Mandolin Strings

[Steve Zitelli]

I know this is probably the wrong forum for this but I'm sure there are alot of acoustic guitarist who also play mandolin.Here is my question.I just brought a used Washburn MS/TS A stryle mandolin.The strings were old so I replaced them with a new set of Martin M400 light bronze strings.They make the mandolin sound awful,very tinny with no body.I'm also getting some buzzes with the new strings.The old strings actualy sounded better.For all the mando pickers out there what is your string and gauge of choice.

[Wade Hampton]

Steve, Martin gauges its mandolin strings for its own (rather neglected) flattop mandolin. The Martin and Darco (same company but budget brand of strings) mandolin strings are quite light - I sometimes use Darco strings on my mandolin-banjo, which doesn't need much and actually sounds louder with lighter gauge strings.

Anyway, the medium gauge phosphor bronze D'Addario mandolin set is pretty universal. On my mandolin I use the John Pearse medium gauge phosphors, which are the same gauges as the D'Addarios. I like the sound of the Pearse strings better, and they last me longer.

The only problem with the John Pearse mandolin sets is that they're harder to find in retail music stores. I mail order mine. But the D'Addarios are not only ubiquitous, but they're good strings, as well.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[walternewton]

I like D'Addario J74s - I'd venture a guess they're the most popular mandolin strings out there.

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by walternewton

I like D'Addario J74s - I'd venture a guess they're the most popular mandolin strings out there.

They are the best starting point. They are the most popular. Get your mando set up or J74s and make sure you like the sound. After that, you can try other types of strings.

Jim

[mrkrgr]

With the J74's I don't like them until they've been played hard for at least a week. I actually change my mandolin stings less frequently than I do my guitars. I actually like them played in. After a while they feel sticky and off they go.

[Steve Zitelli]

Thanks to all, this forum never lets me down.Next string change I'll try the Daddario mediums.It looks like a newer bone nut.My guess is the previous owner had a new nut set up for mediums.

[raulb]

I have always used GHS or D'Addario bronze on my mandos.

I have just bought my first Elixirs but have not put them on yet. I will probably put them on my F-5 first and see if I like them (got 'em 2 for one).

Never tried Martin. So Wade, maybe I should try Martins on my '53 Martin A-style?

[Opa John]

I tried the Martin 400s. Got four free sets of them with a recent used mandolin purchase. Since it needed a string change, I put a set of those Martins on it. Same story here....the old strings that I'd just taken off sounded better than the new Martin 400s....didn't like them at all. Since this mandolin was purchased to resell anyway, I left them on and when I resold it I gave the other three paks of strings to the new owner. I also mentioned to the new owner that I didn't really care for the Martin strings. She didn't seem to care about that.

I'm not sure what strings I have on my own mandolin......GHS mediums, I think. But, the next time I change strings I'm gonna give the D'Addario J74s a try.

Thanks for the tip, guys.

[ricks]

Whatever your brand preference turns out to be, stick with the Med gauge if you can. Only way to go on my two. And I do use the Elixir Med's on both of mine. I like the sound and they last forever. But like someone else said, I still like em better after they are played in a bit.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by raulb

Never tried Martin. So Wade, maybe I should try Martins on my '53 Martin A-style?

It's up to you. If you're using a medium gauge string on the mandolin and it's set up properly, I'm not sure I'd change.

The thing with Martin mandolins is that they represent an earlier style of mandolin that's largely been superseded (at least among North American mandolinists) by the arched top and back mandolins built along the lines of the instruments pioneered by Gibson. They're totally different animals in terms of response, projection, volume and tone.

That flatback design is one that evolved from the bowlback Neapolitan mandolin, the so-called "taterbug" mandolin that classical mandolinists still prefer. What happened was as mandolin became a popular instrument among American musicians, American instrument builders developed their own approach, and the flatback design (while still featuring the bent top of the taterbug mandolins) made for an easier, faster and thus less expensive mandolin to build.

But nowadays the mandolinists most interested in that style of instrument are Irish musicians and, to a somewhat lesser extent, American old-timey players.

That's not to say that the Martin flatback design is musically inferior to the Gibson archtop design; in my opinion, the Martin mandolins typically have a sweeter sound and better low end response, with more sustain.

But they're not as versatile and, especially, they're not as loud or projective as the arched top mandolins with f holes. So they've largely been left behind by most serious students of the instrument (again, this is so far as North America is concerned. I can't speak to what, say, the Italians are doing...)

So regarding the specific matter of using Martin mandolin strings on a Martin mandolin - that's up to you. I'm necessarily not all that enthralled with the sound of the Darco mandolin strings on my Gibson Mastertone mandolin-banjo, but with an instrument like the mandolin-banjo it's more a matter of string gauge than it is of their winding alloys.

I'd say go ahead and experiment, and see whether you like them. But If you already like the sound you're getting on that Martin mandolin with the strings you're using, don't knock yourself out. If the instrument seems stable and the neck isn't yanking up, you're also probably just fine staying with whatever strings you're currently using.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Wade Hampton]

I should mention that not ALL flatback mandolin designs are inherently quieter than archtop mandolin designs: the original flatback mandolins built by Flatiron are, indeed, sometimes hideously loud musical instruments.

But the design used by Martin is, in fact, a fairly quiet one. It's not one of Martin's best musical instrument designs, in my opinion. I like the tone they get, but have never played one I wanted to buy or that would do what I need a mandolin to do.


whm

[raulb]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

But the design used by Martin is, in fact, a fairly quiet one. It's not one of Martin's best musical instrument designs, in my opinion. I like the tone they get, but have never played one I wanted to buy or that would do what I need a mandolin to do.

I was teasing about the Martins on my Martin. As I think about it, there may actually be Martins on it right now.

However, my Martin is loud. It won't drown out a banjo, but I have to keep in mind that my mistakes can be heard over everyone else in the jam. The Martin is louder and warmer (more woody) sounding than my Ibanez F-5 that is for sure. Of the 2, the Martin is my preferred and I use it for all styles of music.

Also, although I do not care for Martin guitars, I prefer my Martin mando over any other flat back/top mando I have ever played. I generally don't like the "pancake" mandos at all.

None of this is not to say that should someone ever want to trade me a Collings MF-5 for the Martin, that I wouldn't trade! But I would not trade it for a Gibson or or for a Weber.



Edit: The only thing wrong with the Martin is that it has been impossible to find a new case for it without going to a custom made case.

[CoffeeGuitar]

newtones everytime for every instrument

[dmcowles@comcas]

If you end up liking the EJ74 D'Addarios, the next thing to think about is D'Ad EXP74s. They last a lot longer, and have almost the same sound as the EJ74. I put them on my F-5 three months ago, and they are still going strong. I've been playing more mando than guitar for the last year or so, and I usually change strings fairly often. Although guitar string changes are only a 10 minute job for me, changing mando strings is often 1/2 hour or more, so it's not one of my favorite things to do. Longer life strings are desirable on mandos, IMHO.

[Schtang]

love the mandolin (every now and then) - used it in this song I wrote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDGwNuA_ODo



Suzuki M 20 - beautifully crafted in Japan 1982 (loud as $het, but I really hate the feel of the roundback)