Unwound strings -- quality difference?

[swampstomper]

We've discussed the relative merits of strings many times, but most of the comment is about the wound strings (round vs. flat, 80/20 vs. PB vs. silk/steel vs. Monel...). #My problem is with the plain steel strings. I am not satisfied with the sound of the plains on J74, EXP74, SIT mediums, Monels. #My question is...

-- is there any difference between the plain steel strings from different manufacturers? If so, what are these, and how do they affect sound? In particular, I want to avoid a thin, "tinny" sound. I know this is hard at the high frequencies anyway.

BTW I am not talking about just one mando ("MAS .;.. search for the cure...."), but in general.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Philip Halcomb]

There's definitely some difference between manufacturers. You can see it in the loop-end where it's twisted. You can often tell the difference of them there. The tinny sound you may be hearing could very well be the characteristics of the string, but I don't notice that and I used J74s. I did have a similar problem a couple of months ago and re-filed the bridge slots and the tinniness went away. Those slots do wear after a period of time and if the string is in there to tight it can sound bad. It can also sound bad is the slot is too wide. That's my unedumicated guess... Good luck.

[mandroid]

In mid Jam the loop slipped and then I just kept tightening it,
till i could take it off the other end,

did wonder ... some guitar strings are soldered to survive all that
whammy bar and major string bends, stresses,

does any plain loop string get soldered as its made?

[Tim2723]

I've never notice any soldering, but I've seen major differences in the quality of the loop winding on different brands. #Some have come undone.

I'm not sure there's a whole lot of difference in the plain wires otherwise. #They seem to be plain old piano wire. #That's a product that is pretty darn consistent no matter where you get it. #I would have sworn somebody here mentioned that there's only a few manufactures of the actual wire itself, although there are a number of string makers who all use it.

BTW, isn't loop slippage one of the reasons mentioned in other threads for the double tabs on mando tailpieces? I though those two things went together somehow.

[mandroid]

It's[reading envelope] the D'Addario KPL guitar ... plain steel, soldered twist.
but that is just guitar strings, unfortunately.
doing that on loop strings is just a wish .
[process is most likely automated, no one is tasked with the flux brush and
soldering iron doing each one]

true, 12 hook traditional TPs, Tim,

but the fancy cast and machined Tailpieces that many upgrade to,or specify
drop the other 4 hooks.

Any how, my last slippy loop experience was on my Djangolin, anyway.


Mapes was it that ships rolls of music wire?

[Lee]

Yep, every piano tuner worth his muster has dealt with Mapes. Check out their website and see all the string "manufacturers" they list.

I do believe that TI's plain strings are mellower. Must be the metalurgy.

[swampstomper]

Yes, I was really asking about the metallurgy of the plain steels, sorry I didn't write it so clearly.

I didn't realize that Mapes was primarily a piano wire manufacturer. So that's how Larry Sparks gets his sound! He is famous for using super-heavy Mapes on his Carter Stanley guitar.

In case you are lazy, the Mapes web page lists Martin, Gibson, Fender, d'Addario, d'Aquisito, Peavy, DR, SIT, Ernie Ball, GHS, Dean Markeley, Black Diamond, RotoSound and Vinci as their customers!!! Of course, some of these may ask for different specifications, so the question is (somewhat) still open.

[Tim2723]

Given that info, and getting back to the original question of finding plain strings that respond noticeably differently on your mandolin, here's another thought:

It is probably unlikely that you'll find any significant information on the string's metallurgy. #Those sort of things are often closely guarded secrets. #But given the list of string makers using the Mapes product, you might have the greater success experimenting with those brands not listed there. #If other brands use other metal suppliers, then the metallurgy may be different in some way that helps you. #That may or may not be a valid assumption, but it has some small ring of logic to it. #Like Lee, I've noticed a difference in the T.I. plain E's, and I've also noticed a difference with John Pearse. #Neither of those are on the Mapes list. #Are those brands metallurgically different than the Mapes product? Perhaps they are.

The biggest problem I have when comparing strings is my own memory. #I've never run a controlled test with one mandolin changing back and forth between new sets of strings. #I wait until I need a string change first. #With the new ones on, am I listening to the difference between an old and a new string, or am I correctly remembering what the previous string sounded like when new? #There's a theory in physics that says we cannot observe a thing without in some way changing that thing, so do we really see a difference in the string itself, or are we changing something else as well at the same time?