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View Full Version : 5-string guages....again



edmando
Jan-13-2005, 10:49am
Hi all,
I just got my Fender 5-string electric. I know some of you regard it as a POS, but it's my first, and even runts need love!

It came with clearly the wrong strings on it, so I changed them right away. I bought a set of D'addario chromes light. I forgot to take the piece of paper with emando's 5-string set gauges on it, so i ended up with heaver strings than i wanted.

i note that the advice here seems to indicate that one throws out the G string from an electric guitar set, and uses e-a-d-b-e, but the low e-string in this set is .052, and it wouldn't even fit in the nut! So I used a-d-g-b-e. Seems fine, but the a-string is .042, and it's a pretty tight fit already. I cannot imagine anything bigger will fit in the nut unless i have work done to enlarge it. Am I crazy? Anyone have experience with the fender? are flatwound (or ribbon-wound) strings somehow larger?
Should i go and get a lighter set?
The guages are:
1 .012
2 .016
3 .024
4 .032
5 .042

I see that the emando 5-string set has a low string that's either.050 or .048. This seems like they'd be too big....or is this a fender runt issue?

thanks, oh wise ones,
E

edmando
Jan-13-2005, 10:55am
gAUges...i don't know why i can't spell that today....

Lee
Jan-13-2005, 12:44pm
Egads, lighten up on them strings!
On my Schwab solid body I use 0.009", 0.012", 0.018"w, 0.024"w, 0.034"w
Yes, I like 'em light.

edmando
Jan-13-2005, 1:07pm
Thanks....I thought they were a bit heavy! The neck hasn't snapped off yet, though ;)

mikeomando
Jan-13-2005, 4:49pm
You should read the FAQ at emando.com. I like 'em light up top and heavy at the bottom. Light up top to keep the E string from being too tight, and heavy at the bottom to keep the C string from being too loose. A .052 string works on one of my instruments, so experiment around.

Lee
Jan-14-2005, 1:05pm
My 10-string acoustic Stiver F-style mandolin came with 0.052" strings for the low C. I'd think you'd want tobe able to bend the string a whole note or more. If you can do that with a 0.052" string then I will bow in submission and grovel righteously http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

mrmando
Jan-14-2005, 1:19pm
I'd guess that the heavier strings help acoustic mando players who are going electric, while the lighter strings help electric guitar players who are going mando.

Ted Eschliman
Jan-14-2005, 2:45pm
A set of JS-110 Thomastik Electric Guitar Flatwound strings was my answer:
.010
.014
.018w (throw away...)
.023
.033
.044
Nice warm tone, dig the smooth flatwound feel. Good harmonic fundamental in the low side.
I sold my five last summer to get an electric eight, and now I regret it. I'll probably go back to the five again.

Lee
Jan-14-2005, 4:34pm
Thanks Mandohack. I'll check them out sometime. I used a set of Ti's onmy Gibson Florentine and really liked it. But not yet with the 5-string.

edmando
Jan-15-2005, 7:57am
Thank you all, it's nice to see the heavies checking in! I got new strings, and all is well. BTW, my friend who bought an electric mandolin in India came over for a rehearsal yesterday. The instrument is not the same one available in Saptaswara musicals in Chennai-those are apparently very very poor. Srinivas contacted his maker, who had one finished early for an order, and sold it to my friend. Really high action (he's going to shave the bridge-but apparently Srinivas likes really high action), crazy Indian pickup with partially external wiring (!), big fat frets, loop end strings, and a seriously radiused fretboard...I'm talkin like a violin or viola. Oh, and a zero fret. Sounds almost exactly like Srinivas' instrument. He's also going to have to replace the tuners, which are very entry-level things. Oh, yeah, and there are 6 of them (one is for show, I guess!)
If anyone is interested, I can try to get some pics.

E

mrmando
Jan-15-2005, 3:56pm
I'd like to see said pics. Who is Srinivas' maker these days?

mikeomando
Jan-15-2005, 11:13pm
Hey Mandohack, what kind of 5 this time around?

edmando
Jan-15-2005, 11:35pm
I'll see what i can do for pics. Don't know who the maker is...he's in Chennai, though.

Lee
Jan-17-2005, 9:31am
Chennai got hit pretty hard from the tsunami. I hope he's OK. I have a few business contacts in Chennai who mention being very scared of nature now, and wondering if it wasn't some sort of retribution.