what strings do you use

[Baron Collins-Hill]

i noticed that you can pay 6 bucks for a set of diadarrio j74's, and about 10 for a set of elixers, and more for others. but what strings do you find the best, tonewise, play wise, and anything else you can think of?

[JiminRussia]

It aint up to either you or me. That's a questipon that you need to ask your mandolin. Each one has it's own preference. My Flatiron 1N prefers J74's. My Newson F style prefers a medium guage, phosphor/bronze, flat wound set with a wound A string and it doesn't seem to care who made them. Just try a diferent set each time you change strings and eventually you'll find a set that your mando likes.

[John Flynn]

It is very much personal preference, depending on the sound you want, the mando you have and how often you can tolerate changing strings. My faves and MHO's are:

J74's: Loud, bright, punchy, even-toned, great for bluegrass and reasonably priced

GHS Silk and Steels: Nice balance of bright and mellow, good longevity, even-toned, good for old-time music, reasonably priced

Others I have tried:

D'Addario Flattops: Mellower than J74's, easier on the fingers, but got buzzing on the A string on two different mandos, they went dead quickly and somewhat expensive

EXP74s: Last a long time, moderately expensive, but have wierd overtones, especially the first two weeks they are on, which I just don't care for.

Thomasticks: Wonderful complex tone in the bass and the mids, very easy on the fingers, last a long time, but very expensive, lack treble tone and overall volume

J67s: IMHO, they just sound bad. I have nothing good to say about them after having them on two different mandos.

Just my two cents!