Nylon strings on a mando?

[Bartleby]

I cross posted this on the General Discussion forum before finding this one!

Recently, I have really gotten into playing a lot of Latin music, like boleros. I have a Mexican-made Espanola mandolin with a sound hole and classical guitar style tuning machines. It is a beautiful instrument with a deep, resonating sound. I have had GHS Silk & Bronze strings on it for a long time, and I recently changed the strings and put some regular GHS strings on it- I really don't like them on this mandolin. The tension just feels way too high, even though they're light gauge. My mandolin has a fat neck, which I like, but no truss rod, so I am also concerned about the neck warping with steel strings.

Because I don't know of anyone who makes nylon mandolin strings, I was thinking about trying some nylon guitar strings on my mandolin; has anyone ever tried this? How did it sound? I know I will lose volume, but I think it might fit with the music I play. What would be the recommended strings to use? I was thinking about maybe using a pair of wound 5th stings for G, 4th strings for D, and 2nd and 1st strings for A and E. Any advice or suggestions? Thanks!

[mandroid]

Maybe Baroque era replica has a market for a gut or near gut string, those that do period faithful instrumentation may add something,
BUT going back to where previous postings are archived on this repeating topic will help you.

I repeat mine, a 4 string set up, with martin baritone Uke strings for lowest 3, and one from a soprano uke, the outer one uses the same string , an 0.022"
nut and bridge would need alteration, spacing between pairs would need more space too, perhaps.

Or just string with lighter steel stuff, .009 - .036, perhaps

[BlueMountain]

You can buy sets of EIGHT nylon baritone uke strings at www.juststrings.com

You won't need to worry about the tension, because it's a lot less than steel strings.

[Eugene]

I really wouldn't recommend it other than on mandolin types built for gut-like tension. This topic comes up with fair frequency. Click here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=8;t=45855), here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=40463), here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=27;t=39911), and especially here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=12;t=33445) for some relevant chat.

[mandroid]

Radim Zinkl had a 4 string mandolin Made for nylon strings. custom.
flat top, A body, round soundhole, cedar top and a bridge with the strings tied to it,
a lot of classical guitar in the design.

[Eugene]

Indeed. #Zenkl's instrument receives some discussion in the links I provided above. #Whether Berkov, the builder, is aware of it or not, the "flamenco mandolin" really is a modern revamp of the very old mandolino Bresciano or mandolino Cremonese concepts (although the older forms were more typically played with plectra). #I own a ca. 1890 mandolino Toscano myself: fixed tie-block bridge, four gut (or nylon) strings, g-d'-a'-e" tuning, etc. #Similar mandolins date to the late 1700s. #Mandolin virtuoso Bartolomeo Bortolazzi (1773-1840) concertized and composed for the instrument pretty extensively ca. 1800, his a mandolino Cremonese; he published a method centered on that concept of mandolin in 1805. #J.N. Hummel (1778-1837) even wrote a concerto for it.

[JEStanek]

You can get a custom set of mandolin strings in nylon of various gauges from the Thinman. I haven't but people have reported doing so on the cafe. His website (http://www.thinmanmusic.com/).

Jamie