Strings

  1. aphillips
    aphillips
    Hey what are you guys using for strings on your Breedloves? I just picked up a GHS Phosphor Bronze Bobby Osborne Sig. set - we'll see how it goes.
  2. MLT
    MLT
    On both of my Breedloves I use D'Addario EXPs currently and I have used and do like Thomastik Mittles as well.

    As you well know, both of these styles of strings bring their own tone. On my OF I like the brightness of the EXPs but on my OO I really like the tone of the Thomastick's.
  3. MandoSquirrel
    MandoSquirrel
    While I used TI Starks on the KO I no longer have, I've found that GHS silk & steel give enough of the tone with more volume on my Cascade. Since I have a stockpile of GHS PF 270's from back when I had a Gibson A2, I'll probably try them on my Cascade; I didn't like anything other than TI or JazzMando's (& other LaBella flatwounds) on the KO, but the Cascade seems more forgiving of string variety.
  4. mandohymn
    mandohymn
    Working on different combinations searching for "the sound." Just ordered GHS Silk & Steel for my Spirit KO. JazzMando flatwounds very comfortable but the bass sound seems sort of muddy. Also suspecting bridge for E strings - outside string cut just next to the post and it sounds/feels "tight" to me.
  5. aphillips
    aphillips
    Thanks guys- I'm going to start checking some different strings out. I also found this thread on the breedlove forum http://breedloveforum.yuku.com/topic...-mandolin.html
  6. MandoSquirrel
    MandoSquirrel
    MLT & I are in that thread, are you a BGMF member?
  7. MLT
    MLT
    Funny how times change the ear. I was just re-reading the external thread posted by aphillips. Seems that at that point in time my ears did not care much for the J74s. And at that time it was true, but I guess they have grown on me like fine wine because I use them regularly now.
  8. RobP
    RobP
    I am using j74's on my FF. It came with exp 74's, but I went back to J74s during some extensive setup work I had done to get the action low enough. I may experiment now, but the j74s are working for me.
  9. aphillips
    aphillips
    Hey Mandosquirrel - no I'm not a member over there, but I found it when I was hunting down my Black Gold and check it out from time to time.
  10. OKMike
    OKMike
    Just switched from T I heavies to J75s on my Oo so far I like them. Liked the T-is as well just different a sound.

    Mike
  11. chordwood
    chordwood
    I have settled on JazzMandos for my Oregon. Along with a 1.5 Jazzmando or Dunlop .88 pick, depending on the tune, they give this mandolin a nice mellow, but not overly quiet, sound that seems pleasing in the fiddle orchestras in which I play in a sea of fiddles.

    Hans
  12. DerTiefster
    DerTiefster
    I have had a Breedlove KO for nearly a year now. I tried TI Mittels on it for several months, and liked them a lot. Late last fall I compared JazzDola flatwounds against phosphor-bronze strings on a Flatiron pancake mandola and I decided it was time to swap in some phosphor bronze strings on the KO, too. Maybe just a change, but I've been enjoying the PBs. It -is- a different sound.
  13. Marcus CA
    Marcus CA
    I use the J74's. I've heard great things about coated strings, but we have scrap metal recycling here, so all my strings to end up there, and coated ones would get rejected.
  14. Ed Goist
    Ed Goist
    I just picked-up a 2004 Breedlove Quartz OO in excellent condition. The previous owner graciously put new D'Addario J74 strings on it before shipping.

    For the first 15 playing hours or so, I found these strings to be remarkably bright...Almost off-puttingly so, to the point that I came close to changing them out within the first three days of owning the mandolin. After about the 15 hour playing point, however, they began to calm down considerably.

    They have been on now for 3 weeks (lets say 50+ playing hours) and they sound awesome! Great volume across the entire tonal range. Very clear, clean tone.

    I like very much! I'd love to eventually try the JazzMando strings (My OO is an a-style oval hole, after all!), but these J74s sound so good now, I'll likely stick with them for one more changing.

    I'd love to hear what other folks use on their oval-holed Breedloves!

    -Ed
  15. greg_tsam
    greg_tsam
    I use Elixir mediums. They sound mellow and smooth and don't corrode from my apparently acidic sweat and humid climate. D'Addario's corrode before I even touch them.
  16. iancohen82
    iancohen82
    Just bought a used Quartz KF 8450 and don't know what strings the previous owner had on it, and unfortunately, I didn't think to ask. I like the sound, though. It's bright and crunchy. I'm anxious to know what strings the group members use. I'm a fairly new player and I don't have that much experience with the different sounds of the different strings.
  17. MandoSquirrel
    MandoSquirrel
    If you read this thread, you'll see there's some variety of tastes. Many like flatwound strings on Quartz series.
  18. multidon
    multidon
    The Breedlove mandolins all come with D'Addario EXP 74 medium gauge phosphor bronze coated factory installed. One would assume that a manufacturer would install the string that they feel makes their mandolin sound the best. When I bought my 2008 Quartz FF used the previous owner had installed heavy flat-wounds. I didn't like them, even though I know many do. I took them off first thing and installed GHS light phosphor bronze just because I had them on hand. I like the sound much better but after I burn through those I will probably put some EXP 74's on there to find out what sound Breedlove was looking for.
  19. mandobassman
    mandobassman
    I have been using Thomastik flatwound strings on my Quartz OF since I bought it in 2006. Last August I switched to the D'Addario FW74 flatwounds. They sound awesome on this mandolin. I currently have the same set on that I installed back in August and they still sound great. Brighter tone than Thomastik, but still much warmer than bronze. Beautiful feel and lots of volume.
  20. mfeuerst
    mfeuerst
    FW74s provide a better overall sound (on my OO) than J74s.
  21. Gregory Tidwell
    Gregory Tidwell
    I have a 2003 Quartz OF. I just put some J74 on it and I'm digging the way it sounds.
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