a teacher. It is on the list of things I want to accomplish this year. In the mean time, strings made a huge difference.

The strings were dead. I put Evah Pirazzos on it, and the bass came alive. I tried weedwackers. They were fun to slap around, but they didn't sound better than the dead strings. Better to have to work than to have a dead sounding bass.

Evahs are good all-rounders. They have a nice attack and you can use them for your pizz, but they can be bowed, too, so when you start taking lessons you'll be set up for whatever your teacher throws at you.

Just so you know, Evas also have a finite life span - longer than the Corellis, but still finite. Very nice strings all the same. I'm using them on my old Kay.

All strings seem to have a finite life. The only instruments I don't change strings on are bass guitars. Those seem to last forever and just sound better as time goes on. Guitar strings go dead after about six months of playing, but expensive guitar strings are a whole lot cheaper than cheap bass strings. Oh, well, I don't do this to save money.