string guage

[mkmartin57]

What is the recommended string guage for a beginner? Well I played guitar for many years with medium strings. I'm getting along OK with my new FM-53S, I just want to be sure I'm off to a good start. I immediately changed the strings, as they seemd to be corroded or something and didn't sound good. I am using Fender Phosphor Bronze, 0.011 to 0.040.

[Brady Smith]

You'll probably find the lighter strings to be less painful in the beginning stages.

[mandroid]

a lighter set would have .010 e's to 0.038 g's, adjustable bridge turned down a bit, of course.
.009 <lighter yet> .036 .

[mkmartin57]

I'm not finding it painfull. Would that be the only reason to go lighter? I'm getting along OK with strumming simple chords and picking a few slow nelodies. But I can't get the knack of that quick repeated strumming of a single note, you know when you get to the end of a line in the melody. I suppose that technique has a name. Will lighter strings help with that?

[mkmartin57]

About the adjustable bridge "of course" I don't know much about it, except that I had to turn it up to get rid of a bad spot on the fret board, where the note sounded kind of dead. I wasn't real keen on having to do that. Are there other ways to deal with this? .. or should I just demand that the vendor replace it? I like it a lot and wouldn't want to do that, but if a defect is compromising the action, then it might be best. Thanks for the tips.

[Bill Snyder]

Tremelo? I can't claim to be a great (or good) player, but I don't think going with lighter strings will help tremelo. A different pick might help but working on technique WILL help.
Look through the lessons (http://www.mandolincafe.com/download.html) here on the Mandolin Cafe and there are other sources for online lessons as well as many books in print on playing mandolin.

[dj coffey]

I'm a beginner too. I started with the string on the mandolin, which is a Weber, and, I think, as these things go, the strings are medium weight.

I've been at it since mid January, spending 90 minutes or more a day. My fingers were tender at first, but now don't seem to have a problem.

I've since restrung it wiht D'Addario J-74's which appear to have the same specs as what Weber ships on their instruments.

After restringing, the mandolin sounded VERY different, but over the past 2 weeks has rerurned to its original sound.

I think the repeatedly struck string technique you're referring to is a tremolo. It is challenging.