PDA

View Full Version : Thomastik and resophonic



Bren
Nov-01-2004, 2:18pm
I have read some of the posts about Thomastiks with interest.

I saw some in a shop one day and took the plunge. It was Mick Lewis' shop in Melbourne, and he had a set for AUD$45. They are "mittels". Lewis jnr said he keeps them for the local mandolin orchestra.
I stuck them on my Donmo resophonic mandolin. I was wondering if their sweetness would modify the Donmo's slight clanginess.

The tone was fantastic - just as I hoped.

But .... it doesn't seem to "cut through" in pub sessions like the old J74s and J67s did. And sometimes in a loud session I feel like I'm clawing at elastic bands.

But .... the sound in a small room or private session has a quality to make strong women swoon ("just as I hoped" http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif ). People would approach, lured by the sound, and expecting some beautiful wood instrument - and the dynamic range seemed greater than I could get with J67s (gotta admit I went with nickel wound for the look to some degree) .

But ... more often I am in a noisy session.
The question is: would "stark" TIs give me the extra volume and solid response I require in a loud situation? (That I used to get from the D'addios)
Some of the other threads suggest not.

Anyone here used TIs with a resophonic mando?

Waddya reckon?

ronlane3
Nov-01-2004, 7:13pm
Bren,

I love T-I's but I did not care for the one pair of mittels that I tried. I prefer the starks to any other string I have tried. I will admit that they do not have the volume that the 74's and 75's have, but that's not the entire issue that I'm after. I love the woody tone that they have and use them exclusively on my good mando.

Stillpicking
Nov-01-2004, 7:42pm
Bren,

I have a Wailing resonator with the TI mediums on it . I would have used starks but my Wailing only takes ballend strings and the only TIs with the ballend are mediums. But my Wailing is way loud even at sessions with 4 or 5 fiddlers. I do use the starks on my MK mandolin and it really does bring out the nice woody sound and has pretty good volumn.