Where Do You Store Extra Strings?

[Frank Johnson]

As a beginning player, I notice there isn't much room in the mandolin case for a spare set of strings. I can poke a set beneath the tuning pegs, but that looks like a "better than nothing" solution (doesn't seem right if I'd need to retune each time I took the mando out of the case). Right now the mandolin is on a stand most of the time, so it isn't an issue. Where do y'all keep you're extra strings?

[Tobin]

I keep an extra set under the peghead in the case (still in their wrappers). My case also has a small compartment under the neck, but I keep it full of picks, electronic tuner, etc.

[allenhopkins]

Ditto. There are usually a half-dozen sets of light gauge floating around in various cases, mostly under the headstocks.

[JeffD]

A while back I went to the gig bag concept. My mandolin cases contain nothing but the mandolin. Nothing.

I use a grey canvas "messenger bag" as a gigbag. The gigbag has spare strings, digital tuner, picks, straps, tune lists on index cards, a map of some campsite for some festival long ago, an old ticket to the Texas State Fair, all the detritus of the musical life.

[JEStanek]

Since I rarely play out of the house most of my extra strings are on a shelf with music books a bowl of picks, tuners etc. When I go out I have an extra set under the peg head. String packs are thin.

Jamie

[mandozilla]

I keep an extra set under the peghead in the case (still in their wrappers).

Ditto above. But!

In the early 1970's the band I was in had a 2 year gig at a themed shopping mall. We performed at various locations up and down the mall so we left our instrument cases in the dressing room rather than cart them all over the place.

My, then future wife, who also worked at that mall, saw that my pockets were stuffed with capo, extra strings, picks, wiping cloth, not to mention wallet, smokes, lighter and what not.

She went to a leather crafter in the mall and had a belt pouch made for me large enough to hold strings, picks, capo, wiper and so on. It was cool it had the bands name carved on it and was extremely well made...very thoughtful of her wasn't it?

I use it to this day at festivals...It fits under the peghead in my case without any undue stress in the instrument...it's very handy.

[journeybear]

I buy a few sets at a time so I get the order above the requirement for free shipping, and tend to leave the extra sets on top of the file cabinet next to the TV, where I know where they are, and they can mock me and remind me I should change my strings more often.

My hard case has a compartment for such things, or like most others here I'll leave a spare set under the pegboard. The last few months I've been using a gig bag which has a zippered pouch on the front but not much room, but that's what I use anyway, so they don't go slipping around inside the instrument compartment.

FWIW, when I change my strings, I put the old ones in the empty envelopes from the new ones, in the plastic sleeve, and that's what I use for spares (if need be) in case I break a string at a gig. My reasoning is: they're already broken in, stretched out, and worn to a similar extent as the strings on my mandolin at that point. A new string sounds uneven against the old ones, and I just want to finish out the gig without further ado. Also, breaking a string is a good indicator it's time to change strings.

[MikeEdgerton]

When I used an Eastman with zero room in it I put them above the headstock, on normal shaped A and F cases I keep a set or two under the headstock, in my Calton it goes in the pocket. I use D'Addario's that don't come in a box. There's always room.

[Denny Gies]

Add me to the "ujnder the peghead" in the case for one extra set of strings. The rest of the sets are in a drawer in the bedroom.

[Tim2723]

Whenever a string breaks I just play the seven-string mandolin for the balance of the show. Nobody notices or even cares much.

I have one of the rectangular cases with the big pocket on the outside (lots of brands of these). They have way more room inside too. I can carry a mandolin and thirty pounds of other stuff.

[journeybear]

Originally Posted by Tim2723

Whenever a string breaks I just play the seven-string mandolin for the balance of the show. Nobody notices or even cares much.

I used to, too, until someone (OK, my guitar player, drunk and wrong most of the time but right this once), pointed out that the change in tension throws the other strings off. So now I'll finish the song and then add a spare. Helps if it's near the end of a set. Easier and quicker than tuning the remaining seven strings, and that single string never sounds right against the others - esp. since it's almost always an E string, sometimes an A. I actually broke a G string once - ONCE - one of the proudest moments of my performing career. Must have really been gettin' it!

[Santiago]

In my case I keep
1) Two extra sets of strings (1 set J74s, 1 set J75s),
2) a peg winder for changing strings,
3) a small set of snips for cutting string ends off,
4) a tuning fork and/or my electronic tuner
5) a rag for cleaning the strings, 6) a home-made humidifier,
7) assorted picks in a ziplok sandwich bag
8) oh yeah, my mandolin!

[mandroid]

Pegasus cases have a perfect pocket, I have a FG Eastman too , no real compartment , cozy outline.
so I toss em in [in their plastic pouch..] the case and put the mandolin body on top .


usually have a bike messenger bag with other stuff , like the pickup in a box.

[journeybear]

Originally Posted by Santiago

In my case I keep ... 8) oh yeah, my mandolin!

Ha! Don't forget that! Been there, done that, it's real embarrassing ... but can make for a pretty good story - if you don't mind reliving the embarrassment.

[Santiago]

I often keep my mandolin on a secure stand in a corner of the living room, near where I work at home. So the only thing I have to put in my case before I leave the house is the Mandolin. Everything else is already in there. I can see me forgetting it.

[MikeEdgerton]

Originally Posted by mandroid

...so I toss em in [in their plastic pouch..] the case and put the mandolin body on top ...

Don't chance leaving them there too long.

Vinyl is your enemy from Frank Ford's www.frets.com

[wadeyankey]

I have a rectangular case for my mandolin. Unfortunately when I got it, there was no loar in there. It has a huge compartment to keep strings, picks, winder, a microphone, and all kinds of other stuff I may or may not need. My Weber had a really good, tight fitting case, but there was nowhere to put anything! Drove me crazy.

[mandolinlee]

I have a case that doesn't have any room for extras. The little compartment under the neck is just large enough for some extra picks. At the time I was using a Sabine tuner, so I got a small camera case, big enough to hold the tuner and an extra string package. Cut the shoulder strap down to about 6 inches, looped it throught the case handle and off I went to play mandolin.
Lee

[Santiago]

My Eastman A case has room for just about everything I need, and my lunch too. (jk)

[alltunator]

In a briefcase along with picks, capos, tuners, set lists, nippers, pegwinders, business cards, pens, batteries, rosin, a nail file, a notebook, dust, and sometimes a flask.

[OldSausage]

My case is much the same as everyone else's - except in the peghead compartment, along with the strings, I also carry a Sony ICD-UX70 MP3 recorder - it fits very well and is the most useful addition to my traveling equipment.

[journeybear]

Originally Posted by alltunator

In a briefcase along with ... and sometimes a flask.

In newspaper lingo, that's called "burying the lead." Hmmm ... Then again, in joke writing, that's called
"the punch line."

Never mind ...

[Ivan Kelsall]

In both my cases,i place 2 sets under the headstock section & cover them over with a yellow duster just to stop them sliding around too much. My Eastman rect. case,the one i use when taking a Mandolin out (it's very light),has an outer nylon cover with a zippered compartment the size of the whole case,i can get as many sets of strings in that as i want,
Saska

[Daniel Nestlerode]

I keep my extra strings in the freezer. And no where near my mandolin or its case.



Daniel

[Chris Keth]

Originally Posted by DNestler

I keep my extra strings in the freezer.

Shelf space hard to come by in your house or what? That sounds a bit daft to me.