Correlli 370TX Extra Forte

**Pacman** · #1 01-30-2004, 01:22 PM

I've been using these for a couple days now. Initial impressions are pretty good. They growl quite well (just about as good as, if not better than) the Spirocore Wiechs that were on my bass. However, my bass is much louder! Much bigger sounding. They're still breaking in, but I think they're going to bow a bit better, too.

Just wanted to share.

MerryPrankster · #2 01-30-2004, 03:24 PM

so far*...how do they bow? is the bow sound smooth? id like to know because im going to get corellis and kolsteins for an audition...

**Pacman** · #3 01-30-2004, 03:53 PM

Well, so far they're pretty nice. A bit bright, and a little scratchy, but alreay beginning to mellow. They growl beautifully.

At IAJE, I played Lynn Seaton's rented "czheck-ease" bass that had Fortes on it (also very new), and they bowed "like buttah!"

FidgetStone · #4 01-30-2004, 06:11 PM

Pacman,
"MidgetBone" here. What other strings have you tried besided the Weichs? I just got my hybrid Christopher Busetto last week (YEAH!) and have Helicore hybrid strings on it.

It has taken a solid week for the strings to calm down, and hopefully they will calm down even further. They were incredibly thin and metalic sounding at first. The 'A" string still has a ways to go.

At any rate, I play almost all pizz and will pratice bowing when the rest of my family is out of the house. I like a full size string and have heard that the 370's are pretty skinny. How do the 380's feel compared to the Weichs relative to diameter?

Thanks . . .

**Pacman** · #5 01-31-2004, 06:13 AM

I haven't tried the 380s, so I can't offer any opinion there.

I've tried:

Helicore hybrids - thought there were dull, lifeless, and without any particular character.

Correlli 370 mediums - they were pretty nice and bowed very well. However I thought they lacked a bit in the pizz department.

Wheichs - love them! Growl for days! But I'm taking classical lessons, and they are a bit (only a bit) frustrating to bow.

All of these led me to think of the Extra Fortes - I figured that the higher tesions would give me more growl than the mediums (they did), but would be a bit easier to bow than the weichs (they are).

....I've also got a set of Obligatos to try at another time.....

FidgetStone · #6 01-31-2004, 11:48 AM

Pacman,
I'm guessing you got the helicore hybrids as the "upgrade" string on your Christopher. That's what I got on mine and agree with your description of the tone but would also add "metallic" as a characteristic.

I have a theoretical question for you since you have made some nice upgrades to your bass. Okay . . . strings cost about $100 - $135 in general. You personally have tried not only different strings but also upgraded your tailpiece to a Pecanic compensated model. Strings last from several months to a year or more depending on your sensitivity to the tone. A $125 tailpiece lasts forever. If you had only the $125 to spend in the near term, which would you do? Also how much did your luthier charge to put the tailpiece on?

Thanks . . .

**Pacman** · #7 01-31-2004, 12:25 PM

Well, what works for me may not be right for you, just let me say that first.

I think I would go with the strings first. I recommend the Pecanic tailpiece highly, but its effect is subtle. It sounds just like my bass did, only 'manlier'

Strings can make a dramatic difference in a basses sound and response.

Hell of an expensive avocation we've got here, huh?

martinc · #8 01-31-2004, 12:40 PM

The Corelli 380TX's are about the same diameter as the Spirocore Weichs. But the Corelli's are a bit rougher than the Weichs. They will feel the same as the Weichs if you rub them with some 0000 steel wool.
The 380TX's sounded good on my Kay (pizz) but not so good on my King. Two different plywood basses. Different response with the same strings.

Martin Chapman.

MerryPrankster · #9 01-31-2004, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FidgetStone

Pacman,
"MidgetBone" here. What other strings have you tried besided the Weichs? I just got my hybrid Christopher Busetto last week (YEAH!) and have Helicore hybrid strings on it.

It has taken a solid week for the strings to calm down, and hopefully they will calm down even further. They were incredibly thin and metalic sounding at first. The 'A" string still has a ways to go.

At any rate, I play almost all pizz and will pratice bowing when the rest of my family is out of the house. I like a full size string and have heard that the 370's are pretty skinny. How do the 380's feel compared to the Weichs relative to diameter?

Thanks . . .

I would like to know if he has a website....

kwd · #10 02-04-2004, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

.... than) the Spirocore Wiechs that were on my bass. However, my bass is much louder! Much bigger sounding.

Pacman

I just wanted clarification. Are you saying that your bass is louder with the Corellis? Or that your bass is loud enough for the low output Corellis? I wasn't sure because the "however" seemed to make the paragraph change gears.

I'm happy with my Corellis. My only complaint is that I'd like to hear more of them. If they're louder than Weichs, I won't bother with Weichs the next time around.

**Pacman** · #11 02-04-2004, 09:58 PM

I think my bass is much louder with the Extra Fortes than with the weichs. Other than that, they're very similar.

shwashwa · #12 02-05-2004, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

I think my bass is much louder with the Extra Fortes than with the weichs. Other than that, they're very similar.

hey pac. do you bow much? i'm looking for a string that can arco very well, especially in the upper register playing very technical stuff without scratching. i had the correlli mediums which were super light. i took them off because i didnt like the sound. they were unfocused and they scratched. maybe they were just too soft... this bass seems to need a little tension on it. but my main concern is arco...

**Francois Blais** · #13 02-05-2004, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shwashwa

hey pac. do you bow much? i'm looking for a string that can arco very well, especially in the upper register playing very technical stuff without scratching. i had the correlli mediums which were super light. i took them off because i didnt like the sound. they were unfocused and they scratched. maybe they were just too soft... this bass seems to need a little tension on it. but my main concern is arco...

I posted a message about Corellis a few months ago, after I got an answer from a Savarez (Corelli makers) rep about their strings tension.
It was in french but here's a summary:
The lowest tension is the M, and the highest tension the F.
The TX has a tension in-between the M and F, but they use a special winding process to give it more stiffness, so they feel higher tension than the F.
Hope this helps.

Johnny L · #14 02-05-2004, 03:29 PM

I recommended Spirocores to a guy who was using the Helicore Hybrids and dabbling with the bow. He got the weichs, and they seemed to bow quite well...better than the hybrids. Corellis must be some serious smoking strings!

FidgetStone · #15 02-05-2004, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

I think my bass is much louder with the Extra Fortes than with the weichs. Other than that, they're very similar.

Pacman,
Are the Extra Fortes louder on pizz and arco both? My helicores are too quiet for pizz and significantly louder with arco.

MerryPrankster · #16 02-07-2004, 10:36 PM

I am really confused because no two people have gotten the same results out of Weichs!!!!

**Francois Blais** · #17 02-08-2004, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MerryPrankster

I am really confused because no two people have gotten the same results out of Weichs!!!!

Never forget that two basses won't react the same to a given set of strings. And I'm mot even talking of the human factor... (the player)
Comparing strings is a nightmare because there are so many factors involved, so generalizations should be kept to a minimum.

MerryPrankster · #18 02-08-2004, 04:51 PM

Even still...I mean some people find the ultimate jazz string , and some people find the perfect thinner arco string...
Thats pretty drastic...