bulk silk&steel strings - any sources?

[acousticphd]

Fellow pickers,

I haven't looked at the message board in a long time, so am interested here in feedback on less-known sources for wound strings. I'm particularly interested in silk&steel or silk&bronze strings (not full sets), in bulk. I go through strings rapidly, and routinely change them after a fewl playing sessions, sometimes sooner for the plain steel. Frequent changes to fresh strings (costing $3-$4 / set) , IMO, makes a much bigger differnence in tone than any differences in name brands I've tried. Plus, I have too many instruments to string to be pay the premium rates on name sets.

Usually I buy a couple dozen strings of various gauges in steel and phosphor bronze from one of the several popular web sources, and am happy with them. Once or twice though, I've tried a silk&steel set, and would like to experiment more with these on my oval-hole instruments. Unlike 80/20 and phosphor bronze, I can't find any source of silk&steel strings (guitar or mando would be fine) in quantity or bulk. Does anyone know of such a source?

Thanks

[Gavin Baird]

Send a message to Peter Ostroushko who uses nothing but Silk and Steel. Perhaps he will give you a hand...G
Check out his email < Peter@PeterOstroushko.com>

[daikon]

Ostroushko may not no much about bulk strings since he only changes his once year.

Ostroushko on Strings (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=12;t=14688;hl=ostroushko)

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[Fretbear]

I don't know how he can manage that....the only reason I don't use silk & steel (anymore) is that they don't physically last....if you take them off after a month or even less, the windings on the D strings are completely gone down to the core wire...the silk and bronze are much tougher and sound (almost) as good.
Jeff, www.fqms.com sell GHS silk & steel & silk & bronze #singles (for mandolin only) in bulk packages of 6....They also claim to be able to make you up bulk packages not listed for special orders...

[acousticphd]

Jeff, www.fqms.com sell GHS silk & steel & silk & bronze #singles (for mandolin only) in bulk packages of 6....They also claim to be able to make you up bulk packages not listed for special orders...


Fretbear Manzanita - Thanks very much for that info. I have browsed fqms for supplies on occasion but hadn't noticed that. I am generally anti-name brand inre: strings, but there don't appear to be many options for silk&steel or bronze, so I will check out their mini-bulk purchase prices. The wearout issue shouldn't be a problem for me since I end up changing the strings, at least on the mandos I regularly use, every couple of weeks.

Incidently, I went to the "Ostrouchko on strings" link, and he says he actually changes strings "about twice" a year (100% more string changes than once, it turns out!) Ostrouschko is a mandolin master to me, but I can't imagine two sets of strings per year.

[mandolooter]

Fretbear...thanks for that too. I started using the silk and steel's and they don't last long at all plus when they die, they DIE! What a great tone they produce tho, worth every penny of the extra bucks, but hopefully I'll save some money this way!
Jeff

[mandroid]

FWIW not bulk but StewMac cuts per set price; reduction at a dozen plus,
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