Changing strings, need advice...

[bjewell]

I have a mandolin that I don't play. Being left handed playing righty and with virtually no A-type muscle twitch that I can locate, mandolin just doesn't work for me. But a friend is visiting next week and he is an excellent player. The mandolin is one of those Kentucky KM1000s with the varnish finish they made in 2012. Lovely axe, I changed the strings when I bought it two years ago and haven't touched it since.

The strings are slightly tarnished but not dirty or rusty. If I go through the agony of changing them is it worth it? Are new strings desirable for tone or do mandolin players like older strings that aren't so fresh sounding. I really don't know.

Sorry to be such a mando doofus. I love the instrument but it has been a total defeat for me. I'll stick to my Emmons D-10, Teles and D-18 so I don't embarrass myself in public. :- )

[George R. Lane]

If the strings are two years old it would be a good idea to change them. Why not sell it here on the Café and look for a left handed mandolin. You can always buy an A model and have a left handed nut cut for it.

[Mandobart]

If its that hard for you just take it to a decent music store, or find a player in your area and give them a nice bottle of wine, movie tix etc. I would be happy to change strings for you if we were geographically co-located.

[J Mangio]

You will get a number of opinions, if it were me I'd tune it

up and pick it, if it sounded good I'd stay with those strings.

[darrylicshon]

I agree that you could sell it and get a left handed one. Or you could have this one setup as a lefty , but being that shape it doesn't work as well.

Are your strings rusty , if they are in good shape, let him play it the way it is and if he wants new string then you could get the ones he likes. That's a nice mandolin to just have sitting around

[bjewell]

I play right handed, have since 1955. I get it out once in a while and fool with it but I'll never be a mandolin player which sucks cause it is one of my all time favorite sounds. Probably could use a twist on the truss rod too as there is a bit of relief from the first through 12th frets. I have no problem servicing my guitars -- I'm a decent wrench -- but mandolins spook me. They seem so fragile

[Tobin]

I play right handed, have since 1955. I get it out once in a while and fool with it but I'll never be a mandolin player which sucks cause it is one of my all time favorite sounds.

So you've never really put the time into it to really learn how to play it, and you're just giving up because it didn't come easy?

Being a mandolin player takes work. How would you know you'll never be a mandolin player if you don't put in the effort? If you love the sound, dedicate yourself to it for a couple of years and see.

[Mandoplumb]

You will never be a mandolin player just trying " once in a while" if you really like the sound and really want to play it practice practice practice. or if you play guitar and are satisfied doing that then you're right you'll never be a mandolin player.

[Phil Goodson]

If you're wanting it to be nice for your friend to play, why not just wait for his arrival and have a fresh pack ready.

If he's a regular player, he'll probably be able to painlessly change the strings himself in about 15 minutes and likely do a better job.
If you don't get around to picking, then no harm done.

[darrylicshon]

A friend bought a mandolin and i suppose to teach him, once he had it i tried to teach him a few things and i said go home practice it everyday and then I'll teach him some more. He said i can practice about 5 minutes a week. I told him when i learned to play guitar i played all day every day, i was young and didn't work, but i told him that is what it takes to get really good. I play mandolin as much as i can these days. Last we he said I'll probably be selling my mandolin.

Glad you're keeping yours there is always time to learn it you may change your mind about learning it one day.

Call the guy as him what kind of strings he likes, and have them waiting for him.

[Paul Busman]

Maybe your mandolin playing friend can help fire up your interest in actually playing that mandolin. Sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration .

[bjewell]

Uh... I've owned any number of mandolins since I was a kid. And every time I get one it's a bust. I've taken lessons, bought the videos, the works. I cannot whistle either but I'm a more than decent pedal steel player, I played the honkytonks for years in NorCal.

I was just curious about strings. I like my strings on the steel with some time on them otherwise they are too bright. I like the 18 with fresh strings. Just didn't know what real mandolin players like.

[mandobassman]

Some players lie the sound of brand new strings, some players like the old and dead. I'm in the latter category. I hate the sound of new strings and only change them every year or sometimes more. There's no way to know how your friend will like them. It's probably best to leave them alone and let him decide whether or not to change them.

Also, it's different for guitar than mandolin. As much as I hate the sound of new strings on mandolin, I love the brightness and power new strings offer on guitar.

[EdHanrahan]

I vote with the "leave 'em alone" faction. Some of mine last 2 years WITH playing, so 2 years without playing s/b not-real-bad, or maybe not hardly bad at all. (Granted, I seem to have benign skin chemistry.)

I doubt that your friend is expecting a pristine, like-new example to play, and if he is...

[bjewell]

Some players lie the sound of brand new strings, some players like the old and dead. I'm in the latter category. I hate the sound of new strings and only change them every year or sometimes more. There's no way to know how your friend will like them. It's probably best to leave them alone and let him decide whether or not to change them.

Also, it's different for guitar than mandolin. As much as I hate the sound of new strings on mandolin, I love the brightness and power new strings offer on guitar.

Thank you for your kind reply. That's exactly what I needed to know. :- )

[bjewell]

My friend arrived, we played some great music over the past four days and now he's back to Tokyo to meet his wife and take off for the Japanese Alps. This visit, he brought a mandolin with him, a highly regarded A model. Bill has lots of mandolins but this is his favorite play-out one.

Interesting to hear the two instruments side by side. My KM1000 with a varnish finish which I bought on the classifieds here more than held its own. I actually preferred the tone of it. He said it played great which was news to me I guess because I'm not a mandolin player and it seemed a slog to play. As far as the strings, he said they were prefect.

So thanks for al the advice on new vs. older strings. I really appreciate it.

[mandroid]

I tend to play the set of strings on my mandolins with bronze windings,
until I've flattened the D string's windings against the fret wires
to a point where its its obvious ..

[Marcus CA]

I play right handed, have since 1955. I get it out once in a while and fool with it but I'll never be a mandolin player which sucks cause it is one of my all time favorite sounds. Probably could use a twist on the truss rod too as there is a bit of relief from the first through 12th frets. I have no problem servicing my guitars -- I'm a decent wrench -- but mandolins spook me. They seem so fragile

If you play guitar righty, you might have a tough time playing mando lefty and guitar righty. I dunno. The instruments are just so similar that I think it could be cerebral overload to play them with different orientations --- especially if you have been playing for 60 years.

What is giving you more trouble on mandolin: picking the strings with your right hand, or fingering the notes with your left hand?

[bjewell]

Tremolo. Cannot do it at all. I have no ability to play anything lefty. I got my first guitar in 1955 and immediately played righty. I fool with the mandolin cause they sound so great. But I get to level 1.5 or so and I cannot get anywhere with it. I'm a more than decent guitar and steel player but mando? Rocket scientists with a big box of type A fast twitch muscles... -L-

One thing for sure: I was going to sell the KM1000 but it sounds terrific, it's a much better than average instrument. For the 1200 bucks I have in it I might as well keep it for when people stop by who can actually play it.

[pops1]

I can help you tremolo in a few seconds. Don't hold your pick flat to the strings, but angle it when you do a tremolo. The more you angle it the more power it takes to be loud and the easier it glides across the strings. Sometimes I will angle as much as 45 degrees for a quiet tremolo. Give it another try and enjoy, even if you don't tremolo there are many more ways to enjoy the mandolin. Have fun, good luck.

[pit lenz]

So you've never really put the time into it to really learn how to play it, and you're just giving up because it didn't come easy?

Being a mandolin player takes work. How would you know you'll never be a mandolin player if you don't put in the effort? If you love the sound, dedicate yourself to it for a couple of years and see.

Hey Tobin, cut the man some slack. If he sticks to his Emmons D-10 (pedal steel) so he won't embarrass himself, he decided to walk the rocky road from the start...

All the best to y'all from a fellow Sho~Bud player!

[bjewell]

Thanks Pit. I've had four D-10 Professionals. Terrific guitars. Sho-Buds totally rock. I hope to retire soon and then I might have some mandolin time. Right now between my three ancient dogs and six cats, a full time job and being 70, time is short. In more ways than one...-L-

[Paul Busman]

One more tremolo suggestion-- try some picks with more rounded tips. I find that the more pointy ones hang up on the strings when I try tremolo. If you get a triangle pick in a thickness you like, you can round one or two of the points yourself, perhaps to differing degrees of roundness. That way you have a pick that can produce 3 different sounds.

[Tobin]

Hey Tobin, cut the man some slack.

Hey, sorry if my reply came across too strong. I just got the sense that the OP was admitting defeat too easily. It does take years to learn these things and be able to do them well. If it were easy, the mandolin would be as ubiquitous as the guitar. I just hate to see people say "I can't" when they haven't really put the time into it yet. But apologies if it came off as rude. Not my intent.

[Marcus CA]

Tremolo. Cannot do it at all.

I barely can do it, so I never try when I am playing with others. Still, that doesn't stop me from having a lot of fun playing mando!