Octave Mandolin Strings

[Randolph]

I am curious about string brands and gauges for a 21 1/2" scale octave mandolin. Are there any strings that please your ears and tickle your fingers more than others? I am asking because I have a octave on the way and would like to have a couple of sets of strings to horse around with when she arrives. The tail piece takes ball end strings so I figure I can order various gauges and types of single guitar strings and build my own sets of strings. Thanks for your input and help.:)

[foldedpath]

My OM is a little longer scale (22.5"), and I tune it GDAE. With that in mind, I've been happy with the D'Addario J80 Octave Mandolin set (.012, .022, .032, .046), except I substitute .013's on top. The stock .012's felt a little wimpy under my fingers. Switching to .013's seem better-balanced to the rest of the set on this particular instrument. I'd probably go even heavier to something like .014's if I tuned GDAD like some OM/Zouk players do.

As for the string material, I think it makes sense to match string tone to the strengths and weaknesses of the particular instrument and what you're shooting for. Some people like very bright-sounding OM's and 'zouks, others like a darker tone. The OM I play is a carved archtop with F-holes, basically a scaled-up Bluegrass mandolin. It has a very punchy, midrange-heavy sound, a little on the dark side of the tonal range. So I like regular phosphor bronze or bronze strings with lot of "zing" to emphasize the highs and balance out the tone, and I avoid the darker-sounding strings like nickelwound or flatwound. Your mileage may vary, depending on the voice of your OM and what you're trying to emphasize in the tone.

[Randolph]

Foldedpath, Thanks for your reply. I have an old 23" scale arch top tenor that I tune to gdae and run 42-32-22-12 nickel wound strings on her. For a long while I stuck to phosphor-bronze strings and then tried nickel on a lark, and was amazed by the difference in tone, not better or worse, just very different, with a much "drier" bottom end. The soon to arrive GOM is an Old Wave, and I am sure I will need to play around with different strings in order to fine tune the voice. I'm guessing that a shorter scale (21 1/2" vs. 23") calls for lighter gauge strings, or is it the other way around?:redface: I suppose I'm jumping the gun here, but there are some great deals on strings from a supplier mentioned here at the Cafe, and in anticipation of the new arrival I thought I put together various sets: phosphor bronze, nickel, chrome steel (ala JazzMando) just to make sure that I'm totally distracted when she arrives. I figure between playing and experimenting with different strings I'll be able to avoid real work for hours at a time.:))

[foldedpath]

The soon to arrive GOM is an Old Wave, and I am sure I will need to play around with different strings in order to fine tune the voice. I'm guessing that a shorter scale (21 1/2" vs. 23") calls for lighter gauge strings, or is it the other way around?

Other way around. I use many different custom strings sets for all my weird instruments and tunings, and I've found this online calculator to be very helpful: http://www.bangzero.org/stringtension/

Plug in the values for a standard set of packaged strings for the generic instrument type and scale length you're dealing with (or a customized set you're already familiar with), and then start messing with the tuning and gauges to get what you want for equivalent tension. It gets me in the ballpark, and then I tweak the gauges to personal taste, based on finger feel and tone.


I figure between playing and experimenting with different strings I'll be able to avoid real work for hours at a time.:))

That's the ticket!

[Markkunkel]

Yes, experimentation is very good! On my Old Wave guitar-bodied OM I use (per Bill Bussmann's recommendation) 48-34-23-13, presently in phosphor-bronze, but who knows what might happen in the future. Such fun...

MK

[grumpycoyote]

Currently running .042, .034, .022, .013 for GDAE and find the 042 to be too soft. - Pushing it to 045 or so shortly.

[Randolph]

Thank you both for your replies. The link to the string gauge calculator is great. And...this is so cool...It's three weeks 'til delivery and I'm already managing to avoid work trying to figure things out, and then I have to spend even more time shopping for strings. :) Today's productivity is sliding away so quickly I may have to give up on work entirely and go play music instead.:mandosmiley:

[Randolph]

Grumpy, Thanks. I'm imagining that I would be in the ball park with something between .045-.050 for the G courses, with a similar range of diameters for the other courses as well. Whoo boy! The day is definitely edging towards an early play time.

[Narayan Kersak]

I've got around 21 inch scale length flat top. I use mandola strings with the high E at .014. and the G at .049. This really gave it a growl and volume and sustain. It sounds great!

[John Flynn]

My OM's scale length is 22.9." J80's are OK, but as has been said, I think the G and E courses need to be bumped up. I want to go to about .046 for the G and .013 for the E. For your 21.5," you might find you need to go even higher. My advice is to start with J80's and go up on the weak/flabby courses one step at a time until you find what works.

[Markkunkel]

[QUOTE=Randolph;801673]...The soon to arrive GOM is an Old Wave...QUOTE]

So keep in mind that unless the ever-dynamic Mr. Bussmann has modified his tailpiece design, we are talking ball-end strings here....

MK

[Randolph]

Thanks to all of you! I managed to talk Bill into a trapeze style tailpiece. It's a modified tenor guitar style with shortened arms and a shaped ebony cross bar drilled to accept ball end strings. I figured ball ends would give me a greater range of choices for string gauges but then....today I perused various sites and discovered how expensive a set of strings made up of singles is gonna be.:crying: Nevertheless, I look forward to experimenting, and if I have to cut back on the amount of money I spend chasing younger women in cheap honky-tonks in order to pay for strings, so be it.:))

[John Flynn]

However, once you find the gauges you like, you can save money on strings buying bulk guitar strings. from JustStrings (NFI). I figured OM strings would come out to about $4.30 a set, including shipping. You're buying 12 strings of each gauge, so six sets at a time, but it works out.

[Dolamon]

For my 21 inch Spira OM (and 16 inch Spira Mandola) I evolved into using Elixir Nanoweb - 52, 35, 22 and 14 plains. This scale length pair are actually analogous - the fifth fret on the OM is 16 inches (CGDa at fifth fret). I went to the Nanowebs - 'cause I got tired of the strings dieing in a month or two - Nano's will discolor, still hold tuning and sound great ... after two years on these instruments. My criteria for change is when they won't stay in tune and the sound level has deteriorated.

While more expensive, these strings seem to last for years ... the cost is consequently relative - expensive to get into initially, they last for a really long time.

I don't have any financial interest in the company, get them from either Elderly, Just Strings or First Quality usually in a bulk order to differ shipping.

[capt_blood]

I tried starting this same thread a few months ago, without much success. I'm glad to see a success this time around.

My octave mandolin has a 22" scale length. I have been stringing it .14, .22, .32, .46, using GHS Bright Bronze single guitar strings from FQMS. The string tension guides are wonderful, but I believe that you can get equal tension across all 4 courses by multiplying the gauge by 1.5 for each course you go down. (1.33 if you have string pairs tuned in fourths instead of fifths, which I do not.) If so I should go to a .48 on the G strings. Usually any packaged OM string set will have one or two courses where you will like the tone, playability and the intonation. Those are are the courses you want to duplicate.

Intonation is my biggest issue when it comes to OM strings, which is why my gauges are (I think) the highest on this thread, though not by much.

My second biggest issue is tone. My M-80 has morado (a.k.a. Bolivian rosewood) for the back and sides. I've never cared for phosphor bronze strings on guitars, and that prejudice has carried over to OM. I wonder how anyone could use the D'Addario phosphor bronze strings. The GHS phosphor bronze are better, and the Pearce still better. But not as good as the GHS Bright Bronze. Of course, your experience may vary. Perhaps I will look around again to see if anyone carries single Martin 80/20s. I think I would prefer those to the GHS Bright Bronze.

I can bend medium gauge strings on a dreadnaught guitar, the heavier gauge doesn't bother me. I just hope the OM can take them.

I guess I'm just old school. I can't help myself.