Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Guildford + Falmouth England
    Posts
    916

    Default High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

    It seems to me that when you buy different material string sets of the same gauge and make, you get the same plain string pairs in all sets. So, if you take D'Addario strings in 11-40, then PB or 80/20 or Monel sets come with the same unwound A and E sets but different material D and G sets. Is that correct? Last time I looked, D'Addario also sell single 'NYXL' extra high carbon plain guitar strings designed for long bends and longer acoustic life on electric guitars. I think they also recommend them for plain strings on acoustic guitars (?). I believe other makers also sell higher carbon plain strings. Has anyone here tried using these higher carbon strings as the A and E sets on a mandolin, and if so, do they work well?

  2. #2
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default Re: High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

    My favorite strings for vintage bowlbacks are Dogal Calace roundwound RW92 and 92b. I believe they are carbon steel.
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  3. #3
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

    Carbon steel (without carbon it wouldn't be steel) Core wires are standard for music wire.. Fe + C.
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Guildford + Falmouth England
    Posts
    916

    Default Re: High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

    That's all true, but the strings I'm talking about different.They're higher carbon than regular strings, which makes them tougher. I've used them on guitars, and you can bend notes further without breaking, or tune them higher, than regular carbon steel strings. Here's one example:

    https://www.daddario.com/products/gu...c-guitar/nyxl/

  5. #5

    Default Re: High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

    I would take marketing statements, particularly rewarding alloy and composition, with a grain of salt.

    Generally higher carbon content is harder, more brittle and less tough. Small amounts of alloy can affect that significantly. Music wire is generally mostly a high carbon steel 0.70 to 1.00 percent with 0.2 to 0.6 percent Manganese. Manganese generally imparts a work hardening property which makes the steel harder and more brittle as it is used. There may be other alloys included to add the toughness but it is hard to tell without a specific alloy number.

  6. The following members say thank you to CarlM for this post:

    Nevin 

  7. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Guildford + Falmouth England
    Posts
    916

    Default Re: High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

    Quote Originally Posted by CarlM View Post
    I would take marketing statements, particularly rewarding alloy and composition, with a grain of salt.
    Sure - but I've used them and found the marketing claims for these strings to stand up well enough in practice. I was always popping the .009 octave G on my 25.5" 12 string till I got hold of those. I then tried tuning it in 5ths and found that I could go to G above the standard guitar top E without breaking the string...so often.

  8. #7
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

    If they were offering up a standard AISI-SAE number ..
    a person could look it up and know the % of the various Minerals Fe C Mn P S etc.. are in the steels..

    Not as good a mechanic as my father was..
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  9. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Guildford + Falmouth England
    Posts
    916

    Default Re: High carbon plain strings for E and D pairs?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    If they were offering up a standard AISI-SAE number ..
    a person could look it up and know the % of the various Minerals Fe C Mn P S etc.. are in the steels..

    Not as good a mechanic as my father was..
    Technical details? Strings? No, they just tell you how good they are, like that's all musicians understand

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •