Mystery stings on mystery bass

Thumpie · #1 02-04-2010, 02:29 AM

What a resource this forum is! I just joined because I'm hoping someone out there can help me.

My question is twofold:

I just bought a beautiful old laminated bass that I'm told is a Kay. It doesn't have any markings, but on the inside it is stamped "C-1, 16854," which would make it a 1947 model C-1, right?

Here's the trickier part of my question: I'd like to figure out what kind of strings that it has on it. They are lower tension and produce a lot of sustain, with a nice "mmmwaaaa." They really remind me of Corellis, but they're thicker and produce a much more powerful "thump." Also, they bow decently without any scratchiness.

They are chrome colored and wrapped in red material at the tailpiece. I seem to see these strings on a lot of cheap basses from Asia, but no one has been able to tell me who makes them or where I could get a set. I sort of like them, and would like to know if anyone has any information about these mystery strings...

Thanks!

**Francois Blais** · #2 02-04-2010, 03:57 AM

Congrats!
And what are the silk colors at the peg end?

If look look closely at the strings balls, do you see something engraved?
Thomastik uses a system which is: the string number on one side, and solo or orchestra on the other.
So an orchestra G will show "I" and "O" on the ball.

pianodan · #3 02-04-2010, 08:13 AM

If the ball end is red and the tuning end is yellow, they are Super Sensitives, a popular rather inexpensive string. I put those on school basses and they're going on the bass I'm rebuilding for the orchestra I'm in.

**Francois Blais** · #4 02-04-2010, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pianodan

If the ball end is red and the tuning end is yellow, they are Super Sensitives, a popular rather inexpensive string. I put those on school basses and they're going on the bass I'm rebuilding for the orchestra I'm in.

If *all* the tuning ends are yellow, they could be Spiro solos.
Super Sensitive uses a tone color ID, so each tuning end should be a different color.
Those Red Label strings are quite cheap, and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
They're stiff (due to their solid steel core) and sound very metallic.

The Corelli nickels are not much more expensive, and are *much* better.

Thumpie · #5 02-04-2010, 09:13 AM

Thanks for the quick replies. I'll check those strings again when I pick up the bass this evening.

Do you guys think I can be confident that it's really a '47 Kay? There are no "Kay" markings anywhere, just a stamp inside saying "C-1, 16854." Regardless, it's a nice playing bass, and is obviously quite old.

Attached are a few photos...

Jake deVilliers · #6 02-04-2010, 09:25 AM

Those are pretty small photos and its a little hard to see the shapes against the busy background but it looks like a Kay to me. Bigger, closer, clearer pix of the top and the scroll would clinch it.

Thumpie · #7 02-04-2010, 09:55 AM

Those are the largest photos I have. The scroll has sort of a "boxy" shape, if that helps any...

pianodan · #8 02-04-2010, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francois Blais

If *all* the tuning ends are yellow, they could be Spiro solos.
Super Sensitive uses a tone color ID, so each tuning end should be a different color.
Those Red Label strings are quite cheap, and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
They're stiff (due to their solid steel core) and sound very metallic.

The Corelli nickels are not much more expensive, and are *much* better.

Not to hijack the thread, but that's all the schools here will pay for (and they complain), and the bass I'm doing for the orchestra is their loaner and they won't and don't have the money to pay for anything better. I won't use them (Super Sensitives)on any of my stringed instruments as far as that goes.
But you're right, each string has a different color on the peg end. I just pulled a full set out, only the E is yellow on the peg end.

I zoomed the pict in as well as I could, it does appear to be a Kay, as well as the stuff he got from the looking in the f holes seems to support that theory.

Thumpie · #9 02-04-2010, 06:17 PM

I think we've got Thomastiks here. They're red on both ends on all the strings, but the "balls" are marked with an "O" on one side and a number on the other.

Have we figured this out?

**Francois Blais** · #10 02-04-2010, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumpie

I think we've got Thomastiks here. They're red on both ends on all the strings, but the "balls" are marked with an "O" on one side and a number on the other.

Have we figured this out?

Spirocores orchestra mediums, AKA Mittels.

Thumpie · #11 02-09-2010, 09:50 AM

Francois mentions the Corelli nickels. How are they different from the tungsten?

**Francois Blais** · #12 02-09-2010, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumpie

Francois mentions the Corelli nickels. How are they different from the tungsten?

The nickel wrapping makes the string somewhat thicker than the tungsten, which is a very massive metal, and produces a very thin string. The tone is also darker with nickel.
Should you have more questions regarding this, I'll move the posts into a separate thread.

Thumpie · #13 02-09-2010, 02:21 PM

Yeah, I'd really love a new forum discussing the difference between the two types of Corellis...