Hello, New vintage owner needs advice

[mado-line]

Hello, I've been lurking round here trying to glean information but thought that it was probably time to introduce myself and my instrument properly. I come France and play (for fun, we're all music students) in a celtic group - oh forgot to be precise I'm a violin player. Anyway, my teacher mentionned that as a violinist I should be able to learn the mandolin. As luck would have it my mother-in-law had an inherited mandolin which she let me have YAY.

Part 2. The mandolin was in excellent condition apart from a broken E string which I quickly replaced and then started looking for information - turns out I did this in the wrong order as I discovered from lurking string guages are quite important especially for old instruments like mine. SO hastened to order light strings and replaced ALL the ancient mando strings. But the e strings were as thin as gossamer and both snapped way before I got near an E. In dispair (I want to practise) I have wickedly replaced the two snapped e's with heavy guage strings for now.

Now before I go and order industriel quantites of e strings what should I actually be using on my instrument? As luck would have it I know exactly where and when it was made as I have found it in a 1915 catalogue (date which corresponds with my mother-in -law... erm, her knowledge of the instrument that is, she's not that old) It is a "Laberte-Humbert frère &Fourier Magnié réunis" mandolin a carmencita model from Mirecourt which is a flat back 132591

Any help about how to re string this mandolin would be really appreciated - as I said I will be mostly doing celtic stuff on it - not bluegrass.

If you read this far thank you :mandosmiley:

[houseworker]

Welcome to the Cafe.

The standard recommendation on strings would probably be a set of GHS A240 (http://www.amazon.fr/GHS-A240-Mandoline-%C2%B7-Strings/dp/B001F0DEAW)s, which may of course be what you went with. They have an 09 high E, and that should be plenty strong enough. If those are breaking on fitting, check the point where they are breaking since they may be running over a sharp edge that needs smoothing.

What strings did you actually use?

[mado-line]

I used rocket mastlset strings with 010 e string in phosphor bronze

[houseworker]

I used rocket mastlset strings with 010 e string in phosphor bronze

Rocket are a Chinese sourced budget product and poor manufacturing tolerances may explain your problem. With strings it's always best to go with an established brand from an authorised dealer. The 010 E string should in any case be steel not phosphor bronze.

[mado-line]

Right I'll try the brand you suggested. I can only get mando strings on amazon - and ebay - and there didn't seem to be a brand I recognised more than another.

[houseworker]

Right I'll try the brand you suggested. I can only get mando strings on amazon - and ebay - and there didn't seem to be a brand I recognised more than another.

GHS don't have any significant distribution in France; Algam (the Camac division) are listed on their website: http://www.ghsstrings.com/locations?categories=international-dealer

It may well be cheapest to import them yourself from the USA, Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F0DEAW/) are competitive on shipping for small orders. Be careful if you use eBay, as you may well end up buying counterfeits that'll be no better than what you've already bought.

US Amazon are authorised sellers of GHS strings, as are Janet Davis Music (http://www.jdmc.com/product/A240.html) who are also happy to deal with small orders.