really cheap mandolin - E strings slip

[hat]

I've acquired a really cheap mandolin, but I find it has issues. The string posts on the tailpiece are round. The high E strings slip on these, and eventually unwind themselves. Before I take a file to the string posts to put some 'bite' into them, does anyone have a different fix?

[Mandobart]

What strings are you using? I've had 10 different mandolin-family instruments with a variety of tailpiece types and never encountered this on any of them. I've used D'addarrio, Martin, DR, Newtone and Mangan strings.

This did happen on the E on one of my fiddles though. I wrapped a new loop with several extra twists and its still holding.

[tinnitus]

+1 on wrapping the strings more times, or even going through the hole twice.

YouTube has a few vids on how to really lock strings on there with a reverse fold, too. No reason that shouldn't work on a mandolin as well.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by tinnitus

+1 on wrapping the strings more times, or even going through the hole twice.

YouTube has a few vids on how to really lock strings on there with a reverse fold, too. No reason that shouldn't work on a mandolin as well.

Wrong end of the string. The OP is talking about loop-end mandolin string loops slipping at the tailpiece, not at the tuner end.