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Thread: Strings

  1. #26
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    i love elicxers. they last long and have amazingly bright tone, but not everyone wants their mandolin bright.

  2. #27
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    Thanks for filling me in that Gibson does in fact make their own strings. Gotta admit I'm surprised.

    You learn something new everyday.

    Thanks for FYI.

  3. #28
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    By the way, all this string talk reminded me to change strings. Man, it really does make a difference. It's easy to let an instrument slip into poor tone and not entirely realize it. (It's kind of like getting used to a car making little noises as it poors on the miles—you learn to live with them and not notice them.)

    Best,

  4. #29
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    If you like sliding, Elixirs are where it's at.

  5. #30
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    I just changed from nanowire to Thomastik-Infield; can't believe how much thinner and easier to play they are. Wonderful overtones. No loss of volume on the Eastman 914; so for Scottish and old time they seem like a good match. Sure would like to find them for less than $30 a set if anyone knows where. Also, I used a Gibson peg winder made for guitar; what a royal pain. Does anyone make one with a smaller opening to fit the tuners on a mandolin. Many thanks for information. Bink in Sopchoppy
    Bink Williams

  6. #31
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    GHS PF270s. Use them all the time.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  7. #32
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    i use elixir mediums just like bill monroe


  8. #33

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    BinkWms,
    Cumberland Acoustics at cumberlandacoustic.com makes the best mandolin string winder. It's made of hardwood and works really well.
    '02 Collings MF5

  9. #34
    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    Since Elixirs didn't come out onto the market until after Monroe died I doubt he used too many sets. He did however prefer Gibson strings. MonoSteet 161 before he went to his signature sets. Me, I go for the GHS PF or A 270 and the Bill Monroe Gibsons. Never had any luck with J74s or any of the coated strings.

  10. #35
    Registered User 45ACP-GDLF5's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (Alex Fields @ Nov. 21 2007, 08:33)
    This is off topic I know but does anyone know what kind of pick Sam uses? Any of my picks would cease to exist very shortly with that kind of playing.
    Sam uses the D'Andrea picks in .96mm He gave me one a couple of years ago and told me about the store in Colorado that supplies him with them. The Great Divide. I buy mine from musiciansfriend.com

    They come in the standard guitar shape, but Sam uses the rounded corners instead of the point. These are the basic guitar picks, not the Pro-Plec D'Andrea's.
    Molon Labe

  11. #36
    Registered User 45ACP-GDLF5's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (f5loar @ Dec. 09 2007, 13:10)
    Since Elixirs didn't come out onto the market until after Monroe died I doubt he used too many sets. He did however prefer Gibson strings. MonoSteet 161 before he went to his signature sets. Me, I go for the GHS PF or A 270 and the Bill Monroe Gibsons. Never had any luck with J74s or any of the coated strings.
    Hey Tom! What don't you like about the D'Addarios J74 or the EXP's? I've used them for 20+ years and they've always sounded great and lasted a while. I've got the EXP's on my mandolin now that have been on for about 2 months now and they still look and sound good. Just curious.
    Molon Labe

  12. #37
    Registered User swampstomper's Avatar
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    One point about the Monels, which Sam makes (repeated on the Gibson web pages), they don't have much sustain, the tone dies down much more quickly than with J74's etc. Which is why I use them on my Ithaca Stringed Instruments oval-hole -- it already has lots of sustain from the sound hole, and with J74s it can get muddy with fast picking. Sam uses them on Hoss and says that because (a) he hits them so hard they get sustain anyway and (b) he picks lots of notes, especially those grace notes and triplets, that he prefers less sustain.

  13. #38
    Registered User 45ACP-GDLF5's Avatar
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    I've used the Monels off and on, and I've always loved the sound and long-life I get out of them. I don't know why the A strings are .14's, but I always swap them out for .15's when I put a set on. Other than that, they are great strings!
    Molon Labe

  14. #39

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    Elixir nanoweb mediums

  15. #40
    Registered User swampstomper's Avatar
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    Ditto on the wimpy .14, I asked about that on a recent thread. The only suggestion was that perhaps Hoss has particularly strong A-string response so Sam backed the gauge off??

  16. #41
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    I like the sound of J74s when new but the J74 D string seems to be a different winding or inner core and will break frist over the others I mentioned. Coated strings to me never sound as punchy as non-coated strings.

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    Quote Originally Posted by (BinkWms @ Dec. 09 2007, 21:49)
    Also, I used a Gibson peg winder made for guitar; what a royal pain. Does anyone make one with a smaller opening to fit the tuners on a mandolin. Many thanks for information. Bink in Sopchoppy
    Buy a Dean Markley Turbotune and a small, cheap electric screwdriver, and you'll never wind strings by hand again. #It has a smaller opening for mandolin tuners, and also works great for double bass.




  18. #43

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    Be very careful when using a string winder that's attached to an electric screwdriver or drill. Ever see a bent tuning peg shaft? It usually gets bent because of the power of the electric tool.
    '02 Collings MF5

  19. #44
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    Which is why you use a small, cheap electric screwdriver and not a big power drill. It is alo much lighter and easier to handle. If you think your buttons are starting to crumble, do it by hand.

  20. #45

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    Maxwellt,
    Read the post. I was talking about shafts, not buttons. If you prefer to risk being sorry and not safe, be my guest. A shaft can bend without the button crumbling but if it even starts to crumble the button has had it and needs to be replaced. If the screwdriver has enough power to wind strings on a double bass it's a good idea to keep it away from a little mandolin. I speak from experience.



    '02 Collings MF5

  21. #46
    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    For years I've used a hand-carved custom fitted highly flamed curly maple with hand rubbed cremona varnish finish Dudenbostel mandolin string winder. I think there is a 12 year wait list on these.

  22. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by (f5loar @ Dec. 10 2007, 21:21)
    For years I've used a hand-carved custom fitted highly flamed curly maple with hand rubbed cremona varnish finish Dudenbostel mandolin string winder. I think there is a 12 year wait list on these.

  23. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by (BinkWms @ Dec. 09 2007, 20:49)
    I just changed from nanowire to Thomastik-Infield... Sure would like to find them for less than $30 a set if anyone knows where.
    No problem. Go to the MC Classifieds and do a search for "Thomastik."
    Ted Eschliman

    Author, Getting Into Jazz Mandolin

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