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Thread: Wound a-string?

  1. #1
    Registered User g-mac's Avatar
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    I'm interested in trying a set of strings with a wound A-string, but I'm not sure who makes 'em. Does anyone know?

    Also, do they make Light sets with wound A's, or do you find them only in Medium sets?

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    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    D'Adderio has a "Flat Wound" string set with a wound A string.

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    Lenzner makes a set with a wound A. It's rather lightweight, suitable for delicate bowlbacks. They call it their "Consort" set. (I think the company changed names recently, and I don't have updated info at hand since I have a supply of string sets).

    The downside is they're European and pricey; the upside is they are long-lasting. THe wound A is the most fragile, the winding will eventually wear thru and start to unravel, but then you simply put on a plain steel A and keep using the set for another several months. THe G and D strings are ground a bit after winding to provide a smooth surface. The A is also smooth - old eyes can barely make out the fact that it's wound at all.

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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Thomastik-Infeld has flatwound sets with wound A's in both light and medium gauge. It's a little confusing, because the lights with .010 on top are called mediums - "mittle" - and the mediums with .011 on top are called hard - "stark". On the smaller gauge set, the wrap on the wound A is so tiny you can barely tell it's a wound string.

    I started with the mittle set and I'm using the stark set now, to get a slightly lower action. They're expensive but they seem to last a long time. I'm using them on an F-style mandolin, not anything especially delicate. I like the slightly darker and less twangy sound of the flatwounds, but YMMV. I'm playing mostly blues and beginner jazz things, not bluegrass, and I'm not having to cut through a band. These might be a little too quiet for that.

    The wrap on the tiny A string is a bit fragile. I broke one string at the tuner post (not the core wire, just the wrap, but that still detensions the string). I think it might have been because I did just a quick back-wind and loop under/twist over to lock the string, like I do with a normal plain string. I'm now being careful to wrap a turn or two around the post before going through the post hole and back-winding to lock the string. I'm hoping that fixes the problem, because buying these as individual strings for replacement or spares is really expensive here in the USA, like $10-$11 USD per string. BTW, that's a juststrings.com price... does anyone know where they're available for a bit less?
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    Registered User John Flynn's Avatar
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    I have tried multiple sets of the FT's and the T-I's and had multiple breakage problems on the A's on both sets. This was on two different instruments that I have not had breakage problems on before or since. I am not bashing either set of strings, just stating a fact.

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    I think .018 is as about as light as you can get with a loop-end wound string. You could very easily assemble your own set from bulk strings.

    I used wound .018-gauge 'g' strings on electric guitar for quite a while, as the intonation seemed truer than I got from an unwound .017-gauge string. The downside, as mentioned above, is breakage. They were noticeably more delicate than a comparable unwound string.
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  7. #7
    Registered User g-mac's Avatar
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    Thanks, everyone.

    My main reason for wanting to try a wound A is that I have read they're more stable tuning-wise than an unwound A.

    I have a new Weber Bitterroot, and I love the sound and playability, but for some reason the A string(s) tend to go out of tune quickly. The other strings are fine, for the most part.

    I remember the recent "Which string goes out of tune?" thread, and it seemed that the A was the most problematic for many people.

    Has anyone noticed a difference in intonation consistency between different brands/gauges of A strings?

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    Registered User MandoSquirrel's Avatar
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    Thomasticks work great on my Breedlove & my mandola, never had a breakage problem, & love the way they feel.
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  9. #9
    Destroyer of Mandolins
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    Thomasik Infeld Starks. Buy the A string. Be the A string.
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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Tim, preach on brother. They sure do sound good.
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    Café habitué Paul Hostetter's Avatar
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    The standard A in a J-74 set is .015" The thinnest round-wound string I know of is an .017" but violin stringmakers have been making wound E strings for 40 years. They're wound in aluminum and are about .014" and have considerably more tension than a plain E which routinely has a diaeter of around .010", give or take.

    If you use a wound A on a mandolin, the saddle will have to be redone to make the compensation work out. In the good old days of guitar, when guitars were guitars and men were men, B strings were offered in a plain .018" or a wound .018" and even with that sameness of gauge, the intonation was completely different with each.

    In my experience, the wound strings have a darker tone. They are in no way more stable, tuning-wise. That's a separate issue with completely other causes and cures.
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  12. #12
    Café habitué Paul Hostetter's Avatar
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    The standard A in a J-74 set is .015" The thinnest round-wound string I know of is an .017" but violin stringmakers have been making wound E strings for 40 years. They're wound in aluminum and are about .014" and have considerably more tension than a plain E which routinely has a diameter of around .010", give or take. But lots of people play them never knowing they're wound, and love the sound.

    Thomastik-Infeld Precision mandolin strings are merely two sets of their Precision violin strings. The E is plain (holds up better with a flatpick, aluminum is not so tough) but the A, D and G are all chrome wound A, D, G.

    If you use a wound A on a mandolin, the saddle will have to be redone to make the compensation work out. In the good old days of guitar, when guitars were guitars and men were men, B strings were offered in a plain .018" or a wound .018" and even with that sameness of gauge, the intonation was completely different with each.

    In my experience, the wound strings have a darker tone. They are in no way more stable, tuning-wise. That's a separate issue with completely other causes and cures.
    .
    ph

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    I wholeheartedly advocate wound A strings. I mix 2 of the D'addario flatwound A's into my normal set. They have a richer tone, and also bring up the tension of the "A" course up closer to the rest of the set. As for ease of tuning, I'm not sure it makes a difference.

    For example, if you look at a set of J74's, the pounds of tension per string is as follows: G=24.6, D=23.6, A=19.7 and E=23.1. Why they continue to make the A strings of mandolin sets so understrength is beyond me, but having a flatwound A's both increases the tension (20.5) and provides a richer tone to the usually wimpy A string tone.

    It was my understanding that one of Thomastik's selling points for their sets was evenness of tension across the strings to provide balance of volume and tone from each string. Anybody know why they keep mandolin "A" strings so under tension of the rest of the set? I'm curious

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    another TI vote. worth every penny.

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    A cross reference to a lighter gage E string will tell you it reaches pitch with less tension too.
    the wound A, after all, is a much thinner core wire ,
    that is overwound, and the half round ones are the ground down on the outside.
    Flat ribbon wound may allow a larger core wire, and then function
    at pitch at a higher tension.

    Digital micrometer readings a welcome input.
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  16. #16
    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    I never had any problems w/ the Wound A String on my Thomastik Infeld Mandolin String set:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VfnNKu21SE cause these strings have less tension than an average Mandolin String set to make playing it easier plus it intonates better than a Plain Steel A String. What you might not have realized is that the steel core is made of special alloy with high elasticity & durability.

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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Gunning View Post
    Anybody know why they keep mandolin "A" strings so under tension of the rest of the set? I'm curious
    Bowed instruments often have a large tension diversity across the set, but of course their internal support/vibration transmission system is quite different.

    I've used wound violin E strings a lot. They tend to sound a little more full than a plain string, with perhaps less overtones. I suspect that may be their main advantage on fiddle, because they're much less susceptible to the phenomenon known as whistling E string. This happens when you switch quickly from another string to the E, and instead of the open E pitch you get a harmonic (?) that sounds maybe 2 octaves higher.

  18. #18
    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    I never had issues w/ the Wound A String breaking because a neat trick I figured out is to tune it up slowly & carefully.

  19. #19
    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    We're in the golden age, I think the technology needs to be more advanced to allow for an all-wound strings set.
    Last edited by s11141827; Mar-27-2023 at 1:45pm. Reason: Figured out how it works.

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    16 year thread with repeated post subject.
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    Oscar Stern s11141827's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    16 year thread with repeated post subject.
    Thomastik & Optima are the only companies I know of that make Mandolin string sets w/ a Wound A String. You could of course use 2 sets of Ball End Argentine Violin Strings (using an Allen Terminator Tailpiece that allows for Both Ball End & Loop End Strings).

  23. #22
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Lenzner/Fisoma Consort strings have a flatwound A: https://lenzner-strings.de/en/produk...oline/consort/

    "Fisoma" Set No. F3020C

    • e" strings stainless chrome steel
    • a' strings wound with bronze flat wire, polished
    • d'and g strings bronze and wire wound, polished
    • developed for historical quality mandolins (Embergher mandolins)

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Jim

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  24. #23
    rock in rôle Paul Statman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by s11141827 View Post
    Thomastik & Optima are the only companies I know of that make Mandolin string sets w/ a Wound A String. You could of course use 2 sets of Ball End Argentine Violin Strings (using an Allen Terminator Tailpiece that allows for Both Ball End & Loop End Strings).
    I believe that both of D'Addario's 'flat top' and 'flat wound' sets have wound A strings.

  25. #24
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Yes this thread is winding around and around repeating same info from 2007 on. Let’s see how long we can repeat ourselves like garlic knots!!
    Jim

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  26. #25

    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Let’s see how long we can repeat ourselves like garlic knots!!
    Garlic knot here,

    D'Addario Flat Tops on the f-hole Gibson mandolins and D'A Flat Wound on the Gibson oval hole mandolin...simple
    Back to the saute pan..

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