Re: Stringing a 1910's Gibson non-truss rod mandocello
Originally Posted by
Sue Rieter
I had a conversation about string tension on antique instruments with Jake Wildwood yesterday when I went up to Vermont to pick up my Octofone. He is with rcc56, and generally recommends lighter strings for older instruments. He said people often want to try this or that, or know what was originally on there, but glue, wood, etc. have changed over the years; the amount of playing, how it was stored and so forth are factors on why the instrument may not be able to withstand that anymore. Plus, the original recommendations may or may not have been ideal for long term stability anyway. He said alot of people don't think about that or calculate that extra tension, and if they did, they'd be more careful.
In addition to Jake's excellent advice, I'd add two considerations in favor of lighter strings: 1) right-hand technique and picks have also changed in 100 years. You don't have to load up to "just before it breaks" tension on the top to get best results; instead work on the right hand to improve dynamic range. A slightly flexible, traditional Neapolitan-shaped pick helps. And 2): string design and construction have also changed a lot, plus especially once you get into these heavy gauges, string gauge is just one variable in overall tension. I recently decreased string tension noticeably, on all 8 strings, by replacing .72 Optima C strings with .72 Curt Mangan strings. Same size, but tension enough lighter to affect the whole instrument. (Not an antique instrument.)
My own solution is to go lighter on the higher courses, since that's where I spend most of time time anyway, and heavier down on the C strings, to increase overall tension. My current solution is .72 - .48 - .34 - .20.
Exploring Classical Mandolin (Berklee Press, 2015)
Progressive Melodies for Mandocello (KDP, 2019) (2nd ed. 2022)
New Solos for Classical Mandolin (Hal Leonard Press, 2020)
2021 guest artist, mandocello: Classical Mandolin Society of America
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