factory strings on epiphones

[erekthered]

i'm a classically trained violinist, but after plucking away on my friend's mandolin (have no idea what it is) here and there for the last couple of months i've decided to finally just buy my first one, an epiphone mm-30 from musician's friend. are the factory strings on epiphones complete junk and worth replacing, and if so, what would be a decent 8 string set for this type of low end instrument?

thanks!

[Michael Gowell]

Just a suggestion...buy an instrument off the wall of a real store. You will know precisely what you are getting, what it sounds like, and you'll be able to see/feel/hear differences between different instruments.

Strings are cheap when compared to the cost of the mando. Different string compositions (silk & bronze, stainless steel, etc) will radically change the sound of your instrument. Experiment.

[Steve Ostrander]

Take a look at The Mandolin Store or Elderly Instruments. They have instruments in your price range and you will be getting one that is set up properly--somethimg you won't get from MF, and easily another $50-$100 expense.

BTW, no financial interest, just two shops that I highly recommend.

[mandroid]

MF is Ok for electronics , they have a warehouse and a shipping department,
Bene Sugg : Get your Instruments as others above have suggested, who do more than shift boxes
around from pallet rack to shipping carton.

[Bob Wiegers]

to answer your question (sorry guys, you gotta at least answer the question before you veer off in another direction): yes, the stock strings are probably junk. I'd get J74s: http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/DAddario-J74-Phosphor-Bronze-Mandolin-Medium-Strings?sku=100326

or better yet get some jazz mandos: http://jazzmando.com/jazzmando_jm11_flatwound_strings.shtml

I've got an mm-30 too and the J74s are fine, so you should probably start there, but the jazz mando strings are way cool (and would be much more similar to violin strings)

[mandozilla]

Get J75's!

Ditto the Mandolin store for really good (included) set up.

:mandosmiley:

[erekthered]

funny how those kind of tangents form, but i kinda expected it. i've never bought an instrument online, always gone to a store or a individual seller. i just wanted a kinda ###### mando so fool around with and familiarize myself more with the instrument-- i just don't want the strings falling apart on me, because then it's totally useless. if and when the time comes for a more serious sounding instrument, i'll buy one personally.

thanks for the input on the strings. i assume the J75s are thicker than the J74s? what kind of advantage would that provide?

[Steve Ostrander]

J75s would be a little louder but harder on the fingers.

[gregjones]

I'd get J74s

They seem to be a good base, standard, normal all-around string set that is a good starting point as to what direction you need to go to achieve the sound you want out of your mando.

A lot of times they are also the final answer.

[mandroid]

Perhaps as a violinist the classical material may favor a lighter set of strings , make is a bit easier

to press down twice as many strings .

lighter would be an 1_E, of 0.010",2_A, 0.015, 3_D, bronze wound, 0.024", 4_G, bronze wound,0.036" ..

brand s largely similar , D'Addario does pay some sponsor funds to pay operating costs of this website...

[earthsave]

funny how those kind of tangents form, but i kinda expected it. i've never bought an instrument online, always gone to a store or a individual seller. i just wanted a kinda ###### mando so fool around with and familiarize myself more with the instrument-- i just don't want the strings falling apart on me, because then it's totally useless. if and when the time comes for a more serious sounding instrument, i'll buy one personally.

thanks for the input on the strings. i assume the J75s are thicker than the J74s? what kind of advantage would that provide?

Ordering from MF, might give you the opportunity to learn how to setup a mandolin. As mentioned above... Elderly, FQMS, or Janet Davis Music, sell the same or similar mandolins and they will come playable.

I'd imagine they come with something similar to DAddario J74 sizes 11/15/26/40, which are phosphor bronze.

Mandolin strings are cheap, $4-8 a pack. Nothing like fiddle/violin strings if that is your concern.