Re: Mandola strings
Welcome to the tricky world of mandola nomenclature. The Germans, who make Tomastik strings, play a lot of mandolas in their mandolin bands, but they tend to be tuned an octave below mandolin (EADG) and to be short-scale, about 18 - 20 inches, hence the beefy German mandola strings. In Britain and Ireland many folkies also play 'octave mandolas', normally longer scale, 21 to 23 inches, so the German strings don't quite fit. Also if you call them octave mandolas you will be quickly corrected to call them 'octave mandolins'. That's just how it is; don't ask me why. I blame Stefan Sobell.
This may be because there was no tradition of making mandolas in Britain (or, I should say, a lost tradition), unlike in Germany, so we had to invent names in the 1960s when the folk boom started. But octave mandos were made in the early 20th century by JE Dallas in London, for use in mandolin bands. Dallas called his octave mandos 'mandolos' (yes, with an o). I have one and it has a 20 inch scale. I hope that has cleared things up! (but somehow doubt it)
Kevin
Anglocelt
mainly Irish & Scottish but open to all dance-oriented melodic music.
Mandos: Gibson A2, Janish A5, Krishot F5, Taran Springwell, Shippey, Weber Elite A5; TM and OM by Dave Gregory, J E Dallas, Tobin & Davidson.
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