Pava-- Your string choice??

[LongBlackVeil]

One of our fellow members,Willie,likes GHS J-250's (i think) on his mandolins & has spoken very highly of them. If Tom Ellis is advocating GHS strings for his mandolins,then obviously he's doing it for a good reason. As it happens,i haven't been able to source GHS J250/270's in the UK or i might have tried them out by now & if i can find them over here,i might even do so in the future.Even with my great liking of the DR strings,i'm not so blinded that i'm un-willing to try any other strings,just for the experience,

Ivan

Yeah you should definitley make a point to try them. I personally love them, they are the perfect bluegrass mandolin strings really. They produce the best chop to my ears, even better than the j74

[Kroland]

Wow, I'm glad I found this thread. Put DRs on last night and they really do sound fantastic!

[dcoventry]

My Phoenix Jazz was specifically designed for TI Starks. There is even a label on the inside specifying string gauges. In this case, the barcing and the overall build are matched to a certain amount of tension, so I chose to use the recommended strings. There are a few other choices that fit the bill, however, and I may give them a try after talking to Rolfe.

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

I've been following this thread with great interest, and seeing that there is a free shipping special on Strings and Beyond (NFI), I decided to grab a couple of DR mediums to try them out. I'll post some thoughts once they arrive.

[Ivan Kelsall]

My friend & fellow UK Cafe member,Paul Cowham,he of the Heiden "A" style,is coming down for a visit tomorrow.He's eager to try the Ellis "A" style out, & i'm just as eager to try his Heiden out especially since he's put DR MD11's on it. I can remember how it sounded with J74's on it ,& i'm hoping that the DR's have worked their magic on it as they have done on mine.
From LBV - "They produce the best chop to my ears, even better than the j74 "
Compared to how they sound now,when i used J74's,my Weber & Lebeda never 'had' any chop.The difference has been so dramatic,
Ivan

[LongBlackVeil]

My Phoenix Jazz was specifically designed for TI Starks. There is even a label on the inside specifying string gauges. In this case, the barcing and the overall build are matched to a certain amount of tension, so I chose to use the recommended strings. There are a few other choices that fit the bill, however, and I may give them a try after talking to Rolfe.

I think that's probably a good idea because the to'a are pretty low tension, so that's kind of a special case.

[Tobin]

Having found the DR MD11s & 12s suit both my other mandolins better than any other strings i've tried,i put MD11's straight onto my 'new to me' Ellis "A" style & it sounds amazing. I understand that Tom Ellis does recommend GHS strings,but i wish he'd try a set of DRs on his mandolins,i'd be very interested in his comments,
Ivan

OK, with all your praise of DR MD11s, I finally put a set on my Ellis F5 last week. I wanted to give it a few days of playing before commenting. I do like the tone of them very much. They have a nice full sound, with "something" that I can't quite describe which is lacking in other sets I usually play. The tone just has more body to it. They don't start off as bright-sounding as some others, and didn't take as long to settle in to their tuning. So on that count, I really do like them.

But on the down side, I find the wound strings a little 'grabby' for my taste. Not as bad as the GHS strings, but it still makes slides difficult for me. The wound strings start to turn my fingertips green, and the plain strings start to turn black after 15 minutes (which, to be fair, is the case with any brand of string I play if it isn't a coated set). So I'm not sure how long they're going to last for me.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Tobin - It seems that you have quite acidic skin,as do many other people. One thing to try is wipe the strings over with a piece of kitchen roll moistened with 3-In-One oil & then wipe it straight off again.That will leave a thin film of oil only molecules thick on the strings. I find new 'wound' strings 'grabby',i think that happens because of the winding process,but it soon goes away. If during hot weather,my hands get damp & tacky,the '3-In-One wipe' works wonders for me. 3-In-One oil has an anti-oxidant in it which helps prevent further corrosion.
I agree with what you say about the tone having more 'body' to it.The DR's really do pack a punch & i reckon they'll cut through any instrumentation line up,
Ivan

[yankees1]

Tobin - It seems that you have quite acidic skin,as do many other people. One thing to try is wipe the strings over with a piece of kitchen roll moistened with 3-In-One oil & then wipe it straight off again.That will leave a thin film of oil only molecules thick on the strings. I find new 'wound' strings 'grabby',i think that happens because of the winding process,but it soon goes away. If during hot weather,my hands get damp & tacky,the '3-In-One wipe' works wonders for me. 3-In-One oil has an anti-oxidant in it which helps prevent further corrosion.
I agree with what you say about the tone having more 'body' to it.The DR's really do pack a punch & i reckon they'll cut through any instrumentation line up,
Ivan

Really ? 3 in one oil ? Anyone else use this ?

[Ivan Kelsall]

Yankees - 3-In-One oil is pretty unobtrusive if used as i mentioned,straight on & then straight off. I think the 'grabbiness' mentioned by Tobin is because the windings are new & their surface is still rough from the 'wire drawing process' required to make it.As he says,other strings are similar when new. I've used 3-In-One oil to keep the strings on my banjo in good condition for close to 50 years with only one mishap when i forgot to wipe it off. I was visiting the main Folk club in Manchester UK & always took my banjo to play a couple of tunes. I got up to play & realised the strings were a bit 'slick',anyway i carried on. I played ''Foggy Mt.Breakdown'' & everything was going ok until i went up to the top "G" chord position at the 17th fret, when my fingers slid between the strings. The resultant 'rattling' noise nearly choked the audience with laughter. I couldn't help but join in & i nearly dissolved laughing. Even the worst louse-ups can be funny,
Ivan

[Tobin]

I do use Fast Fret on my strings (which is just mineral oil, and does much the same as a 3-in-1 oil). Unfortunately, it doesn't do much in the way of protection from rapid corrosion. When you have sweaty hands, with salts oozing out of your pores, and you're grinding that moisture and salt into the strings as you play, there isn't an oil in the world that's going to stand fast as a barrier. A permanent coating is really the only thing I've found that helps. But they apparently don't coat the plain strings - only the wound strings.

But I have noticed over the years that coated wound strings do offer longer life to the plain strings. Someone had postulated a while back that it may have to do with the transfer of metals or oxidation from the wound strings to the plain strings. The dissimilar metals in the winding, being transferred to the plain strings via the fingertips (and mixed in with salt and moisture) would surely seem to explain the quicker blackening effect that I get on plain strings. And the greenish tinge I get on my fingertips when playing uncoated strings would appear to be evidence that my fingertips are indeed transferring something across from the wound strings to the plain strings.

I seem to recall that someone had mentioned an aftermarket spray-on coating that the user could apply to strings (presumably before they go on the instrument). That would seem to be the best of both worlds, if I could use the strings that sound and play the best, but still be able to coat them myself before stringing them up. Any idea what product I'm talking about?

[Ivan Kelsall]

The 'greenish' tinge will be coming from the wound strings,as 'green' oxidisation is usually copper based. Whatever's 'transferring across' is most likely just your acidic moisture. If there was any chance of what's named ''Intermetallic corrosion'' going on ie. one metal adversely affecting another,then i don't think the wound strings with the bronze windings on a steel core would last very long. As it is,the chromium content of the steel used in the core & the un-wound strings helps prevent corrosion 'to an extent'.
If you really do have acidic skin,then all you can do is to slow down the corrosive apects by the constant application of a 'barrier' substance,or at the very least,a wipe over every time you've been playing,
Ivan

[jshane]

Thanks, everyone, for the great information. I just had the chance to look over all the responses (I am out of the US, and have limited internet access until I get back).

I am going to get a set of the DRs and the GHS and give 'em both a try when I get back. Interesting about the extra thickness on the A strings of the GHS strings, because I was really impressed with the tone of the A strings when I got the Pava. Not that I am not happy now (with the J74s) but that may be an important variable.

THanks again for all the info!

[Ivan Kelsall]

If your Pava responds to the DR strings in the same way that my Ellis "A" style has,then you're in for a real treat. As for the GHS strings,i can't source them in the UK,but it's something to think about. However,i can't help feel that the DR's would win out just because of the sheer punch they have,or,maybe it would be me having a GHS 'surprise' ?,
Ivan

[yankees1]

If your Pava responds to the DR strings in the same way that my Ellis "A" style has,then you're in for a real treat. As for the GHS strings,i can't source them in the UK,but it's something to think about. However,i can't help feel that the DR's would win out just because of the sheer punch they have,or,maybe it would be me having a GHS 'surprise' ?,
Ivan

After trying many brands of strings on my Ellis I have settled for GHS A270 and Drmd11. Both are great and last a long time ! If I had to choose just one I would select the DR.

[Kroland]

...or,maybe it would be me having a GHS 'surprise' ?,
Ivan

To my ear, the DRs have a bright punchy sound, and the GHSs have a smoother, possibly more complex sound. Highly recommend trying both!

[jshane]

OK--- Back in the Sates for a few days and I got a set of Dr-11's to put on the Pava. VERY interesting. VERY different from the j-74s.

On first blush, I like these strings. They are very "bright", but not tinny or thin. On the Pava the crispness is also coupled with a bell-like sustain. I think I prefer them to the J74s, which in comparison are fine, but not as interesting.

I also ordered a set of GHS A270's, which will likely go on in the next 6 weeks or so, so it will be interesting (to me at least) to see if they also show a distinct personality, and which I might favor.

[LongBlackVeil]

I just put the md11s on my ellis (should be a similar voice to the pava) yesterday and I also really like them, surprisingly because I hated them on my weber. They seem to have less tension than the j74s I had on at first. My weber has a much thinner voice than the ellis and I think the Drs exacerbated that.

They are very punchy, now I have to decide if I want the punchiness of the md11s or the more complex fuller sound of exp74s.

Thanks for preaching the word on the dr strings Ivan! I probably wouldn't have given them a second chance otherwise

[Ivan Kelsall]

LBV - I think it depends on whether you play with other musicians much. If you're a 'bedroom picker' like me,then maybe the more complex tones that you get are more important when playing 'solo'. If on the other hand,you jam a lot with others,then the cutting power of the DR's would be the thing to go for (maybe). I chose the DR's simply because they've given me more power on my own mandolins without any loss of tone,& all 3 of my mandolins still have their own sound despite similar strings,
Ivan

[Tobin]

OK--- Back in the Sates for a few days and I got a set of Dr-11's to put on the Pava. VERY interesting. VERY different from the j-74s.

On first blush, I like these strings. They are very "bright", but not tinny or thin. On the Pava the crispness is also coupled with a bell-like sustain. I think I prefer them to the J74s, which in comparison are fine, but not as interesting.

Give them a week or two of play-in. That brightness will settle out to a neat punchy tone. I've got the MD11s on my Ellis right now, and they're getting towards the end of their service life (intonation is starting to go sour), but man, they sure sound good. I'll probably keep them on longer than I normally would, just because I'm enjoying the tone so much now that they've mellowed out. I do believe I'm going to try them on the Pava next.

[Peter Coronado]

I put MD11s on my Pava about a month ago and have played them a lot. They were quite bright at first, then mellowed a bit after a few days. I really like the sound; probably my favorites. As Tobin experienced, mine seem to be drifting out of tune more now so I'm due to change them. I notice one of the Gs and one of the Ds is going flat. It seems to me they didn't last as long as the J74s. But I do like them!

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Tobin - "I'm enjoying the tone so much now that they've mellowed out." I got 8 months out of the last set of MD11's on my Weber & really did only change them because they'd started to look 'less than good' where my right hand touches them. The tone that Tobin mentions, & that TP above alludes to,is a beautifully balanced out tone left after the A & E strings have mellowed out a bit. It is for me, the finest mandolin tone i've pulled out of my instruments with any brand of string. Re.the G & D strings going flat as TP mentions,i literally had no problems with the strings going sharp/flat/ bad intonation or anything on either of my original 2 MD'd mandolins. If i had,i would have mentioned it on here. I do actually live in the real world & folk have a right to know if any brand of strings start going off sooner than they should,neither do i fool myself into thinking that bad sounding strings still sound good. One of the claims by DR strings,is that they last a lot longer than other brands,something i found to be true. I used to get around 3 months out of a set of J74's before they drifted off,& as i said,i got 8 months out of the last set of MD11's on my Weber. Anyway,if a person wishes to change strings earlier than i do,to get their mandolin back to sounding good,that's the way it should be & it's no business of mine,just keep enjoying the sound.
Just as an aside - after a long period of not playing it ( mando.addiction),i put new strings on my banjo yesterday & had a short picking session. Some folk on here talk about 'hand / finger stiffness'' - you don't know the half of it !. After 9 years of hardly even touching my banjo,my right hand felt like stone. It was a totally alien experience. A darned great heavy thing, with a neck that stretches into the distance - geeez !,
Ivan

[yankees1]

I put MD11s on my Pava about a month ago and have played them a lot. They were quite bright at first, then mellowed a bit after a few days. I really like the sound; probably my favorites. As Tobin experienced, mine seem to be drifting out of tune more now so I'm due to change them. I notice one of the Gs and one of the Ds is going flat. It seems to me they didn't last as long as the J74s. But I do like them!

Strange as J74's only lasted about half the time as DRmd11's on my Ellis.

[Tobin]

From Tobin - "I'm enjoying the tone so much now that they've mellowed out." I got 8 months out of the last set of MD11's on my Weber & really did only change them because they'd started to look 'less than good' where my right hand touches them. The tone that Tobin mentions, & that TP above alludes to,is a beautifully balanced out tone left after the A & E strings have mellowed out a bit. It is for me, the finest mandolin tone i've pulled out of my instruments with any brand of string. Re.the G & D strings going flat as TP mentions,i literally had no problems with the strings going sharp/flat/ bad intonation or anything on either of my original 2 MD'd mandolins.

I don't hear much mellowing out of the A/E strings. They pretty much always sound the same to me, until they start to go sour. It's the G/D (wound) strings that start off really bright and then mellow out to a nice groovy punchy sound.

And to clarify on longevity, my G/D strings still sound great. But the A/E strings are getting impossible to keep in unison, or to keep their intonation up the fretboard. So I'll likely change out the A/E strings this weekend but keep the G/D strings on as long as they still sound good and intonate well.

[jshane]

OK-

I had the DR MD11's on for about 4 weeks. I like the tone, and I think the tone quality was consistent for the month-long period. Basically I like them, and would use them over the J74's.

BUT, over the last couple days I have been having pesky intonation issues. Now, I have to say that I am very picky/sensitive to this. It is probably the reason I dont generally get more than a month out of a set of strings. Other people listening to me play-- or others I am playing with-- don't seem to hear the problems that I do, until I point it out, and then they will (cautiously) agree that it isnt quite right.

SO-- I pulled off the DR MD11's and put on a set of GHS A270's.

Wow. The intensity of sound was surprising. That has settled over the last 2 days, into a nice bright, full tone. I also have to say that, at least at first blush, I REALLY like the thicker A strings. For some reason, regardless of string brand, and regardless of the specific mandolin I am playing, I find keeping the A string in really pleasant tune is difficult. I THINK that problem is reduced with these strings--perhaps because of the gauge.

It is a bit early in the 270's life for me to judge fairly, but at this point I would say that the 270's are my favorite, with the MD11's a close second.... If the 270's last more than a month without exhibiting squirrelly intonation, they will be the clear winners.

THANKS TO EVERYONE for a lot of info and a fun discussion.