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View Full Version : STRING ROUNDUP



AeroJoe
Aug-05-2004, 3:52pm
I'm asking you all to post your favorite strings under this one thread, that you have/are using and on what mandolin...//you don't have include lengthy descritions as to why **(I imagine "why" is because they sound good on your mando)** Just a simple answer, let this run for a while, then we can sorta average up the strings that have the most votes. Maybe that will shed some light on a tendency or trend, and give a clearer reason as to why.

The reason am asking this, is the confusion I still have over some strings that are mentioned in other posts: For example, exactly /what/ the Bush Strings are made of (the old "monel" monicker or something else, if they are the same as the Monroe set or not except for a .(something) difference on the A or E strings... Are the original Bush strings when they first came out, the same as the ones now? How about the Monroe strings in the plastic package vs. the small cardboard box ("vacuumed-packed" or soemthing to that effect)...then there's the Elixers' (and other coated strings) that received ok remarks as Polywebs when they first came out, much better when the Nanowebs came out, now there's a post below that alot of people say "Yuck" on them all...I read remarks on other strings that are fine one minute and hated the next...someone said somewhere something to the effect of "try what you will, but you'll always come back to J74's"...I like those ok too, but I keep breaking them at what I'd consider a little too soon...
So, if you will, chime in with what you prefer, to make my and others experiments a little more focused and a little easier to choose, when it's time to shell out the $$$ for different strings to try out.

I am running the Elixer Nanowebs on both my 10-year old Flatiron F5 Master, and my new custom maple Bitterroot. They are fine...but I'm not shortsighted enough to think there might be something else out there that will sound better...

THANKYOU if you participate in this...

frets1
Aug-05-2004, 4:27pm
Gibson Sam Bush Strings - They are the best!!

mandoJeremy
Aug-06-2004, 5:50am
Gibson Sam Bush strings on a Gibson Sam Bush mando. Perfect combo!

mandonewbie
Aug-06-2004, 7:22am
GHS - A250's - Phos/Bronz lights.... .11 - .36

Scotti Adams
Aug-06-2004, 7:35am
..Gibson Monel Wounds,,,which are the sam string now as the Bush set...just different packaging...they are not the same as the Monroe set which is a bronze string...I started using the monels in 1985 because I changed the strings on Hoss one time and thats what Bush was using. Gibson "discontinued" the monels only to repackage them with Sammys mug on front plus you get an extra A and E string with everyset.

fatt-dad
Aug-06-2004, 8:05am
I am totally into the FT-74 for my 1919 A-3.
Otherwise, I have been using J-74s for f-hole mandolins.
I use A-250s (GHS) for my Flatiron 1N.
I use GHS silk and steel for my oval-hole mandolins (but will likely be going to the FT-74s at next string change).

earthsave
Aug-06-2004, 9:42am
Another vote for those Gibson Sam Bush Monels...

Mando4Life
Aug-06-2004, 9:50am
Gibson Monels

Wadefox
Aug-06-2004, 9:54am
I've tried a lot of different strings, and D'Addario flat tops sound the best on my Absaroka.

Ken
Aug-06-2004, 10:31am
I've used GHS A260's for years (.11 - .38) but have started useing the A250's (.10 - .36) on a couple of my oval hole mandolins, they sound great and make it a little easier on my old knuckles.
Ken.

bjc
Aug-06-2004, 12:18pm
D'Addarios baby...but I'm open to suggestions :-)

peterbc
Aug-06-2004, 12:28pm
D'Addario J75's on a Scrap mandolin, gives it a bigger sound than the 74's.

Steve G
Aug-06-2004, 4:58pm
D'Aquisto or Elixir Nanoweb. Mediums.

John Flynn
Aug-06-2004, 6:30pm
GHS Silk and Steel for old-time music.

Philip Halcomb
Aug-06-2004, 8:54pm
D'Addario J74s

jasona
Aug-06-2004, 9:20pm
J74s on my Ratcliff. Nothing else sounds the same. Even the J75s sounded muted on it. Haven't tried the Bill Monroes on it yet--I quite liked them on my Kentucky.

Fuzzyway
Aug-06-2004, 10:45pm
D'Addario J74s

Lefty&French
Aug-07-2004, 4:42am
Mainly D'Addario J74s on a "Franck Cheval F5 mandolin". They work for lefties too ! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Scotti Adams
Aug-07-2004, 10:14am
Got my Bushs in the mail just now...I didnt know they are now vaccumed pack.....the last sets I bought werent....cool

jmkatcher
Aug-07-2004, 10:58am
GHS A-270s which are more or less the same as J74s, maybe a little brighter.

In fact, I'm just changing a set now and taking a break between courses (and cursing my Weber tailpiece http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif.

mcashion
Aug-07-2004, 11:18am
Thomastik-Infield Heavy on the Breedlove Cascade, Medium on the Alvarez F-hole, and lights on the Gibson oval 1913 A. they are flatwound, last almost forever and you can play for hours without sore fingers. FYI I use Zyex flatwounds on my old french fiddle.

Steve Williams
Aug-07-2004, 4:48pm
Gibson A-Jr Gibson monels
Gibson A-9 Gibson bronze
Epiphone F GHS Silk & Steel or John Pearse Heavy Gauge
Kentucky A GHS Bright Bronze

AeroJoe
Aug-08-2004, 12:07am
Out of 21 replies, (unless I mis-counted) the Gibson Sam Bush and the J-74's hold even with 6 votes each...

Brian T
Aug-08-2004, 5:43pm
I believe that each mandolin will tell you what string it likes. I have been playing DR's on my festival F for a couple of years now. It likes them so I do too.

AeroJoe
Aug-08-2004, 6:30pm
Got a private email from someone who said they like the Elixer Nanowebs, but "carefully wiped the entire length of string </the coated ones in the set/> with very fine #0000 steel wool". This supposedly got a little more brightness out of them, while still retaining enough of the coating as to give a longer string life, and they "did not experience the eventual 'fraying' where their pick struck the strings"...

Well, gotta admit, that was a new one on me...anybody else done that?

Ken
Aug-08-2004, 6:48pm
Next step will be to find out what kind of music people are playing on what kind of strings. What works for bluegrass may not work for jazz, which may not work for folk, which may not work for pop, etc, etc

Steve G
Aug-09-2004, 5:51pm
Elixir Nanowebs are already brighter than the lights of Las Vegas. In fact I wish they'd mellow them out just a tad. Especially their guitar strings. I sure do like them on my F5 though after about a week.

Ted Eschliman
Aug-09-2004, 8:19pm
What works for bluegrass may not work for jazz, which may not work for folk, which may not work for pop, etc, etc
Yup.
Thomastik TI's for me, but almost exclusively classical and jazz...

mandoJeremy
Aug-09-2004, 11:32pm
Just got finished learning a new Charlie Parker tune and playing on the side with a major jazz group (Weather Report, Chick, and NOW some earlier Flecktones), I guess I am in to the fusion thing even though the purists won't find it as jazz....still using Bush strings and I am still studying the great horn players from the Big Band Era!

Dan Cole
Aug-10-2004, 12:29pm
Gibson - Sam Bush