Mandola strings

[Jasont67]

Hi, I've just joined this forum and have a question about strings.
What gauge strings should I get for the following 2 mandolas:
1. Countryman octave mandola with scale length of 20.5 inch (52cm) tuned G-D-A-E
2. Sherwood tenor mandola with scale length of 18.5 inch (47cm) tuned C-G-D-A

Thank you for your advice

[tmsweeney]

Here is a recent thread about mandola strings

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...-EFT76-Strings

[jlatorre]

If you want to walk a little on the wild side:

I built a mandola a few years ago with a 17-7/8" scale length. It is tuned D-A-E-B, and was designed to use the same strings as a mandolin and have the same tuning and scale length as a mandolin when capoed at the fifth fret. It's worked out well for me.

Recently I replaced the strings, and instead of using unison tuning on the four lower strings, I made them tuned an octave apart, like a twelve-string guitar's lower strings. Like a 12-string, it brings out the highs. I found that I could use the same gauge strings for the high D and the E, and for the high A and the B, since the two strings are so close to the same pitch.

You might want to give it a go. My next experiment is to tune one of my standard mandolins the same way, just to see what it sounds like.

[DougC]

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...63#post1467263

Here is more about mandola strings. I plan to ask Collings and Weber some more questions about Mandola and Octave mandolin strings soon.

[luthierseye]

Hi, I've just joined this forum and have a question about strings.
What gauge strings should I get for the following 2 mandolas:
1. Countryman octave mandola with scale length of 20.5 inch (52cm) tuned G-D-A-E
2. Sherwood tenor mandola with scale length of 18.5 inch (47cm) tuned C-G-D-A

Thank you for your advice

I don't know if this will fit your playing style but here goes: I play a 17" Weber and play solo pieces and I have not found any sets that work for me as they are all too heavy,so here is my custom set that I order as single strings from juststrings.com
Tuning is A-D-G-C strings are PB .011 - .018 - .028 - .042. These work very well for me and are not too heavy to wear out my fingers.