Obligatos still a good choice.

[Bobby King]

I never seemed to have had the same great experiences that many of you have with Evah Pirazzis. (but neither of my basses are really any great shakes, maybe if I had a better instrument the EPs would work better) I loved their arco qualities but I found the pizz to be pretty dark and subdued on both of my basses. I ultimately feel the same about Olives and Eudoxas, they don't quite "move" the way I want them to. With "regular" gut strings, i.e. plain + roundwound gut sets, and also Velvets, there's still a kind of brightness and snap to go along with the deep gut sound. My Strunal hybrid bass sounds great with Velvets and also very good with regular guts.

Obligatos have more brightness and sustain for pizz on my Shen plywood than the EPs did, while still being very good for arco. I'm actually finding them even better than I remembered for arco this time around. I will admit, when I had them on briefly around 2 weeks ago, my old Superflexibles were kicking some serious ass in the pizz department, but there's quite a difference between them and the Obligatos for arco. Spirocore Weich were also very good for pizz on the Shen, but about the same as Superflex for arco.

[Bijoux]

Hi Guys,
I used Obligatos a few years back and I went back to Spirocores even though they are harder under the bow.
Anyway, I have a new set of Obligatos and I've been considering putting them on, but before I do let me ask you a question.
Do any of you guys feel that after about a year you start to have problems with intonation?
I seem to remember that the Obligatos keep stretching and once they get old they are maybe a little uneven creating problems with intonation.
I love the Spirocores because they are always dependable and consistent after years of use. In fact I am under the impression that they get better.
Thank you.

[Bobby King]

I have to admit (contradicting the title of this thread that I started) that I quickly grew tired of the Obligatos this time around. They were very nice for arco but the pizz was pretty dull and uninspiring. So I put my old Superflexibles back on which I always like, then just recently I bought some used Spirocore Mittels and I have them on my Shen bass now. Believe it or not, they are bowing just fine for me and are not too bright sounding. There's a lot of "stick with Spiros" advice on Talkbass, and probably for good reasons. I do also love Velvet Animas which I have on my other bass, but you can't bow too much on those.

[robobass]

Originally Posted by Bijoux

Hi Guys,
I used Obligatos a few years back and I went back to Spirocores even though they are harder under the bow.
Anyway, I have a new set of Obligatos and I've been considering putting them on, but before I do let me ask you a question.
Do any of you guys feel that after about a year you start to have problems with intonation?
I seem to remember that the Obligatos keep stretching and once they get old they are maybe a little uneven creating problems with intonation.
I love the Spirocores because they are always dependable and consistent after years of use. In fact I am under the impression that they get better.
Thank you.

I haven't had any problems, but a year is a long time for a delicate string like the Obli. I get more than that out of a set, but I don't do so much pizz, and have several instruments to share the wear!

[Wilbyman]

I can't believe you guys are breaking obligatos so quick (4 months)...I have been beating on my set for about 8 and they are holding up fine. They do kind of die after a while but for the sound I like (dark and punchy) it works.

W

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I am back in the Obligati camp.
On my now one year old big carved bass My new KC Strings Bass I have been through a bunch of strings :
Spiro Mittels on the bottom/Oblis on top, Helicore Hybrids on top,all Spiros, Superflexibles, Corelli, Spiros, Helicore Hybrids, Oblis, Spiros and now for the last month, Obligatos again.

The set I'm using is a mix of some given to me (used) and some I've had on and off a few times. I'm sure there are at least several months on them, but the windings are perfect.
The G and D (about a year old) went kind of twangy for a bit, but now the entire set is dark and punchy. They really sound nice both pizz and under the bow over the entire bass.

The thing I like most is the way they feel. The Mittels and Supers felt very stiff when stretched to 43" and at the end of a long gig I really began to feel it. The Oblis feel very nice under the left hand and my pizz fingers can really dig in with no problem.

The bass sounds better with less tension as well.
The E and A can flop and roll on basses with lower tension like my Upton, but on this bass they are nice and tight. They do have a nice growl down low.

I don't know how much life is in these things, but as 'the twangy phase' has already passed and the windings are still good, I'm hoping for a few more months.

[Doley50]

I had only one pair on my bass for the last um... 7 years. Helicore Hybrid Med.
they are now getting so dull I can't take it any more.
My bass is going to the luthier tomorrow for some work, He WAS going to put
Obligatos on, but after reading some other reviews and this thread I have changed my
mind.
I was wondering if any of you had any experience with the Pirastro Permanents.

I play mostly bluegrass, but I am looking for a clear, bright sound, that still has good
volume was going to go with Corelli but I think the low tension will not give me the volume I will need or the tone I want playing acoustically.

Sorry for the long post.
Any input would be great.
Thanks
John

[DB66]

I haven't been reading or posting on talkbass much since I fulfilled my G.A.S., got a really nice german shop bass and an Eminence, which are both strung with Obligtos. Probably 2 years since I put any major time on this site.

The Eminence has had the same Obligatos since I bought it coming up on 4 years - no problems with the strings, I don't take the neck off, nice and fat/dark. My Götz acoustic has had Obligatos for probably 1.5 years, maybe longer, no issues. I know of the rolling effect, but haven't really noticed it whilst playing. And quite frankly I haven't thought about my strings, or bass case or amp much since not reading this forum. I thought I would take an evening and catch up - now after a few hours of catching up - I feel now the need to upgrade my bass case, amp, and now strings . For the band I'm in now I'm going for a very short note decay, fat, less tone swing sound and Oblis work fine for that, but they have sustain and growl when I want it, arco works well. Unless I break a string I'm not looking to upgrade strings but if I do I guess I might try the Evah, which I just heard about tonight.

I guess the moral to the story is this place breeds G.A.S.

One more thing, I just found the string matrix sticky and listening to the Obligatos and Thomastik Mittel clips, it sounds very much like my bass, not the playing though. So for me that recording is a very accurate interpretation of those strings.

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Mine are well over a year old and still sound pretty good. However, I noticed on a gig
Thursday that the E and A are really rolling on me. I never really noticed a problem before, but I can spin those things almost a complete turn. It may be time to replace them.

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by Bijoux

Hi Guys,

Do any of you guys feel that after about a year you start to have problems with intonation?
I seem to remember that the Obligatos keep stretching and once they get old they are maybe a little uneven creating problems with intonation.
I love the Spirocores because they are always dependable and consistent after years of use. In fact I am under the impression that they get better.
Thank you.

My obligatos never lasted a year. It probably depends how much playing you do and how hard you are on them. Spirocores last much longer, but they too have their limits. They can play "false" when they are worn out, even if their tone is still nice.

[McGryff]

I've had my Oblis on my Shen for around a year now, and they're still doing fine. I really like the pizz tone, it's perfect for alot of the stuff I play, which is traditional, Americana, oldtime & the like. I was having quite a bit of trouble with arco tone (loads of screeching on the D & G), but I decided to replace my rosin (Pops to Carlsson) and the problem's been mostly solved. (so now it's been reduced to my technique!)

When these Oblis do wear out, I'm pretty keen to check out the EPs, but for whatever reason, the Oblis sound damn fine on my bass.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by McGryff

I've had my Oblis on my Shen for around a year now, and they're still doing fine. I really like the pizz tone, it's perfect for alot of the stuff I play, which is traditional, Americana, oldtime & the like. I was having quite a bit of trouble with arco tone (loads of screeching on the D & G), but I decided to replace my rosin (Pops to Carlsson) and the problem's been mostly solved. (so now it's been reduced to my technique!)

When these Oblis do wear out, I'm pretty keen to check out the EPs, but for whatever reason, the Oblis sound damn fine on my bass.

I always loved the sound of Oblis but found them somewhat weak. I don't know that anyone would call Evahs weak. They pack quite a punch and you might just love them for what you play. As far as arco goes, in my experience anyway, Evahs are far superior under the bow. None of the tendency to get "screech" as happened to me with the Oblis as well. YMMV.

[stefaniw80401]

Originally Posted by drurb

For me, that characterization is quite accurate. Of course, being "on steroids" makes them different, both tactically and sonically. [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4187955&postcount=29"] Gary described Evahs as being what Obligatos were "supposed to be."

I disagree with that assement. I discovered that Obligato G&D bow much better up in thumb position than either EP regular and weich. To me, the Obligato G string, while not being as thick, reminds me how the Olive G bows up there.

[engedi1]

I used obligatos for a number of years, after many years of using Spiro Mittels. On my once beloved 100 year old Czech bass they sounded pretty good, if not as loud as I could of wanted. I had to sell this bass in time of financial woe, and have recently acquired a brand new hybrid bass that was built for me by a Chattanooga luthier. I decided to forego Obligatos as I really want acoustic volume now, and on a new, bright bass, I didn't think Obligatos would deliver much. I did however recommend to a student of mine to get obligatos. They sounded excellent on his bass, for both pizz and arco, and I was starting to regret putting the Mittels back on my new bass.
Then, I got Velvet Compas 180 strings. These, IMHO are what Obligatos are trying to be. I have had my Velvets for about 3 months, and they get better, and better, with a deeper and fuller tone. The volume is huge, and the D and G string have an almost gut like snap with my somewhat high action. The A and E string have amazing sustain, almost like the Mittels, but not as bright. The Velvets offer huge tone, great sustain, some serious thump, and that bouncy feeling when walking fast bebop tunes, and a soft feel on the left hand, and -NO ROLL on the right hand. Will they last a good couple of years? (as they should considering the price!) I don't know yet, but I hope so.
On the other hand, my students obligatos, about 9 months old now, are dead and lifeless. They actually sound better for arco (what they are designed for) then when they were new, but their pizz tone is just thud, thud thud thud-very dull and uninspiring. I am now quite glad I didn't go with obligatos on my new bass-their pizz tone just doesn't seem to last, and if I were strictly an orchestral player, I would use Bel Cantos (which I had on briefly, and were AMAZING under the bow (horrible for pizz on this bass)
In my quest for great jazz strings that would also bow well, Compas 180 have me very, very happy. Of course, now that I got to play some Gamut guts on Bobby Kings bass I now am seriously thinking about experimenting with those! There is just something about those strings that moves you! Sigh, it never ends. I need 2, perhaps 3 basses.

[MrSidecar]

Originally Posted by engedi1

Will they last a good couple of years? (as they should considering the price!) I don't know yet, but I hope so.

Hi,

not meaning to burst your bubble, but I am very skeptical to Compas 180 lasting more than a year at most. I had one set that I was very happy with back when I was searching for that one right string. I felt exactly like you, the strings felt great and delivered great sustain and tone, (don't know about volume, that's so hard to evaluate since volume-at-player-ear is different than volume-in-blend-with-others) but after about 11 months or so they just went dead. Well, it started slowly and gradually of course, but they dulled and stopped speaking.
That was why I never bought them again and the search, back in the day, continued- I didn't like the thought of paying fortunes for one year of playing time. Plus, all that 18th-century-like tie-a-knot attaching of the tailpiece end of the string seemed rather annoying.
Before and after that I went through Helicore pizz, hybrid (both in different gauges), velvet compass 360, and whatnot, only to one day accidentally come back to spirocore (then weich, now mittel for years, and soon I'll give stark a shot) and asking myself "what on earth was I looking for?" That's a string that lasts as long as you want to, for a fraction of the price.

The usual "YMMV" applies.

Best
Sidecar

[stefaniw80401]

Originally Posted by MrSidecar

... I didn't like the thought of paying fortunes for one year of playing time. ...

Not to mention an arm-and-a-leg, and your first born child.

I'm currently rockin' a spiro mitt bottom/obligato top mix in the orchestra. It's odd -- I've been shrugging off these 15 year-old oblis in my string box for years. Then I remember some crazy TB'er saying that he liked a spiro/obli mix. Since I had nothing to lose by trying the same, I did and it's been the best thing to happen to me with strings on my bass since the Olive-G came along. My problem has been finding a good D match for the olive G, and I'm wondering if the obligato-D would be a good match?

[engedi1]

Originally Posted by MrSidecar

Hi,

not meaning to burst your bubble, but I am very skeptical to Compas 180 lasting more than a year at most. I had one set that I was very happy with back when I was searching for that one right string. I felt exactly like you, the strings felt great and delivered great sustain and tone, (don't know about volume, that's so hard to evaluate since volume-at-player-ear is different than volume-in-blend-with-others) but after about 11 months or so they just went dead. Well, it started slowly and gradually of course, but they dulled and stopped speaking.
That was why I never bought them again and the search, back in the day, continued- I didn't like the thought of paying fortunes for one year of playing time. Plus, all that 18th-century-like tie-a-knot attaching of the tailpiece end of the string seemed rather annoying.
Before and after that I went through Helicore pizz, hybrid (both in different gauges), velvet compass 360, and whatnot, only to one day accidentally come back to spirocore (then weich, now mittel for years, and soon I'll give stark a shot) and asking myself "what on earth was I looking for?" That's a string that lasts as long as you want to, for a fraction of the price.

The usual "YMMV" applies.

Best
Sidecar

Yes,
I have heard of longevity problems with Velvet, and in fact, all such hybrid strings using synthetic cores. One thing that I have going for me is probably the driest, most non-acidic hands of anyone I have heard of. Strings tend to last a lot longer for me than many people, especially BG strings. I don't know how relevant that is for upright strings, but I am hoping it helps! I also have understood that earlier versions of velvet strings have had problems, like short longevity and frequent breakage, and it seems that I see less such reports then you used to. How long ago did you have your velvets Sidecar?

[MrSidecar]

Originally Posted by engedi1

How long ago did you have your velvets Sidecar?

Hi again,

it's been certainly 6 years since, maybe 7. So it can be they changed the string since. But I think it's not the acids that pose trouble, it's just that the material ages. And with my layman understanding of things, I'd suggest synthetic or at least fibre cores to be more prone to fast aging than stainless steel. I might be wrong. But with me, that point where the strings were
at the end of their lifespan came after not quite a year, ca. 10 to 11 months i remember it was. Another thing I personally think is a pain is the time they need to settle. I mean, Spiros you put on and bang, in tune. Basically, for me, they stay in tune until I take them off again. Almost. And those Velvets, they dropped and dropped, and then they dropped even more, and finally after 2 weeks or so they stayed remotely in tune from day to day. I still had to tune up way more than with steel strings...

My mileage.

Best
Sidecar

[engedi1]

I think that there have been some significant changes to the Velvet line, as opposed their earlier models. I know the compas 360 line was pretty weak, and was discontinued. The Compas 180 is supposed to be a marked improvement over the 360. I will report back in 12 months and let you know how these strings are holding up. They definitely kept stretching for at least 3 weeks and would be at least a quarter tone flat after each night, but this wasn't the end of the world. When I play gigs I use a built in tuner and just glance at it between songs. If the strings were going out, I would just hit the mute button and tune up real quick. Not an issue for me. Of course nothing is stable like the Spiro's, or other pure steel strings.
It comes down to what you want tone wise. I am personally not that interested in the Spiro tone anymore, and most likely my next strings will be raw gut on the D and G with Velvets on the A and E. This seems to offer a pretty stable solution, that gets the big fat thump I am looking for. The Velvets give me more of this thump on the D and G than I could have thought possible on non-gut strings, yet still have some nice sustain. Almost too much sustain actually. I may stay with these for as long as they last, but I am more and more eager to try out the Gamut Pistoy D and G. Ideally I would have two basses, one primarily for an arco setup and the other for jazz, but at the moment, my Velvet 180's are getting the job done very nicely, I have never been so happy with my strings.
To get back to the point of this thread, I probably would have put Obligatos on my bass, or Evah Pirazzi's if I hadn't been intrigued by the velvets.

[Steve Boisen]

Trying a set of Pirastro Obligatos is what ended my own personal strings quest (which for the record included time spent with Spirocore Mittel, Superflexible, Helicore Orchestra, Helicore Hybrid, and La Bella gut). They were the last piece in the string/pickup/amp puzzle that lead to satisfaction with my current setup, and subsequently I seemed to spend a lot less time here on talkbass. It's funny how the items that work for me seem to have as many fans as they do people who dislike them, but I guess that's the nature of these things.

- Steve