Newbie intro and yet another string question

[Indianarick]

Greetings Folks:

New member and new mandolin aficionado here. Been watching for a while but time for a brief intro and a question...

Long time musician (mostly drums). Got the bug while looking for a mandolin upgrade for my (adult) son. Ended up grabbing a used Breedlove KF. Loving it but need to fine tune a bit.

I think it needs a better set up and new strings. Here comes the question...

I know too little to benefit from most of the string discussions I have read over. I am unconcerned about volume/projection, but rather warmth/playability. I mostly prefer jazzy/standards to bluegrass. So do I want flat or round? Is there such a thing as "soft" mandolin strings...soft referring to the feel and ease of fretting?

Sounds like enough for now. Thanks for now and I promise not to mention Blue Chip picks...

Rick

[TheMandoShop]

Greetings Rick! If you are not concerned about volume you may want to consider light gauge strings. Most mandolins come standard with medium gauge strings, I guess because of the volume issue and some would also say tone difference, but light gauge strings are easier on the fingers. In either case, light gauge or medium gauge, getting your mandolin set up properly will also make it easier to play and make it sound better as well. In most cases if you switch between light and medium gauge strings your mandolin will have to be adjusted for the difference in tension on the neck so consider that when choosing the gauge string. I think whether you prefer flat and round is so personal that the only way you will know which you like best is to try them both. When your experimenting it is important to stay with the same gauge of string that the mandolin is set up with regardless if you are using flat or round. And I promise not to mention Wegen picks ... Kyle

[Tavy]

First things first: if the instrument is properly set up then you won't really notice what gauge the strings are anyway. After that, if you prefer a Jazzy tone then you could try FW74's, they're slightly easier to play on than round wound, especially for things like tremolo, and they do last a very long time. The TI flatwounds are also a good choice, but seriously expensive :( You could also try lighter gauges, but you may find that the sound goes thin and trebbly, which is the very opposite of a warm Jazzy tone.

[TheMandoShop]

First things first: if the instrument is properly set up then you won't really notice what gauge the strings are anyway.

There was a time when I would have stayed away from recommending light gauge strings because of the adverse affect on the mandolin's tone especially when I can do a professional setup that makes a mandolin play easily. Because I sell to so many from very young children to very old adults and some with hand problems, I can now appreciate how much easier light gauge strings are on the fingers even with a good setup. It's a trade off between comfort and tone and light gauge strings are a viable option for comfort.

Kyle

[Jim Gallaher]

I recommend GHS Silk & Steel (GHS-LS250, .011-.040) for a rounder, jazzier sound. Just as important is the choice of picks. I prefer a thicker (1.5mm), more rounded pick for jazz -- something like a "Dawg" or "Goldengate MP-12" (shown here: http://www.themandolinstore.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=89"

[Indianarick]

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to future insights!

Oh, and Kyle...i love the Wegans!