Can a new built mandolin handle heavier strings like 11.5/41? Will they cause too much stress and damage something?
I can only say that I suspect 11.5/41 would be ok on most modern instruments. Given that that is about as heavy as you can find in a commercially available "set", I would also guess there is a good reason the vendors don't offer heavier. But lightly built, older, instruments can be damaged by heavy strings. Warped necks or caved-in tops. If I were tempted to go that heavy, I might ask the question in the main forum's builders subforum.
NeoGeo, your Eastman should be able to handle them. I tried some on my MD605 and they worked fine but I went back to mediums. I do like the medium heavy Monel EJM75C a lot.
Thank you for your replies. I bought 2 sets of Curt Mangan 11.5-41 PB strings. As soon as the ones that came with my MD505C, I’ll try out one set, then go to the J74’s. I think this came with the factory strings. I emailed the vendor, and since it was delivered to them this November, they said that there wasn’t a need to change them. You can look up the factory strings. I would now, but I would need to type this all over. I think they were Xl 1140? Maybe? I might have that wrong, but it’s close. George.
My best advice is… play it so often you’ll wear out those strings and need to change them That’ll make more difference in tone than the strings But on topic, yes the EJ74s and EJM75Cs seem like my favorites on my Eastmans.
I have been, Hehe. I haven’t been able to put it down. I’ve been playing guitar for about 40 years or so, but I find this easier to play, and easier to play notes on songs that I’ve known easily without instruction. I don’t know if it’s the string tuning or what, but it just seems so natural to me. YMMV. A great forum by the way. I hope I’ve found a home. A wealth of information, by a great bunch of players. Do players come in bunches? Hehe. Merry Christmas to all, and thank you.
Hmmm bunches of players… Murders of crows… Bales of turtles… Troops of baboons… Wisdoms of wombats… Coveys of quail… Bands of coyotes… Crashes of rhinos… There’s gotta be something better than “bunches”
Hehe. Thanks!
