Obligato G&D + Spiro A&E

[Jason Hollar]

I wanted to split this off the Stark E post.

Just put on a brand spankin' new set of Obligato G&Ds with Spiro Mittel A&E's.

Stretching, waiting for the brightness to mellow...

I got nearly two years out of the original Obligatos. Didn't want to take them off...but did to prevent any breakage...especially with a cold winter on the way.

Now my goal is to see how long these strings stay on!

Disclaimer...I might still try a Stark E!

This message is also directed toward CLINK who uses the same setup -- how's it going with your strings?

Also, I noted you have an Upton Romanian that you said is a little weak in the low E.

I have a Lemur Romanian...wonder if we have a similar bass? Mine has a nice punch & growl, but not the earth-shattering kaboom on the low E like I've heard on other basses. It sure is big & heavy too!

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Raising the bridge adjusters.
I believe my problem was mostly related to the low string height, but the Obli's are off. They just felt so good though.
We'll see how my hands like the Mittels for awhile.

Yea, the E is still a bit weak, so I might move up to a Stark once my hands get back in shape.

Regarding the bass, it still has a bit of that new plywood sound.
I'll check out Lemur to see if there is a family resemblance. /////I didn't see one over there quite like mine. btw, I don't consider my bass to be that heavy. Is yours fully carved? Mine is the hybrid.

Originally Posted by Jason Hollar

I wanted to split this off the Stark E post.

Just put on a brand spankin' new set of Obligato G&Ds with Spiro Mittel A&E's.

Stretching, waiting for the brightness to mellow...

I got nearly two years out of the original Obligatos. Didn't want to take them off...but did to prevent any breakage...especially with a cold winter on the way.

Now my goal is to see how long these strings stay on!

Disclaimer...I might still try a Stark E!

This message is also directed toward CLINK who uses the same setup -- how's it going with your strings?

Also, I noted you have an Upton Romanian that you said is a little weak in the low E.

I have a Lemur Romanian...wonder if we have a similar bass? Mine has a nice punch & growl, but not the earth-shattering kaboom on the low E like I've heard on other basses. It sure is big & heavy too!

[Jason Hollar]

Yeah,

Mine is fully carved, flat back.

Huge brace supports inside...they look like 2x4's!

Heavy and built like a tank...not exactly light and resonant.

I'll post a photo if I can find a good one.

I'm hoping to step up to a New Standard in the next coupla years.

My bass is a good one though and I'm starting to play pretty good on it...

My goal for 2008 is to spend NO money on music gear and just make money.

Ha! I only have one moth to spend a few more bux!

[greitzer]

Originally Posted by Jason Hollar

...Just put on a brand spankin' new set of Obligato G&Ds with Spiro Mittel A&E's...Stretching, waiting for the brightness to mellow...I got nearly two years out of the original Obligatos. Didn't want to take them off...

Jason, it sounds like you really liked the Obli's. Do you play both arco and pizz? How did you like them for each type of playing? If you got two years out of them, you obviously didn't have the "short life" problems that some other Obli users had.

[robgrow]

In my experience, the Upton hybrid benefits from higher tension strings. The tension on the Spirocore Mittels on my Upton hybrid feels about like the Spiro Weichs on my big flatback bass. Actually the E string on the Upton hybrid seemed to need even more tension, so I went with the Stark E. It has the kind of tension I was looking for and is very powerful.

[Jason Hollar]

John...

I don't play arco. I do own a nice bow -- not a nick on it!

Seriously, I play strictly pizz...jazz swing & blues stuff.

I have also been thwacking the slap thang as well, trying to sound like Milt Hinton on 2-feel tunes, etc.

I have a pretty heavy touch so I put these strings through a tough workout as well as quite a few gigs and sessions.

The Obli G & D have been remarkable. So warm, loud, and easy to play.

However, I was starting to get worried that one of these might break soon. Intuition?

The Obli A & E didn't last so long tone-wise. I changed them after about 9 months because I had an important studio session and I wanted stronger low end on the recording. So, after another 6 months or so on these newer strings, I decided to try on old set of Spiro mittels on the A & E.

Big difference.

So much so that I ordered this custom set.

Again, my bass is not as powerful in the lower register as I'd like. If it were, I might see staying with the full Obli set longer...but the brighter metal strings might be the best match.

The Obli's break in nice and have a mellow feel. I think the bottom loses its punch -- but I never had any rolling or separation problems with the strings as others have reported.

I might try that Stark still...but I'm going to let this Mittel E break in first. For a while. Hopefully.

[Jason Hollar]

Rob -- that's interesting.

I've played really nice basses with mittels and I coulda sworn they were weichs...so easy to play!

My bass feels like the opposite.

A whole set of mittels is almost too much tension, hence the custom string set.

I used to use weichs on top and mittels on the bottom, but I like these Oblis so much better.

[Jason Hollar]

Clink,

I don't think Lemur sells this model anymore.

Shank in Etown tells me this bass is a Kolstein copy.

Kind of hard to believe -- it's such a honkin' beast.

Cuts through the mix though -- amplifies well -- plus it records nice & strong.

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Your bass may be yet another Gliga shop bass. I saw a Kolstein Romanian bass that looked very similar to the some of the Romanian basses others sell.
The main thing is that you like it.

I agree with Rob on the tension of the Upton bass. Going back to Mittels really improved things. The bass just sounded great on tonight's gig and it wasn't as painful as I expected. I may well go with a Stark E.

[TroyK]

I feel like I'm joining your conversation mid-stream, but then again I am. Can you fill me in? Are you guys using Spiro Mettiels E and A and Obligatos D and G?

I would have thought Weiches would have been closer in tension. How do they match in tension, gauge and volume for you?

Any sound clips? You sound happy, I'd love to catch up to the conversation.

I'm ignoring the occasional mention of the "stark". I'm not man enough.

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

On my particular bass Weiches had much less volume. Some basses may need more string to get them moving. The Obligatos felt very similar to Mittels, although they aren't quite as stiff. Volume is about the same. My bass is a little bright, so the balance was good.

Right now, I'm liking the Mittels though. As much as anything, they seem to sound better on the gig. Most of the Spirocore bright metallic sound is less noticeable on the gig. The Obligatos sounded great at home, but were a bit dull when amplified on a gig.
Of course, they were starting to go dead.

[Jason Hollar]

Hey Troy -- What strings are you using these days? I remember a while back you were looking for really low tension strings. Any luck?

I started on Weichs...but as I progressed and got stronger (and was looking for more volume) I switched to Mittels.

Since a whole set of those feels really stiff on my bass -- this took a few years to figure out -- I switched to Obligatos and have been using them exclusively for the last few years.

Now in looking for a slightly stronger low end, I'm back to Mittels on the bottom with Oblis on top.

Really nice balance for my axe.

Plus, the Oblis seems to loosen up with age -- this way I can pretend I have gut strings like Mr. PC!

[TroyK]

So, you have medium Spirocores on E and A and Obligatos on D and G? And they feel and sound well matched?

Me? These days? Hmmm... I shutter to get into it, but I brought it up. I'm using Evah's on all 4. I've never been so undecided about strings before. I'm not indifferent about them. I've got a fair bit of experience with them now, I just can't really settle in on how I feel. I'll save my in depth for the EP thread, but I'm not sure I feel like talking that much about it yet.

I tried Obligatos when they were fairly new. LOVED THEM!, then the E and A started rolling on me and it broke my heart. I moved on and developed a very bad string habit that I have kind of come out of with a few consistent experiences, most recently Jazzers, before trying the EPs.

The Jazzers were great workhorse strings for me. Had them on for about 14 months, could have probably gone a little longer. Loved the E and A, never really loved the D, but tolerated it. Never really liked the G, but was happy to have a complete set of matched strings on and not be dinking around. Started getting used to the idea that the sound I want in my practice room was not the sound I need on stage with a band and an amp.

When I stared putting EPs on, I started with the G and worked my way back. It took me a while to take the Jazzer off of E and A, they were so nice with the EP D and G on there. The EP G string is starting to buzz, could be my set up or it could be the string. I was trying to decide if the strings were staying before I had my luthier make an adjustment.

Been wondering about the Obligato D and G again, which I never had a problem with and how well they might match up with something more durable like Jazzers or Spirocores on the E and A and if so, what gauge would be best. Even if the Obligatos needed to be replaced a few times a year, Spirocores never would, so it's an affordable solution...so, I'm just thinking at this point.

Obviously, you think it's a good idea, yeah?

EDIT: Every once in a while, I play someone else's bass with Obligatos and remember how much I briefly liked them. Then again, I know that someone else playing my bass right now would love the EPs. It's the 3rd and 4th set that you start questioning them.

[Jason Hollar]

Maybe you should try Jazzer A&Es with Obli G&Ds?

I'm interested in the Evahs too...but I think I found a winner for my axe with the Sprio/Obli combo.

I'm still thinking about that Stark E though...

[Jason Hollar]

PS --

I never experience that "rolling" problem on the Obligatos...but I don't play with the bow.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Jason Hollar

Maybe you should try Jazzer A&Es with Obli G&Ds?

I've been thinking about that. If I go strictly by gauges (officially and unofficially published diameter measures) it seems like it would be a really good fit. I know that I like that Jazzer E and A and I think I like the Obligato D and G, so it's just a question of if they would play nicely together and there's only one way to find out. (and if I'm ready to give up on the EPs). Then again, I feel like I've been running from Spirocores for a long time. I still have the Jazzers that I took off and I actually have some very old Mettiels that someone gave me that I have never been on my bass and I have a Weich E and A that I tried very briefly and HATED, but didn't give a fair chance to years ago. I could buy 2 Obli's and try everything.

Originally Posted by Jason Hollar

I never experience that "rolling" problem on the Obligatos...but I don't play with the bow.

I don't bow much, but I pizz'ed those windings right off that wimpy little core in about 8 weeks. It was spinning like a soda straw on the E and A. Especially the A, which I feel like I get more torque on from the better thumb on fingerboard angle. They rolled so bad that it started impacting my time. I'd have to start the note ahead of where I wanted to play it so the string could catch up with my finger. It was really disappointing. I was so happy when I put those strings on. Pirastro stood behind them and forever won my loyality (which is probably why I've used almost all of their strings and avoided Spirocores), but it was totally unacceptable experience.

I've played other people's basses with Obligatos that didn't roll and I've played some that have rolled and they said "oh that, it doesn't bother me". It drove me crazy.

But, I didn't have a problem with the treble side strings, which seem to be the more difficult to find sonic love with in the world of DB, so I'm considering calling up old girlfriends...so to speak.

[gnergaard]

...and took them off for the same reasons that everyone else has already mentioned. Really, it was the durability factor that settled it for me.
Just so you all have my info. to judge this comment by,
I have been a long time spiro weich user.
After some trouble with arco and at my luthiers suggestion, I tried the Obligato D and G with the spiro weich E and A.
The D never really worked. While the spiro d is always the loudest of the set, the obligato was dead on my bass.
The Obligato G stayed on for about 2 or 3 months and then started fading. There was a little rolling but I generally liked it for about a month once it stretched, especially for Arco. Then it started dying out- separating a bit at the bridge, huge loss of volume. I was never thrilled about how it amplified, but made it work.
My bass is a big girl, though, over 43" scale (old american standard ply) so I think I have different needs in terms of tension and mass in stirings as opposed to bassists with a more standard 40-42" scale bass. My bass tends to like thin strings as the long scale equals more string mass. Even Spiro Mittels are like a huge work-out on my bass- very tight.
Right now my dream string is a set of weichs that is about 3 years old. They actually start to bow reasonalbly well if you wait that long! And then the E string slowly fades away...