Double Bass Corelli or helicore hybrids?

[skatevu]

Im buying a new bass from bob beermans shop in a few days. He ll give me the choice of either corellis or helicore hybrids with the bass. I'll be playing classical solo literature and jazz (amped only) in a youth big band. Volume is not much of an issue since my soloing will mostly be to myself and any pizz will be through an amp. I have heard reviews on both sets as decent hybrid strings, and i wanted to know if anyone else had opinions on what to go with in my situation.
Thanks

 

[LouisF]

I'm a big fan of the Corellis - especially the 370 TXF - but that's a minority opinion around here. The 380s are their more "normal" string

Louis

 

[swingingoodtime]

They’re not particularly similar strings; HH’s are thick & heavy (a bit like Sprio Mittel’s) and high tension, whereas Corelli’s heaviest in the 370 range (370TX’s) are much lighter & thinner with a lower tension due to the use of heavier tungsten windings to achieve mass without thickness (can’t comment on the 380’s, sorry). From memory, the Corelli’s were easier to bow than the HH’s, but this may also depend on how your bass reacts to high tensions strings (not to mention how you react to them!); mine chokes up under high tension and speaks well with low tension (which also impacts volume). I have a theory that the newer the wood in a bass, the lower the string tension it needs to react (due to the presence of natural 'springiness' in the wood fibres, whereas older basses need heavier gauge & tension strings to impart more energy to get the older wood singing).

Good luck in your decision.

 

[Francois Blais]

My vote goes to Corellis as well.

 

[skatevu]

So corellis definatley get the majority vote, now i just need to know which ones i should order. I am used to very thick, high tension orchestral strings, but i already have those on the school bass. I was thinking about going with the 370m or fs, since i was hoping for a little easier playing in thumb position. Any suggestions?

 

[Marton]

IME the Helicore Hybrids are good for Jazz, not much for arco playing. I would go for the Corellis. (or Obligatos, which is a very good hybrid string in my experience)

 

[swingingoodtime]

Although I've not tried the 370M's, I found the TX's to be a reasonably good combination of softness, volume & punch; you may find the M's a bit quiet as they won't impart as much energy as the thicker strings but, as per my comments re basses above, you won't know until you try them on yours. Maybe try the heavier ones, particularly if you'll be competing with an ensemble, to cut through a little more? Also, most of what I've read is that the M's suit people struggling with hand injuries, so perhaps the TX's are a more 'normal' place to start? That's what I did after first trying the HH's followed by Spiro Mittels: although I did end up ditching the TX's for Spiro Weichs as these gave me a little more punch albeit with a bit more tension (which I actually preferred for digging in until I injured my left pinky). Then I tried innovation 140's (B/H combo; too tight & nasally on my bass), Helicore Orchestrals (way too tight; what was I thinking?), Spiro Superflexible Solo's (too thin, too metal-twangy), Velvet Anima's (nice tone & tension but a frightening long term cost proposition given their relatively short life) before happily settling on guts Having said all of that, this is just my experience on my bass with my hands and my playing style; YMMV...

 

[skatevu]

Thanks for your response. I know the 370m's wouldnt have much volume, but would that effect the amped sound? Also if anyone has any expierience with the 370F's, all info is greatly appreciated

 

[Francois Blais]

So corellis definatley get the majority vote, now i just need to know which ones i should order. I am used to very thick, high tension orchestral strings, but i already have those on the school bass. I was thinking about going with the 370m or fs, since i was hoping for a little easier playing in thumb position. Any suggestions?

They come in two flavors: tungsten (370 series) and nickel (380 series).

The 370s come in three gauges; M, F and TX
The 380s only in M and TX

The tungstens have a brighter tone, more towards Spiros, and are quite thin, while the nickels have a more traditional construction, are slightly thicker and warmer sounding.
The E string in the 380TX set is not to be recommended though.
It's very stiff and doesn't sound good.
My favorite mix at the moment is 380TXs for the G, D and A, coupled with a 370TX E.
I prefer the warmth of the nickels, and the thicker diameter too.

They are easy too play, even the TX gauge.
In fact, the M gauge is very thin, and they don't project much.
You can't dig much into them.

Hope this helps!
François

 

[James Hart]

Thanks for the thread! I have had the HH on my bass since I got it a couple years ago. I decided the other day it is time to replace them and after a LOT of reading, I think I'm going with [edit] Corelli... but still picking my start of them [/edit]

 

[swingingoodtime]

...I prefer the warmth of the nickels, and the thicker diameter too.

Good point, Francois; When you mentioned that, I remembered that was another reason I tried the Weichs; the extra thickness gave me a little more to purchase a grip on and, ironically, meant I didn't have to press as hard to feel the string under my fingers.