Ovation mandocello strings

[entau]

so I picked up a use Ovation MC868 mandocello-

and I found the user manual online -

which notes that Karmer Music produced a set of ball end strings gages 0.74, 0.48, 0.32, 0.22 under the Adamas brand set # 9090

Well I tried just about everybody on the web and emailed Juststrings who pointed me directly to Karmer

turns out they are only availble in Europe
I did see one reference to them at a German site-
not sure it is worth all the hassle

just wondering if anybody has ever run across them
I guess I will just have to get single ball end strings -
but I believe the 0.74 will be hard to find.

[steve in tampa]

You could also re use the balls from an old set of strings and put them in th eloops of the available mandocello strings.

Got to see Mike Marshall tear it up on mandocello last year. Really funky sounding instrumrnt.

[mandroid]

Ovation, a part of this bigger company http://www.kamanmusic.com/

[entau]

I wound up ordering matching ( or as close as I could get)
PB ball ends from just stings - john pearse had the closest gages and I have used JP strings before and like them -

only problem is the 0.72s are 10 bucks each !

[Lefty&French]

http://www.yopi.de/Adamas_9090_Mandoloncello_022_074_Saiten_Saiten_ak ustische_Instrumente

[neangler]

I'm REALLY glad you asked this question, because it gives me a chance to ask about your mandocello. Do you like it? How long have you had it? Can you recommend it?

I'm seriously considering a mandocello. No reason other than the fact I'd like to play around with one and experiment. As a result, I don't want to spend a ton of cash. I'm thinking about the Eastman; Elderly will special order it for a shade less than two grand. (I'll have to trade something in to bring down the cost.) And of course there are the flat-sided Webers. (God, I'd love one of their carved cellos, but $$$$$.)

Maybe the Ovation would be a good option.

Thanks for your reply.

[entau]

well - i did post in CBOM about it

I do already have a freshwater mandocello - which is a flat top -but no built in pickup - I put one of those Dean stick on transducers - but it's a pain to drag the cord around-

so the guy I bought it from - had just bought a 1916 K2

that thing was sweet- the action was super low and the tone - awesome - it did buzz a bit in the higher frets- but other than that it was way cool-
the neck was very triangular ( on the back) which I found made it easy to play -

anyway - tonally - the Ovation is no comparison to the Gibson- but it is very good -
I always thought ovation ( mandolins anyway) sounded awful acoustic - but the MC868 mandocello holds it's own on sustain and volume acousticly
as for tone - it is punchy and leaning towards a guitar-
(the freshwater and gibson - both have a slower attack and longer natural sustain) differnet strings may change that

action is not as slick as the Gibson - but much better than the Freshwater - ( that thing is like a baseball bat)

electricly it is nice - with a built in preamp and basic eq

so I like it a lot - it's light weight, slim neck, pretty good action- holds in tune.
not sure of the scale - but it has a 21srt fret ( which is a high F on the A string- I believe I misstated that in the other post)

so over all - I would recomend them- maybe not for classical- but for anything else - I always figure when I jam or play on stage the Mandocello needs to be amplified anyway - so why not one with a built in preamp.
it does take ball end stings -which can be hard to find in the right gages.

i have half a mind to try it as an octave mandolin.

[Ted Eschliman]

I've let many instruments of my collection go over the years with few regrets, in true "Catch and Release" sport. That said, the Ovation Mandocello was one of my biggest "release" mistakes. This is a far underrated instrument out there, amazing tone (ESPECIALLY plugged in), able to be strung light and low, and capable of a wide range of tensions.

Kaman gave up on their proprietary Adamas strings long before they stopped making the MC868 a special-order only instrument. My solution was to order D'addario Phosphor Bronze guitar singles (the C string being the toughest to find), but when the EXP series came out four years ago, I new that would be an answer to a Maiden's Prayer. Sure they are more expensive, but the regular phosphor bronze oxidized in the case while I wasn't playing it. The EXP series last 3-4 times as long, and sound great the whole time.

My answer in D'addario Phos Bronze singles, though you might have to purchase each string in five packs:

EXPPB022
EXPPB045
EXPPB060
EXPPB070

Dang. I just gave away my last set when I sold this instrument earlier this year.

[Ted Eschliman]

List of the available D'addario Guitar Singles (http://www.daddario.com/DADProdSingles.aspx?ID=BBPA&GR=2) from your favorite D'addario dealer.

[entau]

Thanks Ted - I'll try the EXPs - I was tempted to go for the .070 in the JP PB ,
its funy the ydon't offer an 074 or and 034 like the D'iaddario loop end set has

but the do have 070 and 076 as well as 032 and 036

060 for the G and 045 the D - heavy man heavy

Don't get me wrong - I think it is a beautiful instrument

and I have been moving into more of an electric venue - so the Ovation Mandocello I think will be a nice fit

but after playing that carved top gibson K2 .........

sigh

[Lefty&French]

(...) turns out they are only availble in Europe
I did see one reference to them at a German site-
not sure it is worth all the hassle
OK, I bite... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

As simple as ordering on an American site (Elderly, fqms, Janet Davis, StewMac or...)or typing on the Mandolin Cafe
for European people.
(And they cost 12,75€/set.Even with shipping costs, you're far from ten bucks for one 0.72)
This said, if you find another strings you like, it's another story.

[Steve G]

quote: i have half a mind to try it as an octave mandolin.

That's what I do with mine and it's great but I don't play it very often. I've been wanting to try it as a mandocello as of late so I think I'll get some strings for it.