Obligato Fifths Tuning Upright Bass Strings

This set is specifically designed for 5ths (aka "cello") tuning. From bottom to top, the tuning is C-G-D-A. Tuning these strings to standard E-A-D-G pitches will be incredibly difficult to play and probably damage your bass. Standard, and solo-tuning Obligatos are also available - browse on over to those product descriptions if that's what you're after!

Pirastro's popular Obligato strings have a solid synthetic core with a very thin metal wrap. They were designed to emulate gut strings, and they did a darn good job of creating such a string. Their attack is "old school" with that more blunt and thicker, warmer hit, with a little less sustain than more modern jazz strings. Their very smooth surface is kind to the fingers and they are a dream to bow. If you want your sound to be "traditional", whether for bluegrass, old school jazz and blues, or other styles that calls for that sound, you will enjoy the Obligatos. I had a set on my Kay for quite a while, for my own bluegrass, jazz and blues gigs, and I really enjoyed them. (I had planned to put a set on it again, and only removed them as I needed my laminated bass for more modern jazz sounds , as my carved Juzek underwent repairs. I just like the articulation of the Corellis for that- my high frequency hearing is just going bad! ;-) I am enjoying the gut strings on it now; see below) I am very fond of how well they emulate gut and the traditional bass sound, yet without mud or imprecision. They may look like metal strings, but they sure don't feel or sound like them-- the thin coating fools you! Not for use with magnetic pickups.

All strings have red with black spiral thread at the tailpiece, and different colors at the headstock.

Also available is a set with the alternate "rope-core" (steel strands wrapped in a "rope like" pattern) Low C string - some folks prefer the clearer sound of steel on the lowest string. So that option is available for ordering as well.

Also, we have listed a High E string which is a special order, sometimes "special production" string - that string is intended to be a high string on this set when used on a 5-string bass. That High E string is a special order item and is not returnable.