corelly 370 vs dominant

[charmicarmicat]

hello all!
i'm a newbie to the upright. i got my ply medio fino from upton about a year ago and i, and my teacher, are quite happy with it. since i wanted to focus more on arco than pizz, it was suggested that i string it with dominants and indeed they've been fine. but, i've been slowly playing more and more pizz and i was wondering if any of you folks could chime in about the differences between corelli 370 and dominants. i know that strings are a very personal thing and that some folks mix and match. i'm interested in the physical as well as the tonal aspect of playing both. i sometimes feel like the dominants are a tad stiff but since i am a newbie and have never played any other strings but the dominants (my teacher has dominants on his bass) i don't have a reference point. btw i play jazz and experimental music. one more thing: i am not set on corelli's. it just seems that they've got a real good reputation around here
guy.

[conte2music]

I've played the corelli 370F and dominants on the same bass recently. I actually took the dominants off for the corelli.

corelli...brighter (both pizz and arco), smoother bowing, edgy attack, long sustain, good arco upper strings projection, however bright...good solo or chamber music string...wouldn't be my first choice for blending in an orchestra section, lower tension, thin diameter is a little odd at first, pitch center is very clear

dominants...thumpier pizz, bigger volume, more natural sounding decay, g and d are ok with the bow, a and e are not as smooth to bow as the corelli, arco sound is a little "grainy" , stronger bottom strings than corelli, more low end, pitch center is more ambiguous

Both strings are great, you'll just have to pick your poison. On my 5/8 1920's Wilfer, I prefer the corelli. It's a more modern jazz sound, and the brighter string has strong projection for solo arco work, however for show work or orchestra it's a bit bright. If you're only practicing with the bow then it's a really smooth string and works well for jazz.

Feel free to ask me some more specific questions should they arise.
Chris Conte

[charmicarmicat]

thanks chris.
do the corellis lose their brightness once they settle in or they're just bright, period? i also read that some strings are "forgiving". meaning that some are harder on a player with lesser technique than others? if so what would what would be the difference between dominants and corellis? if that's not what is being meant by "forgiving" then what does it mean?

[Bobby King]

I use the Corelli 370M on my 1930's plywood King bass and I've been very happy with them for both pizz and arco. I don't find then terribly bright, maybe more so than Flexicor, but they sound nearly as good with the bow and much, much better for pizz. My King is 43.5" string scale so the the lighter tension of the 370M works very well. I remember that the Dominants felt more stiff and higher in tension.

[conte2music]

The corellis gain warmth, but they will remain brighter than the dominants. The corelli are lower tension and that makes them easier to stop with your left hand. If the dominants feel stiff on your bass the corelli would be easier, however as a new player I would be careful against going to a very low tension string. You want a string that provides some resitance while you're starting to really build your technique. I'm sure your teacher has played strings other than the dominants and would know your situation better to guide you...see what he thinks.

If you still have life left in the dominants I would ride them out as long as they aren't causing you any physical pain. Save some cash and buy superflexibles when the time comes for new strings. They'll last longer than both dominants and corellis, have good pizz and bow qualities and are around $95. After the string experimenting I've done I've currently come to the decision that if I'm playing orchestral it's flexocor, and if I'm doing jazz or show work superflexibles are just fine. I want to do better with keeping my pockets full, they've had holes for quite some time...haha

[conte2music]

Hey charmicarmicat...I saw in your profile you have three gibson victory basses. I played an artist for a good while, and I currently have a custom fretless...Those basses are AWESOME.

[greitzer]

Originally Posted by charmicarmicat

... i ... have never played any other strings but the dominants (my teacher has dominants on his bass) i don't have a reference point. btw i play jazz and experimental music. one more thing: i am not set on corelli's. it just seems that they've got a real good reputation around here

Charmicarmicat -- If you switch from Donimants to Corellis, you're going from one of the thickest strings around to just about the thinnest. Based on my experience with both strings, I believe the main things you and your fingers will notice is that the Corellis are physically thinner and their sound is thinner. Not a bad sound at all; they're good strings for pizz and arco both, but it's not the same kind of full, rich sound as the Dominants. Still, it may be a good sound on your bass. The Corellis are a relatively easy string to bow compared to others, and in my experience they also had pretty good sustain for pizz. Not tons of sustain but pretty good.

Too bad we don't know whether a string is the right one until after we've bought it. Perhaps others here will have additional info for you.

[charmicarmicat]

thank you all for chiming in. your input is appreciated!
@ greitzer: indeed, i wish i could try every string in the book but the wallet, o the wallet
@ chris conte: yes those victory basses are, imho, the best! but this forum is not really for this discussion that said i went through so many basses (fenders, g&l, rickenbacker etc) until i found the victory about fifteen years ago and haven't looked back since. i wish i had the money to experiment with uprights until i found THE one.
@bobby: a bass with 43.5 inch scale? good god almighty! what's the size of the bass, head to toe?
@ greitzer, chris and bobby: i think i'm going to stick with the dominants until they give their last breath precisely b/c they are stiff and will get my left hand (i am right handed) the proper "work out" and will turn the skin of my right hands index and ring finger into leather once they're done i may post again and look for local l.a. people who have either corelli, superflexibles or obligatos on their basses and see of i can give it a whirl. nothing beats a hands on experience.
i have one more question though: what period is reffered to by modern jazz sound? is everyting before that old school? i love miroslav vituous, charlie haden and mark dresser's tone. obviously the string is just a part of the equation.

[charmicarmicat]

Originally Posted by charmicarmicat

@ greitzer, chris and bobby: i think i'm going to stick with the dominants until they give their last breath precisely b/c they are stiff and will get my left hand (i am right handed) the proper "work out" and will turn the skin of my right hands index and ring finger into leather

oops my bad. i meant index and middle finger and not ring finger.