What strings do yopu use?

[billkilpatrick]

for an old-time sound, do you recommend one brand of string over another?

for that matter ... do you recommend one style of mandolin ("f," "a" or "oval") or a specific manufacturer?

(sorry about the typo in the title but it appears i can't change it.)

[Alex Fields]

I have no idea what anyone else it does and it's likely very different from what I do, but I've been working on developing an old time mandolin technique based mostly on old time clawhammer banjo playing. I use an F5 with Thomastik strings. It seems like this would not work as well on an F5 with heavier, roundwound strings, but I could be wrong. I also guess it might work a little better with an oval hole, but that's an assumption and not something I've tested. Either way, I am not going to be switching to an F5 because as much as I love old time it's not the only type of music I play and I greatly prefer playing an f-hole instrument in general. Then again, a large part of the technique I use for this is a sortof brush stroke with pick for chords, and that may not work nearly as well on an oval hole, so maybe I'm even better off with the f-holes. I look forward to hearing other responses because I too am interested in this topic.

Btw I would think that in general really bright or cutting strings would not be very good for old time music...something mellow like the flatwounds seems a lot better.

[acousticphd]

I most often play an old Gibson A style oval hole mando, but sometimes will use an f-hole A-style mando. I like the oval hole sound better; I don't think you need the percussive quality of an f-hole instrument but really either type can work fine. I don't typically "chop", regardless of instrument type.

All the strings I use are generic phosphor bronze and plain steels that I buy in bulk quantities. My mandolin strings are the same gauge as J74s. They work great for me and come out to ~$2.50 a set.