String Question - Pirastro Obligato's

August 24, 2004 at 11:55 PM · I had the same feeling with the Evah Pirazzi- Nice,gut like (not exact) sound and left hand feeling and great stability, but however less colors and warmth of sound, and feels tougher under the bow. I changed back to the Olivs because it feels a lot more enjoyable when I am playing with Olivs.

August 26, 2004 at 12:15 AM · I just changed my strings from Evah Pirazzis to Obligatos. I like the Pirazzis so much more. The Obligato G and A are easy to get used to, but the D is horrible, the silver wound D is anyway. It has a very surfacy sound.

August 26, 2004 at 09:49 AM · because i have a performance coming up next week, i'm going to stick with the obligatos for at least untill they need changing again. after that I'll probably swap them over to something else, perhaps the evah's, or probably one set that my teacher is recommending me.

August 26, 2004 at 05:06 PM · Which set is it?

August 27, 2004 at 03:57 AM · I currently ordered a set of Obligato strings. I have the A on and it sounds really good.. I am slowly putting the strings on because school is coming up and so is orchestra. Lately - I have been using Olives and they aren't good with their tuning issues in orchestra - so I am giving these Obligatos a try. It seems so far like a good set..

August 28, 2004 at 03:11 PM · obligatos stay in tune fairly well. once i had worn them in they sound really good, but I found that they didn't last as long as i had been getting with the tonicas. However, I now feel that this may have been because i've been practicing more...

August 29, 2004 at 06:52 PM · Ryan,

The reason Olivs don't stay in tune very well is because they are gut core strings. Since they are made of a natural fiber, they aren't climate of temperature resistant like synthetic strings, such as Evah Pirazzis, Obligatos, and etc.

September 1, 2004 at 07:16 AM · My luthier jokes that they call them Obligatos because they 'obligate' you to buy a new set all the time. I have used a couple of sets of Obligatos and find them too nasal and i am really unhappy with the gold E. I feel the true sound of the violin is hidden by the sharpness of the strings. Maybe they are ok for a concert soloist, but i am prepared to sacrifice some power for a sound that is more pleasant to listen to.

September 28, 2004 at 06:28 AM ·

September 28, 2004 at 06:21 AM · Hi Ben,

So do you like Tonica? I'm considering to try either Tonica or Obligato. I understand you like the sound of Obligato more, but since I'm still somewhat beginner/intermediate, I doubt I could really hear a difference of sound between the 2 brands. from your messages, it seems to me that Tonica can last for a more reasonable amount of time than obligato...

btw, i'm using Infeld Red now and i'm looking for a darker, warmer sound.

September 28, 2004 at 07:24 AM · i haven't tried the new infeld strings, though i have been meaning to. The Obligato's do produce a really rich tone on my violin, but i've found them from the two sets i've had rather unpredictable.

My first set had a great tone and I was really pleased with them for the first few days, but as you can read above, after some time they died rather quickly (though this might have had something with me wanting to do more practice than I had on the tonicas). I replaced them and still wasn't pleased with the sound these new strings were making, however as they have worn in, they have developed a rich tone with my violin that I'm not minding all that much (although the reverb can sometimes make staccato a bit difficult).

Remember that strings act different on different violins. The strings do have a major effect on the tone, but the violin still has it's effect as well.

As for what you should use, the only way you can find out is trying them out yourself. Personally, I don't feel that the cost of the obligatos is really what they are worth - meaning you can get strings with nicer tones and more stable between sets for cheaper. But if you like them, and can afford them, keep with them, they are a very nice string.

September 28, 2004 at 09:10 PM · This had happened to me too and a representitave of Pirastro contacted me via email and offered me a complimentary set of Obligatos for my faulty ones. I was much happier with the second set, however I have changed to Thomastik Infeld reds, which are actually in need of change soon (I already replaced a false E string) and I just got that set at the end of August...

Is it just me or do strings not last as long as they used to? (Or am I maybe practicing more...) :P