String windings for magnetic pickup mandolins?

[maxr]

I'm sorting out a solid magnetic pickup 8 string, started as a standard Chinese production 'Telelin' which now has coil tapped Strat style humbucking blade pickups on (curved p'ups, flat fingerboard - hmm). I was surprised that it came OEM with PB GHS strings on, and even more surprised that the string balance with the original single coils wasn't too bad. I was expecting the PB winding on the Ds and Gs to shield the cores electromagnetically, but it seems like that doesn't happen to the degree I expected. What windings do you find work best with magnetic pickups on a solid 8 string, and do you mess with the string gauges to try to balance the strings, or put a graphic on it, or what? Thanks, Max

[Tom Wright]

Emando.com is a good source for string sets.

Bronze does not "shield" the strings, it is just not responsive.

Some relationship of short-scale seems to make the lower strings a bit strong for electrics -- I have some tilt on my pickups. I did use a magnetic pickup on my acoustic 10-string until I upgraded to undersaddle. Balancing the strings was not a problem except for the A, which benefited from a shorter pole piece (custom) pushed down quite far.

Although stainless steel can be non-magnetic, some alloys are responsive and stainless-wrapped work, if a bit cold/harsh in tone. Nickel-plated wrap is the standard magnetic string, and you can get pure nickel wrap.

These days I use ordinary nickel-plated wrap electric guitar strings, bought in bulk for my preferred gauges. Plain-wire A string is still strong but easier to balance against the nickel wrap strings.

For a weak E you can add a small piece of metal or small earring magnet on the pickup.

[mandroid]

Nickle wound just like guitar strings .. I have D'Addario ribbon flat wound on my 8 string ..

Magnetic field would sense the steel core wire even if the winding wire is not ferrous. like Bronze or Monel ...

[Daniel Nestlerode]

I buy electric guitar strings individually for both my hollow body archtop Arrow G5 and my solid boody JBovier EMC-5.
Usually D'Addarios, but I'm not too picky.

Daniel