String Types

[red7flag]

I have bought strings for my banjos and guitars for ever but now am faced with buying for my mandos. I would like to know the relative differences in sound between steel, bronze and phospher bronze for the mandolin. Which is better for Bluegrass as opposed to Celtic. I have a Collins MF that is a bluegrass beast and a Webber Bitterroot that is grear for my Celtic numbers. Not sure what brands to buy or what specific types. I know this is a rookie question and I appreciate your time answering in advance. Thank you,
Tony

[Lieufire]

Hey Tony,
I use D'Addario JS 74's on my Gibson Fern for bluegrass.
They are Stainless steel and sound a little darker/not as bright as the Phospher Bronze J74's, and last longer for me.

[mandopete]

You're bound to get a lot of different answers...

I too play a Collings MF-5 in a predominantly bluegrass situation. About a year ago I switched to the d'Addario EXP-75's. I had been using the J-75's, but the coated strings not only last longer, but they are not as bright when you first string them up. I find that the stings stay pretty clean when wiped down and I get about two months out of them.

YMMV.

[red7flag]

I decided to go with D'Addario J-74. I have JS-74 on the Collings MF and will let you know how they compare, well, by my ears.
Tony

[mike_c]

i use ghs a-270s on my mf-5.. they make the notes have more bite and record like a dream..

[ira]

jm11- my new/current strings- sustain, mellow tone, and a pleasure on the fingers

[cumin]

what do you recommend for long lasting strings? The sound difference I am most concerned with is the constant out-of-tune sound from old strings; I don't want to change them every two weeks.

I am new at playing, and bought a new instrument whose old strings contributed to my tuning woes. Changing the strings helped, as did a set-up, but the fundamental problem was that it is a bottom of the line Johnson.

The instrument I recently upgraded to also appratently had old strings as well. The first week was heaven, but now I have to tune up 3 or 4 times in a practice session.

I am looking for longevity over any particular "sound" from the strings, at least for now.

[straight-a]

Well I went from Monroes to J-74's to EXP's to Monels and have settled on GHS Silk & Steel. IMO, it's particular to each individual instrument. The Silk & Steel last the longest for me, also.

[GBG]

I would use bronze or phos. bronze on the Bitterroot for Celtic music (e.g. J74's or EXP74's)to get a brighter tone. On the Collings for bluegrass I would experiment more with the different strings that have been mentioned to hear what you like the best.

[Scotti Adams]

...nothin but Sammys Gibsons...

[bjc]

TI's last a long time, but are pricey, JM-11's are suppose to compare and Exlirs are known for long life...

[Moose]

Here's what I did : I've used J-74's for many years ; I have a Flatiron and a HORNER ; someone "suggested" J-75's - okay! - the Flatiron sounded "better"(to my ears!?)- kept'm on and will do it again ; the Horner sounded BAD(again,to my ears!)- so, took em'(75's) off!## & replaced them with 74's- Aaahh! - beautiful - again! - I realize this don't help but keep try'n till your mando "talks" to ya - in a "tone",volume/balance you like. (try not to spend too much $$$$!)- Moose.

[LaVonne]

Regarding longevity. I have a Collings MF that I absolutely love! I put my first set of TI mediums on about 17 months ago and I’m just now thinking seriously about changing them. I also use them on my Breedlove KO. What works best for you is pretty much a matter of taste and playing style. We are each going to have our favorites. However I think most of us would agree a set of strings costing $25.00, that lasts for 17 months (or 7 months for that matter) is a pretty good buy. I just wanted to add some prospective to the frequently heard statement that TI’s are expensive. They are only expensive if you don’t like them.

[mikeo2]

I'll chime in, simply because I have a minority opinion! I love Elixirs. They sound good (to me) and are super extremely easy on my fingers. I just don't like to work hard when I play!

However, I did just order a couple of sets of JM-11s (due to all the hype around them), so we'll see.

[Celtic Saguaro]

Like most people I like D'Addario J-74. #I can't get used to the sound of GHS 270 or 260 and they seem to go bad quickly. #They may be fine on different mandolins from mine. I'm indifferent to Gibson's in-house strings and don't care for Martin 460.

For the lighter-built A-style instruments I use for Celtic, I don't think the bass response of the medium to heavy sets is terribly important. #You rarely play melody on the G string in Celtic, anyway, and that's where you'd notice the difference. You'll get a sweeter tone with Martin 400. #I don't care much for D'Addario's similar weight J-62 set.

[Zed]

Well I went from Monroes to J-74's to EXP's to Monels and have settled on GHS Silk & Steel. #IMO, it's particular to each individual instrument. #The Silk & Steel last the longest for me, also.

Hey Straight-a... how would you describe the diff between the Monels and the Silk & Steels? I just put on a set of the S&S and really like them, wondering how the Monels will differ. (i realize diffs in mando and tone all play a part, etc). Are the Monels more like the J74s or more like the Monroes?

[dochardee]

Collings ships the MF-5 with J-74's according to their web site. On my MF-5 I've tried the flat top FT-74's (awful ... ruined the string to string balance and could not stand the "sticky" feel to my pick ... could not get them off quick enough) and J-75's (bass heavy). Hard to go wrong with the string set the manufacturer voiced the instrument for. Mine just sounds "dialed in" with the J-74's. I will try the EXP-74's out, though, to see if they can give me longer live without sacrificing tone.