Obligatos

[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!