I finally Tried J75s

**Steve Ostrander** · Aug-01-2010, 6:53pm

I always used J74s on my MT but I thought "what the heck, I'll try some J75s" I suppose I would get used to them if I used them all the time but holy cow, my fingers are sore!! I think they are slightly louder but they are just not working for me, so it's back to J74s for me.

**MandoNicity** · Aug-01-2010, 7:07pm

That's interesting. I'm a J-74 user and the few times I have put J-75s on I haven't noticed any difference in my fingers, only the sound and a bit different feel to pick action. Maybe that's because my nut is high and I already have to use undue force to fret my instrument so I have major callous build up. I'm real interested in JazzMandos flatwound and I'm gonna' give those a try sometime soon.

JR

**Geoff B** · Aug-01-2010, 7:08pm

I like the tension of the 75's for my picking hand. You can play them hard, and they offer adequate push-back and don't stretch like 74's when you really dig in...

**MikeEdgerton** · Aug-01-2010, 7:36pm

I like the way J75's sound on my mandolin, they do seem louder and there is a difference in the tone but my fingers just don't handle them well.

**TonyP** · Aug-01-2010, 9:14pm

I too loved the sound of the 75's and struggled for quite a while with how much harder it felt like I had to work. But I've kept after it because I so love the sound. I also went to Sam Bush monel's on the G and D, being the same gauge wise. And kept the 75's A and E course. Seem to last a long time, are rock solid tuning wise and give me that great punch on the bottom end.

Not all mando's benefit from heavier gauges, but mine sure did and now that my hands have gotten strong enough where I don't notice it anymore, I'm a happy camper. I can't overdrive the A course like I did on the 74's. YMMV

**MikeEdgerton** · Aug-01-2010, 9:15pm

I'm due for a string change and I have several sets sitting here, I might give them a go again. I really did like the sound.

**TonyP** · Aug-01-2010, 9:44pm

Good luck there Mike. I know it seems like you are playing razor blades, but just think how strong your fingers will be after a couple of months. When I think back, it's been almost 6mo since I changed over, and it's finally gotten to where I don't feel like a noob with no callouses.

**jim_n_virginia** · Aug-01-2010, 11:22pm

Yeah I usually use J-74's but occasionally I will slap a set of 75's on there. They are heavier but I play with a pretty heavy hand so they don't bother me. On my mandolin the 74's the pickin sounds better and with the 75's the chop sound better (deeper, louder more chunk). I switch back and forth depending on my mood.

One thing in common with both of those kinds is they don't last long with me. I get about 4-6 weeks of hard playing and they start to sound dead. I love the sound of phos bronze but I just wish they would last longer.

**Ray(T)** · Aug-02-2010, 11:39am

I bought a load of J75s and found them too heavy. Will Kimble suggested mixing the wound strings from a J74 set with the plains from a J75 set which I found worked quite well. Quite what to do with the spare strings, I never did figure out!
Ray

**montana** · Aug-02-2010, 12:16pm

I just tried them for the first time last week. They are finger busters!!! I play mostly at home and I hate playing in mega jams. So I'm going to put on some light guage strings cos I never was into the sado-maso thing.

**Kevin K** · Aug-02-2010, 12:17pm

Order you some singles and make your own set....

**Mike Snyder** · Aug-02-2010, 12:38pm

I found the 75s hard on my fingers, but not the Bush set. Still haven't figured that out. I just like the mono steel sound better than the phosphor bronze. I did find that I could use the J75s on my tenor banjo, so they didn't go to waste.

**Baron Collins-Hill** · Aug-02-2010, 1:01pm

i looooove 75s. i have found that with 75s i can lower my action beyond where i can with 74s without getting floppy or buzzy. the lower action makes them easier to play for me. and they push back in the best feeling and sounding way i have found.

baron

**JCook** · Aug-02-2010, 3:37pm

Is there any problem going from a lighter string to a heavier string on the mandolin? On the guitar it's often recommended to have the guitar set up for a heavier string to avoid problems. Is it the same on the mandolin? Any danger of the neck bowing from the increased tension?

Jack

**i-vibe** · Aug-02-2010, 5:25pm

J74 11 15 26 40
J75 11.5 16 26 41

not really all that much of a diff there.

though i do think that a fatter A string could pay some big dividends. i've always used the J74 set but after purchasing my FLATIRON A5JR i requested it be set up w J75's.

they didn't have 'em and instead went w GIBSON Bill Monroe's which are also phos bronze and i believe the same gauge as the J75's.

i've got a set of Sam Bush monels i'm gonna try next but there's no way i can get with those puny .014 A strings in that set!

**Ian Rossiter** · Aug-02-2010, 5:26pm

Probably a bit. The neck will bow somewhat, but, as you'll have to move the bridge back towards the tailpiece to adjust your intonation,the action will be lowered slightly. Mabey between the slight bow and the bridge moved back slightly, playability might not be effected too much.
I went to J75's when our band started tuning to Eb,(which I hate btw!!) and when I'm playing with other people ,I tune back to standard with the same set. I do find that I can lay into the strings more, and the tone is better,as is tuning stability. I just make sure to pencil in a bit more practice time,just so my hands are better prepared come gig-time. If I can ever convince the guys to go back to standard, I'll still stick with the J75's. Now that I'm used to em, lighter strings feel like I'm playing on hair.

**Paul Kotapish** · Aug-02-2010, 10:01pm

The J75s are a bit stiffer, but I prefer the added punch, volume, and resistance when I dig in hard. I think the J74s tend to give a little more sustain--which I miss--but the trade-off is worth it to me.

**Rex Hart** · Aug-04-2010, 11:22am

I tried a set of J75's ...they felt really heavy but I muddled on until I got used to them.I just switched back to J 74's and with the lighter action I seem to have increased speed.

**Trey Young** · Aug-04-2010, 11:40am

I was using J75s exclusively until this summer. I found that during the past couple of months they sounded a bit muffled and dull, so I switched to 74s and have been using them. I have been wondering if it has to do with humidity. I figured that perhaps with all the moisture in the air down here in hot and humid Georgia that maybe it was just too much for the mando to take. I'll probably give the 75's a try again once it cools off and the humidity drops a bit, because I really did enjoy they way they felt and sounded until recently.

**wildpikr** · Aug-04-2010, 12:12pm

I like the J75's. I tried a set of J74's once to compare but wasn't happy with the result so back to the J75's. I find that with the humidity during the long summer I change them a little more frequently when the tone gets dull...

**barrangatan** · Aug-04-2010, 9:37pm

Also chiming in with my own experience with J75, or in my case, EXP75. Have been using J74 and loved it. But just tried on a set of EXP75 yesterday and am very happy with the extra punchiness and louder volume. Also, the tighter tension allows me to dial down the action just a tad, and fingering on them feels great. Yes it does require a little bit more strength, and picking through the strings takes a little more push and some getting used to. But all in all, I'm very happy with it, and will probably continue to use them going forward.

Incidentally, I had some difficulty with the inside high E string on the mandolin. It keeps breaking after a few minutes, and after a couple of trials I ended up going back to .011 plain steel instead. I wonder if it would have been any different if the strings were non-coated like the one from a J75 set. Anyone else has the same issue with either J75 or EXP75?

**Ivan Kelsall** · Aug-05-2010, 2:41am

I found the J75's far too heavy on the bass side of things. The A & E strings were fine,but no 'better' than the A's & E's in the J74's i normally use. I found the G & D's to have less sustain than the J74 G & D's which made them sound a bit 'thuddy' - not for me,but on another Mandolin,they might be the best,
Ivan

**Martin** · Aug-05-2010, 5:55am

barrangatan,

Incidentally, I had some difficulty with the inside high E string on the mandolin. It keeps breaking after a few minutes, and after a couple of trials I ended up going back to .011 plain steel instead. I wonder if it would have been any different if the strings were non-coated like the one from a J75 set. Anyone else has the same issue with either J75 or EXP75?

I had the same problem with the E strings from the EXP75 set. Emailed Dadarrio about them and never got a response. I finally gave up on them and went to Black Diamonds.

**mandopixie** · Aug-12-2010, 11:03am

Originally Posted by Ray(T)

I bought a load of J75s and found them too heavy. Will Kimble suggested mixing the wound strings from a J74 set with the plains from a J75 set which I found worked quite well. Quite what to do with the spare strings, I never did figure out! Ray

I don't understand the thinking behind this advice: The wound J74 strings will just replace the D @ 0.026" with the same string, and give you G of 0.040" instead of 0.041" You can feel a difference that warrants doing this? I always liked the D & G in the J74 set, but the floppy E and A bugged me. I can't tell the difference between a 0.040" and a 0.041". J75 seems the most balanced, solid-sounding and responding set to me.

**i-vibe** · Aug-12-2010, 11:37am

J74 11 15 26 40
J75 11.5 16 26 41

not really all that much of a diff there.

though i do think that a fatter A string could pay some big dividends.

yep....as some wise soul had pointed out above...there really ain't that much of a diff in those sets.

c'mon an .011 and .0115?

an .040 and .041????

that said....i do notice a difference in the feel of an .015 and .016 A string. i like the feel of the bigger A and it seems to stay in tune better.