Jargar or Obligatos?

Hector Wolff · #1 07-07-2003, 07:10 PM

I have ordered my first bass, and need to specify the strings for it.

I will be playing mostly orchestral music with the bow, and will be playing on a rather large bodied, hybrid bass.

I will have some opportunities to play jazz with a trio.

I have narrowed the decision to either the Oligatos, or the Jargar Mediums (though I have considered the Helicore Orchestra or Arco).

The talk of the Oligato's slow response to the bow on the lower two strings, and the problems with uneven stretch bothers me.

I understand the Jargars are also gutlike, even toned across the four strings, and are warm and sweet.

All this sounds good to me, but how do they respond to the bow? Is it easier to get the two lower stings into motion on these strings? Do they have enough sustain to be passable for jazz?

Thanks for your help.

**Francois Blais** · #2 07-07-2003, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hector Wolff
I understand the Jargars are also gutlike, even toned across the four strings, and are warm and sweet.

All this sounds good to me, but how do they respond to the bow? Is it easier to get the two lower stings into motion on these strings? Do they have enough sustain to be passable for jazz?

Thanks for your help.

I can't help with their bow response, sorry.
They don't have much sustain for jazz playing, but your definition of passable may be different than mine!
I love the G and D on my EUB!
(jazz pizz only!)

greitzer · #3 07-25-2003, 11:02 AM

Hector -- did you pick a string, Jargar or Obligato? I'm interested to hear if you've chosen, and what your impression is of the srings (especially if you chose the Jargar). Let us know how it worked out.

Hector Wolff · #4 07-28-2003, 11:40 AM

I'm sorry, Francois and Greitzer, I've forgotten my manners.

After reading about all kinds of strings and combinations, (including the lovely FlatChromesteel with Flexicor, that my teacher had on his bass), I realized that I simply don't have enough experience, with strings or basses.

So when I spec'd the strings for my new bass (a Sam Shen Hybrid), I setteled on the A'Addario Helicore Orchestras, because they were the strings on the Shen that I auditioned.

I love the D and G on my bass (warm and woody), and I am getting used to the E and A (distinctive sound - woody, but a little rough). I may experiment later with a different E and A.

Monte · #5 07-28-2003, 01:04 PM

The E & A are the strings I hate on the Helicores. To me they are too dead for pizz, whcih says a lot considering I usually use gut.

I'm liking the Obligatos very well on my new bass.

Monte

greitzer · #6 07-28-2003, 10:22 PM

Thanks for the update, Hector. I also have Helicore Orchestra strings on my bass (they came with the bass when I bought it, back in January). I agree with both you and Monte. The first three strings (G, D and A) are pretty good for arco. The E string was so muddy and vague, to my ear, that I replaced it with a Spirocore. Much clearer, stronger sound now.

For pizz, I think the Helicores are nowhere. They don't have the sustain of a good sustaining string, nor do they have the discreet thunk of a gut-type string -- they're somewhere in no-man's-land, in between the two. Their pizz volume is very soft, I really have to pull or hammer them hard to get much sound out of them, at least on my bass.

At some point I'm going to try a different set of strings (which is why I was curious about the Jargars).

Good luck with the Helicores, Hector.

Don Higdon · #7 07-29-2003, 06:48 AM

In declaring the D'Addarios dead, are you speaking about the string in its designed application? Yes, the arco is not good for pizz, but I found their pizz string had sustain equal to Obligato. I haven't used D'Addario for a while, because Spiros spoil it for every other steel string, but the D'A'dds were OK.

Monte · #8 07-29-2003, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Higdon
In declaring the D'Addarios dead, are you speaking about the string in its designed application? Yes, the arco is not good for pizz, but I found their pizz string had sustain equal to Obligato. I haven't used D'Addario for a while, because Spiros spoil it for every other steel string, but the D'A'dds were OK.

Yeah, I am speaking of the orchestral versions. I don't like pizz only strings because I hate fighting with the bow on them, and I hated the hybrids. I found them harder to bow than the Spiros, and they didn't sound as good.

Monte

Don Higdon · #9 07-29-2003, 08:46 AM

The answer is so simple. You need to buy another bass, one for arco, one for pizz.

Monte · #10 07-29-2003, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Don Higdon
The answer is so simple. You need to buy another bass, one for arco, one for pizz.

Great idea, but I like being married

Actually, I like this bass so much for both that I don't know what it would be. I have noticed that basses most people would consider orchestra basses are the ones I like best for jazz anyway. It's the sound I hear in my head; huge, blooming, and not necessarily the classic long sustain associated with jazz. More fundamental to the tone.

I'm liking the Obligatos so far for this purpose. I loved the Eudoxas, but with the EU taxes on imports, I can't justify the cost. My teacher is using Obligato E & A and Oliv D & G and that seems like a good compromise.

I have a new set of the reformulated steel wrapped Velvet 180's that I will give a try after the obligatos start dying. If they have made the arco equal to the pizz of the old 180's, I'll be sold.

Monte