J-74 Flat Tops

[dulcillini]

Hi Folks:

Anyone tried the J74 Flatwound mandolin strings. I will try to add a photo.http://www.daddario.com/resources/jdcdad/images/products/da_prod_FT74_main_4.jpg

Sorry, the photo did not take. Yes it did, it is on the right. Wonders never cease !

Mike

[mandobassman]

Don't confuse these with actual flatwound strings. They are "flat TOP" strings. What they are is a set of regular bronze roundwound strings that have the outer edge of the string windings ground down to create a flat outer surface. The under side of the windings are still round. True flatwound strings have a completely flat ribbon winding made of stainless steel. There is no space between the windings where the flattops do have space between the windings. I have used flatwound strings for years and IMHO these strings have nothing in common with flatwound strings in either tone or playing ease. I tried the FT 74s one time and I have to say, I thought they were terrible sounding strings. However, lots of people use them and like them.

[mandobassman]

If you wanted to try a real set of flatwound strings, try D'Addario's FW74 set. I've been using them for the last couple of years and love them, but then, you might like the flattops better.

[Dave LaBoone]

Count me among those who love the FT74s.

[Dave LaBoone]

The wound A string makes all the difference for me, versus J74s, for example. The tone of the A sounds like the D, making for tonally smoother runs, in my opinion.

[Marty Jacobson]

I used these for a while and liked them, but broke a lot of A strings.
The true flatwound FW74's mentioned above are great, too, but lack the warmth of a wound A course, with the benefit of being more tolerant of harder picking.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I used FT74's on both my mandolins at one time & i thought that they were very good strings indeed. However,at twice the cost of J74's,& because there was almost no audible difference,i opted to use J74's as my standard string. I now use DR MD11 mediums on my Weber "Fern" - the best 'discovery' i've made in 9 years of playing, & i'm currently evaluating DR MD12 'heavies' on my Lebeda,
Ivan

[lenf12]

FT-74s have been my "go to" strings for several years. I use them currently on 3 mandolins. I tried the FT-75s (a bit heavier than FT-74s) and liked the sound but not the feel of the strings. I also use FT-76s on my Duff H-5 'dola. I agree with mandobassman's assessment above except for "I thought they were terrible sounding strings". I think they are wonderful sounding and playing strings and although as Ivan says above "at twice the cost of J-74s", $11 USD for a set of mandolin strings is not a deal breaker for me. However $35 USD for a set of Tomastik Infeld mittels (which sound good on a L&H mandolin but not so much on a Gibson) is a deal breaker for me.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Dave LaBoone]

For me, they seem to sound good for at least twice as long as J74s, so I don't mind paying a bit more.

[Shelagh Moore]

Not keen on the feel so I use the true flatwound FW-74 set.

[fatt-dad]

Don't like them. Didn't really like the FW-74s either, but better than the FTs.

I love TI Heavy though. MUCH more expensive!

f-d

[GTison]

I used to use them back when I changed strings more than I do now. I liked the sound and the feel but I went back to other strings they weren't as loud but I liked the tone. The wound A strings have a different sound too.
It's worth a try. I bet I have a set or at least a partial set somewhere around here. hmmmm.....

[mandobassman]

I agree with mandobassman's assessment above except for "I thought they were terrible sounding strings". I think they are wonderful sounding and playing strings

I always find it interesting how different peoples ears are and what one likes and dislikes. Like I said before, there are lots of people who use the FT74s and love them and I would always encourage someone to try everything to see if they like them or not.

When I tried the FT74's I had been using Thomastik strings for several years at that point and had become accustomed to the warmth of tone they produce. Keep in mind that I have never liked the sound of bronze strings and have never used them in 35 years of playing. but I thought i'd give the FT's a try to see if they were anything like other "flatwound" strings I had used. I had them on for about 4 days before I couldn't stand them any longer. I didn't even wait to get a new set of strings. I just put on the old Thomastik strings I had taken off and all was better. I found them to be the most offensively bright and metallic-sounding strings I had ever used. One of the things I had read that players liked about them was the lack of finger noise on the strings. I thought they produced more finger noise on the windings than any other string I had ever used (that is one of the qualities of true flatwound strings that I really love). However, one should try everything they can. You never know just what will sound good to to you.

For the last couple of years I have been using D'Addario's FW74 strings which, for me, produce many of the qualities that I always liked about the Thomastik strings with much more power and punch to them.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I should have qualified my remark re. the cost of the FT74's by saying that the DR MD11's & 12's i'm currently using,are as expensive as the FT74's in the UK. Len's been paying $11.00 for FT74,in the UK they're £11.50 UK ($19.00),that's a bit steep considering that i found no real benefit in using them. The DR's on the other hand, have transformed mt Weber totally & if they were twice the cost,i'd buy them,especially as they seem to have a very long life compared to J74's. Ultimately,it's down to what suits us - one man's meat.......... !,
Ivan

[John Flynn]

I will add myself to the "don't like 'em" club. The wound A's had intonation issues and broke occasionally on two different instruments that had no problems with other strings. The strings sounded OK at first, but were not that impressive. I found string life to be about the same as any other PB set. So after trying a few sets of them, I won't buy them again.

[dan in va]

Very long lasting and darker sounding string than J74's. It was too dark for the snakehead i once had. But it might be the ticket for a very bright toned mandolin.

[mandroid]

the wound A requires a thin core wire. so pick lightly .. or install a plain A instead..

[Barry Canada]

Has anyone had experience with flat tops on a collings MT2V?

[Ian Rossiter]

I've been using them for the last year or so.Really nice warm strings,very "woody" sounding on my Beeedlove OO. I actually just put on a set of my old standby ,J-75's. Just for a change. Really digging the added Brightness and Volume. I suspect I'll alternate between the two.

[californiajed]

Has anyone had experience with flat tops on a collings MT2V?

No, but I have them on a MF5O-V, and I really enjoy them. To my ear, they are a bit warmer than a similar conventionally wound string, if that makes sense.

[lenf12]

I always find it interesting how different peoples ears are and what one likes and dislikes. Like I said before, there are lots of people who use the FT74s and love them and I would always encourage someone to try everything to see if they like them or not.......For the last couple of years I have been using D'Addario's FW74 strings which, for me, produce many of the qualities that I always liked about the Thomastik strings with much more power and punch to them.

You're absolutely correct Larry, We all hear a bit differently and develop different tastes over time. When I used TI mittels, I was playing my old 1916 F-4 with the Providence Mandolin Orchestra. The TI strings certainly helped the 1st and 2nd mandolin sections to blend together sonically as we were encouraged to do. After leaving the orchestra and moving to Florida, the same strings didn't give enough "ooomph" to play with my new BG and county rock friends here in FL. I switched back to J-74s (my pre TI standards) and also tried J-75s before giving the FT-74s a try. That's when I was hooked as the the smoother feel and PB punch allowed me to stand out a bit when soloing. Context is everything and also what you are used to hearing especially after several years of using the same strings. I'm gonna have to try a set of those FW-74s to see if they appeal to me. Thanks for the recommendation.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Barry Wilson]

I like them, they last a long long time. I have a the loar 600 and it is quite bright so seems to work well with that. j74's on the godin, though I did have a set of ft on the godin, I just ran out and need to order more. I had 3 sets of j's so why waste them.

[peter.coombe]

I like them and offer them as the standard string on my mandolins. They also work well on vintage Gibson A models. The wound A is one of the best things about them. Hated the D'Addario FT. That plain steel A ruins them. FT74's last a long time and have a darker sound than FT74 and that wound A gives a much better transition from wound to the plain steel E. I use FT76 on my mandolas. As for breakage and intonation issues, I do break quit e a few A's and E's when setting up a mandolin, but have never broken an A while playing a gig. They do require a different compensation at the bridge on the A to give you good intonation, but Thomastics do as well. I like Thomastics, especially on my Lyon and Healey reproduction, but at the rate I break strings they would send me broke. The compensation for FT74 will work well also for Thomastics. I don't particularly like the sound of the FT74's when they are brand new. They take a while to settle in and sound at their best, but will last a long time and there is much less fret wear than plain wound strings. Others obviously have other opinions, but I often get phone calls from customers wanting to change back to the FT74. They are not easy to get in Australia and the retail price is around $40!

[Jesse Harmon]

I use them on a Rigel Q oval and to my ears they sound great and tame the natural brightness of this particular mandolin. I am going to try the FW when these are done so I am not sure what I will end up with. The plan is to put FW on my Resonator next and then decide which I want to try out on my Collings Mandola (f hole). I play a little bit of every thing but don't have the long time experience on my Mandolin ears that a lot of folks have here. I don't play blue grass much but do play with some back up so volume is not quite as much of an issue for me as some who jam a lot. Over all I'm sure it's going to be one or the other for me from now on although I suppose at some time I will get sucked into trying the expensive ones.