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Thread: Help with mandola strings pls

  1. #1

    Default Help with mandola strings pls

    Could someone recommend a set of strings for my bowlback mandola?
    its about 41-42 cm in string length (about 16.5 in??) and tuned C G D A
    i mostly want it for classical acoustic playing.
    i would be grateful if you had any advice
    many thanks
    Last edited by alk; Feb-09-2021 at 4:30pm.

  2. #2
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Thomastiks, baby!
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  4. #3

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Thanks so much.

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  6. #4
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Keep it light, no matter what else you do.
    I use the following set on an old Gibson: 12-20w-32w-48w; using D'Addario or GHS singles.
    If you don't go with Thomastiks, which are made differently than American strings, the above should be close to or past the upper limit for a bowl back.

  7. #5

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Thank you.its an old italian instrument which just had a lot of work done to it so yes, light sounds good🙂

  8. #6

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Quote Originally Posted by alk View Post
    Thank you.its an old italian instrument which just had a lot of work done to it so yes, light sounds good��
    I have been enjoying trying Aquila Red and Aquila Nylgut. However adapting for instruments designed for steel strings is a bit of a chalange. I also have been pleased with the helpfulness of the folks at Aquilla (Italy). I have also used GHS and D'Addario light sets for mandola and been pleased.

  9. #7
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    +1 on Thomastik strings. They are expensive like violin strings but are the best for classical playing. They last a long time. I play mandola in our local mando orchestra and haven't found any better strings. Here are a couple of things you need to know:

    1. You want set 164, which will say is for Alt Mandoline. Set 174 will say it is for Mandola, but it is actually for Octave Mandolin and much too heavy for a CGDA Mandola. I believe they use the names that are used to refer to those instruments in Europe.

    2. Set 164 fits fine on my Gibson H2, but not on my prewar Washburn. It has a slightly longer scale and a tailpiece with string hooks over on the side, near the endpin. So, the strings end up too short and the wrap at the tuner end of the string extends over the nut about half an inch. It may be possible to remove that wrap and use these strings. I remember reading how to do that somewhere on Paul Hostetter's site. Anyway a Gibson or similar mandola should be fine.
    Last edited by Tom Dillon; Feb-09-2021 at 9:45pm.

  10. #8

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Thank you
    164 says its good for up to 45cm i think..i presume that's the vibrating string length and not the overall length of the string, right?
    as mine is 42ish, it should be right.

  11. #9
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Here are some measurements on my 2 mandolas using an A string from a 164 set:
    - There is little more than 51 cm between the wrap on both ends of the string.
    - My old Washburn is about 43 cm nut to bridge and 59 cm nut to the tailpiece string hooks. All the hooks are the same distance from the nut.
    - When I stretch the string from a tailpiece hook to the nut on the Washburn, there is about 2 cm of wrap coming over the nut into the first fret area.
    - My Gibson H2 is about 40 cm nut to bridge and 54 cm nut to the first tailpiece A string hook. Not the farther one at the 90 degree angle.
    - When I stretch the string from the A string tailpiece hook to the nut on the H2, there is no wrap coming over the nut into the first fret area.

    Hope that helps
    Tom

  12. #10

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Thank you for all your replies
    I am still struggling to get my mandola to play in tune.i am currently using a nickel wound set which from trebble to bass is
    015, 024,034,052
    Thats for the A D G C tuning.
    I had a really good compensated bridge made and the top 3 strings are really in tune.the bass however is so sharp its unplayble.the action cannot be lowered any more and the contact point is all the way back on the 4.6mm bone saddle.i cannot gain any more in string length or reduce height.i cant move the bridge either as its a bent top instrument
    Instead of the 052 i ordered 048 and they feel better but still sharp. I am waiting for 046 but that's even lighter than light mandola strings..
    As i said, the rest of the instrument is dead in tune so i don't want to mess with it if i can avoid it.
    Any thoughts?
    Thank you very muchClick image for larger version. 

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    Edit: i have emailed Thomastik asking about gauges but no reply yet, which is why i haven't ordered
    Last edited by alk; Mar-25-2021 at 1:22pm.

  13. #11
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    The bridge could, I presume, be angled more. But the effect of bridge location is mainly in the higher frets, while the first few frets are barely affected. Much more likely a cause is too high nut slots. The nut has to be very low or the steep deflection causes strings to play sharp in the low frets. The .052 strings may be sitting too high if the slots aren't wide enough.

    Overall, thicker strings play sharp because deflecting down to the fingerboard increases tension, and the effect is greater for the higher-tension strings. Thomastiks are a bit more flexible than single-layer roundwound, so should play a bit less sharp at the same thickness. But low-tension strings can be deformed by pressing too hard, deflecting them in between frets, and play more sharp than a careful fretting should yield. So sometimes heavy strings help, but the normal thing is thicker strings play sharp, thus the angled bridge.

    A high-precision tuner like the Peterson Strobe app can show if your low frets are the problem. Use a magnifier to look closely at the nut and check the height of strings.
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  14. #12

    Smile Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    I strung up an Eastman Mandola today with very light strings as the elderly gentleman can't handle heavier strings. Scale length is 16" and we used 12 20 30 40 which is very light but it worked brilliantly. The mandola came with the normal 15-52 and was hard work. Obviously if you want that massive deep thump then other heavier strings will work but this is just to say that, rather surprisinly, 12-40 definately works. I put these on his cheaper Ozark mandola couple of weeks ago and they worked great on that as well.

    He was just playing lead melody. He isn't using it as a mandola may be used in an ensemble or such. For any mandolin player who wpuld just like a deeper sounding instrument for lead playing, this is an option but of course the tuning C G D A does mean learning the tunes disfferently from mandolin tuning.

    The Eastman was the lower end 315 MDA and a really good mandola. I've had a 615 MDA and it wasn;t any better. Just better tuners and binding.

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  16. #13

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Thomastiks. Warm and mellow.

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  18. #14

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Wow 12-20-30-40 seems very light! Very happy to hear that it can work.
    I am really buffled as to why my other 3 strings can play well and the bass is so off! I checked again the slots. I dont think there is much space to lower the nut but will experiment with much lighter strings
    Thank you very much
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  19. #15
    Registered User Tom Wright's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Quote Originally Posted by alk View Post
    Wow 12-20-30-40 seems very light! Very happy to hear that it can work.
    I am really buffled as to why my other 3 strings can play well and the bass is so off! I checked again the slots. I dont think there is much space to lower the nut but will experiment with much lighter strings
    Thank you very much
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Nut looks high to me. If you have a feeler gauge the clearance at the first fret for the C pair should be around .010" or so. Visually, observe what deflection you see when holding down the first fret and then fretting the second. The deflection for going from open to first fret should be similar, not a lot greater.

    I woul expect a bit more general angle from the bridge, too. They are rarely straight across in my experience. You haven't said where on the fingerboard the pitch error is greatest. Because you only notice it on the C I look at the nut height.
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  21. #16

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Thank you. Click image for larger version. 

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    Its more or less consistently high. These are photos from D to 8veC.
    I will try an angle and much lighter strings.thank you all so much

  22. #17
    Registered User Tom Wright's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Sitting too high in the nut seems certain. Try the visual deflection test I suggested. It should look about the same, whether you are fretting from open to first fret, or (holding down first fret) from first to second.
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  23. #18

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    If the string rests on the tuner side of the nut due to the angle it's filed when you fret the string at say the first fret you are making more of a jump distance wise than the other strings if they are filed correctly with the slope rising towards the fingerboard.

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  25. #19
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    H scale mandola (400mm) I've opted for 12, & wound 22, 32. 44 GHS bronze round wound..
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  27. #20

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    I reckon mandroid is about right for ease of playing. Just that little bit heavier than the 12 20 30 and 40 that I had. I used very light at my friend's request and the bottom C on 40 gauge was maybe a tad light.

  28. #21
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    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Quote Originally Posted by alk View Post

    Edit: i have emailed Thomastik asking about gauges but no reply yet, which is why i haven't ordered

    In the past I've emailed Thomastik similar questions and never got replies. I did confirm they don't offer mando string gauges other than what are in the sets they sell. Here's an old Cafe' thread on these strings that answered a lot of my questions:

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/1600-Thomastik-Infeld-Alto-Mandolin-Mandola-Strings


    Also, I agree with the previous comments that your nut appears to be very high. I'd deal with that first.

  29. #22

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    Thank you
    I think thomastik gauges are 13 18 28 44 but not 100% sure.
    Still waiting to clarify
    I am hoping 44 might sit lower in the nut as its significally lighter. Otherwise i wil have it adjusted

  30. #23

    Default Re: Help with mandola strings pls

    After 2 months i finally received the thomastik set (its called the 164 alt-mandoline) for my c g d a bowlback mandola.
    The strings are too short sadly...i did put them on and they feel good and in tune but until the first fret the strings are covered in these black fabric fibres and that cant be too good for the sound.

    Do you know if there is a light gauge set suitable for my instrument which has a string length of 16.5.in?
    Many thanks

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