What strings you using?

  1. liestman
    liestman
    Just curious what strings everyone else likes on theirs and for what type of music? I play trad Irish and ragtimey stuff and in general most love the tone of Jazzmando (flat wound) strings. I have always loved everything about these beasts and those strings (warm and non-metallic sounding with tons of bass, plus easy on the fingers!) except for feeling that the E string sounded a bit different tone (thunky?) compared to the rest (and I was looking for a little more of a shimmering sound). I just changed the Es from the .011 that come with Jazzmandos to .010 and I think I have found my ultimate sound. Just a little more shimmering than the .011 gave (although I should probably try a .009 before declaring I have "found the holy grail").

    What do you all like and for what type of music?
  2. Ray(T)
    Ray(T)
    I also use the Jazzmandos. I would have thought that one plain E would sound pretty much the same as any other?

    So far as type of music is concerned - its all music to me!
    Ray
  3. chasgrav
    chasgrav
    Irish trad, blues and oldtime fiddle tunes. JazzMando strings. Heavy BlueChip pick. Nothing could be better.
  4. Yukon_Don
    Yukon_Don
    Jazz-Mandos. Great strings!
  5. Shelagh Moore
    Shelagh Moore
    I have a set of Jazz-Mandos on order and will try them out, noting that a lot of folks here use them on their Nationals and are pleased with them. I have mine, a recent acquisition, strung with D'Addario FT74 flat-tops (wound A string) currently and am extremely happy with the sound and feel of those.
  6. Ray(T)
    Ray(T)
    I'd be interested to know what you think of them. I suspect they'll sound like a cross between the Jazzmandos and J74s.
  7. skip bosco
    skip bosco
    Newtones, great great great strings.....011 - .040 phos. bronze
  8. Shelagh Moore
    Shelagh Moore
    Update on the strings front... I've been using FT74 flat-tops for the past few months on my RM-1 and have been very happy indeed with their tone. If there is one downside it is that they are very stiff and have a somewhat higher tension than a normal 11-40 set which can begin to punish your fingers in a 3 or 4 hour session. I ended up using the Jazz-Mandos I bought on my two-pointer and they suit that instrument perfectly. I've now put on the new D'Addario FW74 set on my RM-1 and am very impressed with those so far. This set is truly flatwound, rather than ground, and has gauges .011, .015, .026w and .036w.
  9. bilben
    bilben
    Definitely Jazz-Mandos are the best I've found so far, with maybe a 10 for the high E if the 11 feels a bit stiff.
  10. Jim Garber
    Jim Garber
    I know that most folks here prefer to tone down their RM-1 with TIs or Jazzmandos but this is from FAQ page on National site:

    We use John Pearse strings for all of our instruments. Here are the following gauges:

    Mandolin Loop End ?#2150M
    .011 .011 .014 .014 Silvered Steel .026 .026 .040 .040 Phos. Bronze Wound


    Personally I like the brash bright sound but might experiment some, too. None of my many mandolins sound like the RM-1.
  11. Shelagh Moore
    Shelagh Moore
    Update: I have now had a set of JM-11s (Jazzmandos) on my RM-1 for a few months. They are very good, and I use them on my Nava as a matter of course, but I think I slightly prefer the gauges of the FW-74 flatwounds on the National and will revert back to those next string change.
  12. Michael Pastucha
    Michael Pastucha
    I've had EXP75s on my RM-1 for some years now. These are medium heavy strings (.0015 - .041). Yes, they're a bit stiff but I like that because of the low angle that the strings have going over the saddle from the tail piece. D'Addario says on the package that these strings are "Warm, Bright and [have] Balanced tone." I'd agree provided you use the right pick! I use a customized Gator pick (the heaviest which is gray). The picks are customized because I change the angle of the bevel on the pick's edge and then polish with steel wool so that they take on a rich black color. Whatever kind of material they are made of seems to "tame" the harshness of the brash bright tone that the RM-1 is capable of if not careful. But that same tone makes the RM-1 ideal for a noisy acoustic session when you want to cut thru everyone else in order to be heard... then you can change your pick to something that will bring out those tones and there you are!
  13. JeffD
    JeffD
    I like the John Pearse that came with.
  14. Ray(T)
    Ray(T)
    For anyone picking up on this thread, I'm informed by Richard; which I've confirmed from the Jazzmando website, that JM11 flat wound strings are no longer available.
  15. chasgrav
    chasgrav
    Yeah, they're gone from the website (jazzmando.com). Too bad!

    He had them made up by Labella, if I remember right. I liked them enough to overbuy last year, so I still have three unopened sets. That'll keep me going for awhile. I do like flatwounds on the National. I'm sure the D'Addario FW74s are fine strings, too, so no worry.
  16. pheffernan
    pheffernan
    Now that Jazz-Mandos are no longer available, what are players using to string their Nationals? Are people reverting to the factory John Pearse 2150M's or converting to other flatwound strings like the D'Addario FW-74's or the Thomastik-Infeld Starks?
  17. GKWilson
    GKWilson
    I'm going to give the D'A FW-74's a try.
    Still on my last set of JM-11's.
    Gary
  18. Bert Deivert
    Bert Deivert
    I have been using THOMASTIK 154M MANDOLIN SETS on my National mandolins, both the NRP RM-1 and NATIONAL vintage ones for years and they last a LONG time, and sound great. I have only wiped them off after playing gigs, and most of the time I get 6-10 months of usage out of them! I HATE changing strings, and as long as the sound isn't dead they are fine with me. They are expensive, but worth the price.
  19. Ryk Loske
    Ryk Loske
    Thomastiks rule!

    Ryk
  20. acatasus
    acatasus
    Steve James uses Thomastiks on his.
  21. acatasus
    acatasus
    I'm getting ready to try Rotosounds.
  22. 2Sharp
    2Sharp
    FWIW: I use FW-74's and love 'em
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