Arch-top Oval Strings

[John Flynn]

I did a search before posting this and of course there are a lot of "what's the best string" threads, but if there was one on this specific topic, I could not find it. Most of the string threads deal with F-hole mandos and bluegrass tone, some with jazz and classical and others about specific string brands.

My question is specifically about strings for arch-top oval hole mandos and specifically about strings that best capture that classic oval sound, a sound I would describe as "dry, with a booming bass, a tubby midrange and bell-like trebles. OK, I know a lot of this is the instrument and my Old Wave oval A comes pretty close with any strings. But I want to maximize that tone with the right strings. My current ideal tone is what Michael Kerry gets on his CD "The Rocky Road." Also, I like the tone Clyde Curley gets on his CD. Another candidate is Bruce Ling's "Crawdad Shuffle" recording linked below. IMHO, it would be perfect if the bass were a bit stronger:
http://www.hawksandowls.com/Tunes....age.htm (http://www.hawksandowls.com/Tunes/Crawdad_shuffle/Crawdad_shuffle_page.htm)

I have tried J74s and Silk and Steels. Both are OK, but I just have this feeling they are not optimal. The J74s are bit brassy for what I am looking for and the S&S sound kind of "brittle" if that makes any sense. It's like they lack that "sparkle" I am searching for. So my question is: What kind of strings have people had good luck with specifically for that classic oval tone?

[John Rosett]

you might want to try the d'addario flat tops. they're kinda halfway between the j74's and the TI's. i personally like the j74's best on my gibson oval-hole, but only after they're played in a little bit. there's also the labella flatwounds that ted sells, but i've never tried them.

[Bob DeVellis]

I use the Martin M-400 80/20 bronze .010-.034 set on most of my oval hole mandos. They're a fairly light gauge which gives a nice feel and responsiveness for left-hand ornamentation. Actually, I haven't tried them on a Weber but I like them on old Gibsons a lot. I think the strings interact to a considerable degree with the mandolin and how it's constructed and set up, so it can be hard to generalize from one instrument to another. But the Martins are readily available and fairly inexpensive, so it's not a high-risk proposition to give them a try. It's kind of a kick to spring for a set of TIs and then discover that you really don't like them on the particular instrument you put them on. Much less pain if the Martins don't completely satisfy.

[JEStanek]

JazzMando JM-11s from Ted sound great to me...

[otterly2k]

MJ, I have tried those d'addario half-way flattops, and I didn't like them particularly. To me, they didn't quite have the advantages of either the regular wound strings or the flats.

I do really like the LaBella flatwounds, which I use on my Breedlove Quartz OO. I like how they feel and how they sound. There's a light set, a medium set, and the set that Ted sells, that is essentially a light set with a heavier GG course.

You might want to try a set and see if you like 'em.

[John Flynn]

All good advice! Keep the ideas coming. The Labellas are definitely on the short list now and I will also have to check out those Martins. Would it be too "out in left field" to think that monels would be a good choice? I know they are supposed to be bluegrass strings, but they sound nice on my Rigel. Anyone tried them on an oval?

[GBG]

Try the D'Addario EXP74's. They are a little smoother sounding than the regular J74's. Michael Kerry's old Gibson looks like it has phosphur bronze strings on it from the picture on the CD cover.

[Eugene]

I am hugely fond of old-school "Calace" carbon steel strings by Dogal (http://www.dogalstrings.it/). Set RW-92b ("soft") is what I use on my bowlbacks and RW-92 ("regular") is what I use on my old Gibson. Their "regular" is more delicate than most US mediums, perhaps equivalent to light. They also make set RW-92a ("strong" tension). Dogal's carbon steel starts life a little too bright and stringent, but be patinet enough to play them in and their tone will warm nicely. Their grade of steel also lasts almost forever. The only place in the US I know to import them is a California shop:

Classic Bows, Inc.
PO Box 81655
San Diego, CA 92138
Phone: 1-888-402-5277
email: classicbows@nethere.com

If you contact Classic Bows, ask for Greg Gohde, their mandoguy.

[ira]

give the jm11s a try- just a great mix of positive qualities.

[Milan Christi]

I'll give another vote for the LaBella's. The overall balance from string to string is superb to my ears but those stunning trebles are what sell me. My 1912 Gibson had TI mittels on it when I got it and I would say the LaBellas are equal.

[Avi Ziv]

Which LaBella's are we talking about here? I see that they sell both silver plated and phosphor bronze. How well do you think they would work on an f-hole mando like a Flatiron? I need something less bluegrass'y for playing Irish music.

Thanks,
Avi

[Loren Bailey]

I recently put Sam Bush Monels on my Weber Gallatin oval hole. They are great and I think capture the sound you're after (at least on my axe). Before that I had JS74s on, the SBs sound very "balanced" and feel like butter.

Loren

[Bob Caldwell]

I've had an Old Wave Oval since June and have also been trying different strings. I didn't like the D'Addario flatwounds, J74's are sort of ok, but I currently use JS74's. They reduce the brassy sound of the wound strings and give it a more even sound. I'll probably try the Bush set next.
Bob Caldwell

[rsgars]

Another vote for the Jazzmando strings here.

[Martin Jonas]

Which LaBella's are we talking about here? I see that they sell both silver plated and phosphor bronze. How well do you think they would work on an f-hole mando like a Flatiron? I need something less bluegrass'y for playing Irish music.
The talk in this thread is about neither the silver-plated not the phosphor bronze La Bellas, but rather the flatwound steel ones (similar to TI) and in particular the Jazzmando JM-11 set that Ted sells.

I've just put them on an old German flattop, and they are very nice strings, great punchiness on the bass courses and great trebles. The only reservation I have at the moment is that the transition from the flatwound D to the plain A is not all that smooth, but that may not be the strings but the instrument, which still needs some settling down after a few decades of no playing. On that flattop, at least, they are great for Irish tunes.

Martin

[Avi Ziv]

Martin - I was looking at strings.com and they only listed silver-plated and phosphor bronze. That's the source of my confusion. I guess not everyone carries the flat-wound. I'll give Ted's sets a try

Thanks for the clarification
Avi

[Bob A]

I use PF250s on an F4, and Dogal Calace medio on a L&H style A. I would have thought phosphor bronze to be the way to go on the F4, but the bright bronze works better, fo rme at least.

[acousticphd]

MJ,

I have/had two Old Wave oval holes, and have tried a few string combinations. Personally, I like their sound a lot with regular roundwound phosphor bronze, 0.011 - 0.039. I haven't used, but like the idea of the GHS silk and bronze, as opposed to silk and steel.

I've also used D'Addario semiflat FTs. I think these sound very nice on the oval hole mando. The advantage, imo, is the same as the disadvantage: They cost more than standard strings but the tone is smoother, but the cost is still a lot less than some of the true flatwound sets like the TIs.

I felt that that the A-oval sounded nicer with a lighter string guage than normal mediums, but not so light as a standard light/classical set (eg, like the Martin 10s - 34s). Several years ago, I got several sets worth of light-guage semiflat mandola strings (equivalent to FT76) - the wound G, D, and A strings (0.035, 0.024, 0.016), and added a plain steel 0.010 E string. It seems like this came out to $9-$10/set. The overall string tension was similar to regular J74s, so the playability was nice and a little easier on the instrument than the FT74s. To me, the Old Wave's E string tone, particularly in the higher registers, really sings rings with the bell-like sound, but the other strings tend to sound clearer and crisper than the "classical" oval sound.

One annoying thing is that if you change to a wound A string, you will have some intonation difficulties unless you swap bridge saddles, since the compensation for a standard A string is set significantly longer than what it should be for a wound A.

[Pete Martin]

My personal fav on my 1924 A2 is the Gibson Monel (Sam Bush) strings. Brings out the woody round tones.

[recklessmando]

Another big thumbs up for Ted's JM11's. I am really loving them on my oval at the moment. As for the monels, I'm a trial and error guy (mostly error) so I say try everything. But, one of the defining characteristics of the monels is fast note decay, which seems counterintuitive to what you're looking for. I've gone through many sets of Monels and while they may be nice for bluegrass I prefer the Labellas for everything else. They're on the opposite end of the spectrum from Monels, sustain wise.

[JD Cowles]

hey johnny-
i just threw a set of bush's on my Pomeroy A2 and i have to say i like them so far. it came with j74s and i think i've grown tired of the brightness (i use the monels on my F5 as well). honestly i think old clothesline would sound good on this mando.
i am going to give teds strings a try too and probably thomastiks one day when i'm feeling wealthy.
good luck-
jeff

[Dena Haselwander]

Yet another vote for JazzMandos.

[John Flynn]

Jeff:

Please post again as you get some history with the Bush's on the Pomeroy. I would really like to hear how they wear in. I am using them on my Rigel and like them on that instrument. It is definitely one of the strings I will try on the Old Wave.

[ira]

johnny= those sammy strings keep on going for a long time. even as someone who plays every day-and is extremely hard on my strings, wearing them out took ages. if you are looking for that sound, they are phenomenal. just make sure that your bridge and nut and action are ready to handle that beefy 'g' course.