Woody strings that last?

[maxr]

Messing about with strings on my newish Eastman 305, I ended up with D'Addario 11-40 monels. They're good, but I like a woodier sound, and it feels like the G pair may be choking the sound slightly. I read here that some GHS sound woody, but don't last very well. Any suggestions for woody strings that last decently?

[UsuallyPickin]

All you can do is try several different brands of strings. Juststrings https://www.juststrings.com/?gclid=E...SAAEgIF5vD_BwE or Strings and Beyond https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/sea...trings&x=0&y=0 And try them out. Your tonal preference isn't anybody else's. Woody means one thing to me and my be different to you. I will say after a great many string "auditions" I use https://www.juststrings.com/cfm-ma14...483.1606740977 Enjoy the search. You will get to do it each time you get another mandolin. R/

[pops1]

I use GHS pure nickel and they last for a long time. I like them especially well for the first couple months, then they still sound ok and play in tune, but the G string gets a little deeper than I want.

[Jim Garber]

I liked Monels for some time but when the D'Addario Nickel Bronze came out there was a tad more warmth to them. I also don't know what you mean by woody but I would say that with the NB strings I hear more mandolin than string as opposed to PB strings. I guess you could say they are more transparent? Words don't work very well here. You have to try different strings and see what appeals to both your ears and your mandolin.

[CBFrench]

Probably just have to keep trying different brands to find a set to your likings. I don't know enough about instrument builds as to which brands have a woodier tone. I do know instrument builds vary from bright to mellower tones and don't know if strings have a significant enough impact being tonally woodier. Some instruments are bright and some are mellower sounding. I've tried 5-6 different brands with mine and I currently use Straight Up strings mediums but then that's just me and my instrument so far. I'm sure I'll keep experimenting with strings as I'm always open to experimenting

[maxr]

I guess you could say they are more transparent? Words don't work very well here.

Yes, I guess a good example of that is the word 'sweet' when followed by 'tone'. That's used a lot, particularly about fiddles, and I really don't know what it means. It suggests 'sugary', but I don't know that's what's intended. Woody? Well, that's sort of brown sounding, maybe with a touch of yellow...

[steve in tampa]

I just put a set of Curt Mangan monels on and they are "woodier" that the PB set that was on there.

[lowtone2]

You might try GHS Silk and Steel. They are a very warm sounding set with little metallic zing, if that's what you mean by woody.

[GC Anders]

I have D'addario monels on my Eastman, and they really respond to a pointier pick, I discovered. I turn a Primetone pick to one of the side points, and sometimes even a flimsy pointy guitar pick does the trick. The points seem to bring out a bit more woody tone, at least for me.

[maxr]

You might try GHS Silk and Steel. They are a very warm sounding set with little metallic zing, if that's what you mean by woody.

Thanks - I think those are the strings that I found comments saying they do wound woody but don't last. I guess I'm looking for a dry, warm, but clearly defined sound, with treble (maybe string clicking etc), but not too much of the plummy bell like sound that you sometimes hear - the mandolin equivalent of what you hear on a lot of 1930s country blues recordings. I think

[maxr]

I have D'addario monels on my Eastman, and they really respond to a pointier pick, I discovered. I turn a Primetone pick to one of the side points, and sometimes even a flimsy pointy guitar pick does the trick. The points seem to bring out a bit more woody tone, at least for me.

Thands - I have some Ultex Sharp picks, I'll try them.