Obligatos

[MatijaSchellander]

I just wrote a longer reply, but my programm crashed.
Anyway, I played obligatos for the last 2 years, and had no problems with the 2 sets I used up in this time, other than a broken E string that I played for one year in a period where I moved the bridge aroung a lot.

I liked them quite a lot, but now I don´t care too much anymore - they bend too much under the bow, and have a bit undefined pitch.

I have TI belcantos on my bass now for a week, they are getting better every day, sustain increases (!), more growl... I´m curious how they will sound in a month. Arco is fantastic, easier than the Obligatos IMO.
If you want a string that sounds warmer thans Spiro, but has a very defined pitch and speaks fast, give BC a try.

[Eduardo Barbosa]

hmmm.... funny...
I've been using Obligatos for a while and haven't had any problems with strings coming apart, or rolling and the set I am using now might be close to being 3 years old and I think that it sounds great!
I play mainly Jazz with that bass and occasionally I'll bring it to an Orchestral rehearsal where they also sound very sweet and mellow enough to blend in with the other basses.

[Ken Smith]

I used to really like them for playing both jazz and classical when I started back playing after a 15 year layoff. Every time an Orchestra player tried one of my basses with these strings he commented that they were not orchestra strings. As I got more and more warmed up and started playing heavier in Orchestra I realized he was right. With the digging in you need to do for Orchestra, they will only work on some basses. For the bigger Orchestra basses that you dig in on, the Obligatos are too light on the top and not stiff enough on the bottom. That 'roll' they talk about is from trying to play hard like you do when Bowing Orig. Flex's or Bel's. Evah's are a better bowing string I think than Obligatos as many players have done well with them. Those that thought the Evah's were not tough enough for Orchestra playing went back to regular steel cores like Flex or Bels.

The Obligatos are fun until your bow playing and even pizz playing is stronger then the response of the string on a particular bass.

I have the new Passione's on a few of my Basses. Some with Ext. and some without. One of the sets is the Stark. They sound and play like an Orchestra version of the Obligatos or Evah's.

It is not all that easy finding a string that works for both you, your bass and your style or needs of playing. Usually, it's not one single string for each bass if you have more than one. Besides your taste in strings, the bass has something to say about it as well as your bow. Listing to the wood talking to you!