Straight Up Strings

[Luna Pick]

I've always used the same strings on my mandolins, and had no particularly reason to change brands or sizes.

I was given a free set of SUS Mediums a while back and put them on at my last string change. I was immediately struck by how much more open and balanced my mandolin was. Since I don't change strings often I thought some of my reaction would be to simply having new strings, so I wanted to play them for a while before forming any opinion. But now that I have played them for a couple months I can definitely say they are an amazing positive transformation.

Thought I'd mention this in case anyone is considering trying different strings for whatever reason. You obviously may not have the same reaction as me, but who knows?

NFI, etc.

[Kevin Winn]

The SUS mediums really worked well on my Weber. In the process of trying a few different sets on my new-to-me Northfield. Saving the SUS set for last, after the monels. Agree that the balance was astounding.

[CWRoyds]

I tried the SUS mediums and heavies on my Northfield Artist Series.
The heavies were ok, but I didn’t feel at home on them.
The Mediums are awesome though.
Yes, very balanced across the strings.

I normally use D’Addario EXP74s or EJ74, without coating.
I started using only regular EJ74s as i found the bass strings had more brightness and tingle than the coated strings.
I find coated strings fine for a few days, but then they get dull sounding to me.

I have been using the medium Straight Up Strings for a couple of months.
They have the brightness in the bass like the EJ74s, but are a bit more balanced across the strings.
I might still use EJ74s for a rough bluegrass setting, but I generally like these SUSs better.

I find myself changing strings once a week, even when using coated strings, so I figured why bother with coating.
My Mandolin tends toward the dark tones, so I like how the non coated strings add some sizzle to brighten the high end.