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Thread: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

  1. #26
    Registered User cammtb's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    Quote Originally Posted by mbruno View Post
    Like everyone, I'm always looking to get a better sound from my instrument. So this week I've turned to my strings. I've never really given them much thought as where I'm located in SoCal there's not much choice. Currently I use D'Addario 0.011 - 0.040 Phosphor Bronze (the "Ricky Skaggs" set). They have been good and relatively inexpensive (7.99). The tone I get is very bright at first but wears out within a few weeks or a month. I do play daily and gig at farms and outdoor events a lot so it's not shocking that they dull quick. They are pretty tinny when first strung which is alright for bluegrass but can sound a little off for gypsy jazz styles IMO. On my old mandolin (Oscar Schmidt) I'd easily go through a couple strings in a 45 min set - the last time I played I went through 8 during 2 back to back gigs. I haven't restrung my new mandolin (Morgan Monroe) so I don't know if that was because of flaws in the mando or the strings. Anyone else have that problem?

    Anyway, I want to experiment on my next re-stringing with a new set. I need to get my mandolin setup anyway, so I should be able to experiment with gauge as well. I'm looking for your feedback and some suggestions about what you all use for your strings and why you use 'em. If you're like me right now and forced into using a set, what do you think about them? Bright / dull / break often etc?
    Strings and picks are personal things.
    What works for one person, doesn’t have to work for an other.
    As a guitar player I always use GHS .009 strings and Jim Dunlop 0.73MM picks.
    Starting on the mandolin few years ago I started with .10 set strings.
    They felt like cables to me and they hurted my fingers immensly.
    It didn’t took long to hunt for thinner strings, and I found out that GHS is the only manufacturer who has .009 strings.
    That really did work out for me. And I’m also using Jim Dunlop 0.73MM picks on my mandolin.
    For just playing rhythm, strumming chords, I sometimes use Jim Dunlop 0.60MM, on my guitars and on my mandolin.
    The sound is softer then and less choppy.

    Take care, Robert
    You can play almost anything on a mandolin! Be creative, have fun, spread the word: Mandolins Rock!:

    Robert Rocks The Mandolin http://rdenronden.magix.net/public

  2. #27
    jbmando RIP HK Jim Broyles's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    Quote Originally Posted by Philphool View Post
    I always seem to go back to GHS Silk & Bronze after I experiment with other strings. Metallic jangle leaves quickly and they last me for several months usually.

    Coating the strings with "StringLife" seems to make them last longer and stay slick longer too.
    I agree with this. GHS S&B have been my go-to string for about six years. I use flats on my jazz guitar and they sound dead acoustically but great amplified. I have always been afraid to try flats on my mandolin, figuring they would probably sound dead.
    "I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is."~John Mellencamp

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  3. #28
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    J-75's for me. Bigger String=Better Tone.

  4. #29
    Registered User mbruno's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    Robert, I aree string brands are personal choices, but gauge affects tone big time (though good vs bad tone is also a personal choice). I think 09's are too thin for acoustic instruments in general. I use 13's on my guitar and 11's on the mando right now. Thanks fo the input! I've been lookin for thin strings for my mandobird - the 09's might be great there!

    There are slight difference by manufacture, but there's definitely a pattern to the responses so far. I really appreciate all the feedback so far. For what it's worth, I just restrung with J74's again because of a gig I had - but I'm using it as a control. I have a weekly gig which I'm starting to record to track my tone changes using some sort of control. I don't know if I'll find anything - but I'll be fun tryin

  5. #30
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    Martin SP, but they quit making mandolin strings!? I have a few sets left. They are 80/20 bronze, not phosphor, with a gold E. They sound great new and last. Hopefully Martin bring them back.

    I did once mix Gibson monels with J75's.
    david blair

  6. #31
    Lost my boots in transit terzinator's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    I've just given the Thomastiks a try, and after a few weeks, I'm afraid to say I'm gonna pull them off. Expensive experiment. I really love the feel, and if I'm playing or practicing by myself, the strings sound fine. But if I'm in a group or a jam, they just don't cut it. (Or cut into it, as it were.)

    Was at a campfire jam last night, as was a friend of mine with a very similar MT. We compared the tone of his with J74s and mine with the T-I's, and mine sounded muted, like it was stuffed with socks. His sounded like I remember mine sounding with Elixirs. Bright, certainly, but still full and rich. Actually, I don't know if I'd say the tone is "bright" as much as I'd say it "includes higher frequencies." Plus, yeah, I certainly don't get the volume with the T-I's that I did with elixirs. It took a big jam, and the ability to compare side-by-side with a similar instrument, to really hear the difference.

    I've also tried the FW-74's and I had a similar experience. They feel great and sound fine on their own, but I play with others enough to forego the super-slick flatwound feel to get the tone I like and the volume I need. (The higher volume isn't just for being heard by others, really. It's more for me... If I can't hear myself, I'll try to compensate by trying to play louder, and that means more effort and more tension and less fluidity.)

    As far as wanting a brighter tone, it might just be something as simple as my aging ears needing a brighter sound to be satisfied. Maybe I've lost some of that higher-frequency range, and I need a brighter string. For young ears, maybe bright = harsh. Who knows. Tis true: Tone is subjective.

    Anyway, back to Elixir Nanoweb Mediums for me.

  7. #32
    Notary Sojac Paul Kotapish's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    I like the D'Addario J75 "Ronnie McCoury" set, described thusly by the maker:

    D'Addario's heaviest gauge mandolin set, ideal for hard driving, percussive playing styles
    Phosphor Bronze for long lasting, warm and bright tone
    String Gauges: Plain Steel .0115/.011.5, 016/.016, Phosphor Bronze Wound .026/.026, .041/.041

    They are a little harder to play, but I like the added punch and brilliance. I think they sound best with a fairly thick (1.4 mm) pick.

    But choice of string really gets down to the specifics of the player, the instrument, the pick, the desired tone, the intensity of the attack, and whatnot.

    I sold a friend a truly great Carlson-era Flatiron A-5 that I had strung up with a J-75 set and it was just too loud and bright for his taste. He now swears by Thomastiks--and they do sound great when he plays the thing.

    Based on his recommendation, I tried a set of Thomastiks on my own mandolin and they lasted about two hours before I pulled them off. For me and my setup, they sounded dead and felt like rubber bands. Yep. An expensive experiment.

    Personal research is the only way to find out what works for you.
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  8. #33
    Registered User Vernon Hughes's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    J-75's and a fender extra heavy pick.
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  9. #34
    Registered User Brad Maestas's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    The J74s have been my standard for over 10 years. I dabbled with the Thomastiks and many others including the FW74s but I always kept coming back to the J74s. I only own one mandolin. If I had two, I might string one up with flats of some sort for classical/recording and the other with PB roundwounds for bluegrass/choro/live/outdoor gigs. As it stands, I need one set to do it all and I've managed with the J74s just fine. Recently the J75s have found their way onto my instrument and I'm in love with them. I would say they are louder and have the potential to be warmer than the J74 or J62s.

    Right now I'm favoring a Wegen M100 pick. For outdoor gigs I use an M150. I'm really into the Steffey/Hull sound right now and this is a perfect combo for me to approach that sound. With the M100 I can get all the smooth, puffy "air" but still have great clarity and it's easier to maneuver the lighter pick.

    I also just joined the New York Mandolin Ensemble and now with an even wider array of repertoire, this is proving to be a great combo that enables me to get the most diversity of timbres out of the instrument with very little effort.
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  10. #35

    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    The biggest contributor to my tone is my mandolin and the technique with which I play. I have my string preference but it really plays a small role.

  11. #36
    Registered User doc holiday's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    MB, Truer words were never spoken. I recall an interview with mandolin greats....C Thile reported working on some Bach piece. When asked, John Reischman answered.....I'm working on my chop.

  12. #37
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    I just put on a set of the EXP 75's on my Breedlove yesterday. I see they've started to put a brass coating on the plain strings. It actually works ok; I never liked the way the older exp's bass strings blended with the trebles, but now it kinda sounds more balanced. 2 sets of FT74's showed up in the mail today too, I'm really looking forward to trying them.

  13. #38

    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    I have a Mix A5 and don't like how it sounds with J74's, so ive been using Gibson Sam Bush strings lately. I tried the Gibson's on. Regular F5 and they were a nice chang. They had a very interesting chop sound that works great on many songs.

    I had two seperate posts on strings a few months ago and got some great suggestions, so I have a few sets of different strings sitting around ready to try on the Mix.

  14. #39
    Registered User Leigh Coates's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    Lately I've been using Newtone strings (.011 - .041 Phosphor Bronze). Might go back to J74's eventually, but I like these Newtone strings.
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    I just found out, they stopped doing the brass coating on the plain strings a few years ago!! I guess they were NOS sets.

  16. #41
    Registered User Cron-Z's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    For the longest time (as I'm a beginner), I was using the J74's that came with my mandolin. I restrung my mandolin (my first time restringing any instrument--what an experience) with the same gauge of Elixir and I absolutely love the tone...

    But not only is this choice conditional to each mandolin, but it's also very subjective. And that's not without forgetting what Mike posted above: We, our touch and technique, is a bigger factor to tone than strings.

  17. #42
    Registered User Cheryl Watson's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    I've been using J77s on my Kimble and JS74 (stainless steel) on my Williamson. J77s are coated and last a good while depending on heat, sweat, etc. and the JS74s have a drier, more aggressive sound with very good balance and last even longer. I have tried J75s but the extra tension was too hard on my right hand (but then again, I am a woman, although I play pretty aggressively) and they can choke some mandolin tops. Sometimes more tension can be too much for certain tops. You think you are going to get bigger and louder and better but it sounds choked. It's the same thing with guitars. But, some mandolins sound great with the J75s if your hands can take the extra tension.
    Last edited by Cheryl Watson; Sep-22-2012 at 6:01pm.

  18. #43
    Registered User doc holiday's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    CWT, When I first got my Heiden mandolin I put J75s on it the day it arrived on the bus. I'd used them on my Weber previously. After a couple of years, I paid a visit to Michael Heiden & had him tweak the set-up. He told me that he voices the instruments for J74s, so I took his word for it. Low & behold, the mandolin sounded more open, just & loud, and was easier to play.

  19. #44
    Registered User Fran's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Quest for Better Tone - What Strings Do You Play??

    Don't waste your money on expensive strings. They aren't really "better" than the J74 at $5.00 (or less) a pack or store brand strings. The pick makes a big difference in the sound: heavy picks like Dawg or Golden Gate make a soft muted sound. Medium guitar picks usually produce a brighter "metallic" sound. Work on your technique!
    "People will be more impressed with your playing than the price of your instrument."

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