GHS Silk & Bronze strings

[Caleb]

I'm string-geeking on these of late. I still love J-74's but these Silk & Bronze are a wonderful change of pace. I really enjoy the mellow-yet-full tone they give. They seem easier on the fingers too, even though they're still 11's. Anyone else a fan of these strings?

[Willie Poole]

Caleb....At one time I used nothing but GHS silk and bronze and then one day I couldn`t find them so I bought a set of GHS A-270`s and find them to be just about as good and cost less....Also two sets of the silk and bronze that I bought didn`t have silk in them, I sent them an e mail and they sent me two sets to replace those....I never did notice any silk in the G strings to be honest only in the D string, I`m sure the G strings had silk but when I clipped them after installing them I just didn`t notice any silk...The A and E strings are the same gauge as the A-270`s...Try a set of the A-270`s and see if you can see much difference....The one big difference I found is that the S&B seem to last longer before going dead...That probably more than makes up for the difference in price of the two....

Willie

[foldedpath]

I settled on the GHS Silk & Bronze strings about 2 years ago, after trying all the usual suspects (including a year of infatuation with TI Stark flatwounds). They're a bit less brash than J74's on the wound strings, but they still have enough "cut" to carry through a band mix, which is where flatwounds don't... er, cut it for me.

I'm done searching for strings unless GHS goes out of business or changes the formula. I buy them from juststrings.com in lots of 6 or 8 at a time, and change strings every 3-4 weeks, depending on gigs or recording projects.

One of the nice (and possibly underrated) features of all the GHS mandolin "medium" strings sets is that they're one gauge higher on the A string pair than J74's. That keeps the string tension a little more even across the fingerboard, and it lets me sneak the A pair down just a hair lower in action than I can get J74's without buzzing. I suppose that in theory, a slightly heavier A pair might be more stable when tuning up, but it's still the A pair that gives me the most trouble... whether it's Silk & Bronze, J74's, Thomastiks, or whatever. It's the A-string Curse of the Mandolin.

P.S. These are not wimpy "Silk & Steel" strings like guitar players are familiar with. That scared me off, at first, but the construction and tone is very different. They're just regular bronze wound mandolin strings with a very thin layer of silk (or something) between the wire core and the wrap. The unwound A and E strings are basically the same as you'd get in most other string sets, with the difference in gauge for the A strings, as noted.

[Phil Goodson]

Silk & Bronze have been my favorites for years.:cool:

[almeriastrings]

Tried a set only recently for the very first time after reading recommendations here. Yes, I like them. Not at all like guitar "silk & steel" sets (that thought put me off for quite a while, too). Subtly different strings.

[Glassweb]

Am currently using the GHS S&Bs on my Kimble two point. Love the richness of tone and their exceptionally nice feel. I did replace the .16 A strings that come with the set with .15 gauge... the mandolin seems to respond better with these and the lighter gauge makes vibrato and/or bending of the strings much easier. A great product!

[yankees1]

You know, I can't tell the difference between most domestic beers as long as they are ice cold, nor can I tell the difference between all those expensive and less expensive wines ( so I now only buy three buck chuck Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe's because it tastes great) , I've driven hundred of thousands of miles on cars with cheaper motor oil and more expensive motor oil and I can't tell the difference in protection or performance and I've tried various brands of strings on my mandolin and I really can't hear the difference ! I'm not alluding to the opinion that I believe you or other players can't hear or feel the difference as I'm sure you can. I'm just saying I cannot so why spend the extra cash or experiment with different brands ? I guess my senses and hearing are too old ! :)

[Nick Quig]

I tried them for the first time recently too, great tone and feel - love 'em! :)

[Fretbear]

They don't just sound different, they have a different feel as well. They have a softer feel than a conventionally wound string at the same tension (or gauge) but don't sound or feel wimpy. Once a conventional PB wound string is broken in, the difference is much less between them, but when they are new, it is alot more noticeable.

[dan in va]

This what Chris Stanley uses on his mandolins and is the string that i always come back to

[Caleb]

I never made the "silk" connection till now and didn't realize they were wrapped/coated. I just knew they felt and sounded great. I remember a set of DR mediums I used a couple years back that I liked a lot too. There are a lot of options, and with the cost of strings so low I see no reason not to experiment.

[George R. Lane]

I have tried them all and have settled on the Silk & Bronze. I love the sound and they last me a long time.

[Glassweb]

I just spoke with the folks at GHS by phone. The S&B strings are not coated and they do not actually use silk in the wound strings -they use nylon.

[Astro]

How do they compare to silk and steel ?

[AlanN]

Now you all have my dander up about these. If anyone would, how about a 1-for-1 trade: your S&B for my J-74 or J-75? PM me if any takers.

[Fretbear]

How do they compare to silk and steel ?

The S&S also sound great; they have an even softer feel, but they wear out very fast as compared to the S&B, or any other string. The windings are actually plated copper.

[Timbofood]

I don't think silk has been used in instrument strings in more than 30 years, they were nylon even in '75. Not my cup of tea but, must admit never tried them on mandolin, I suffer from what even my friends call a bit of "caustic" chemistry....or do they speak of personality? I might give them a shot, who knows?

[pefjr]

You know, I can't tell the difference between most domestic beers as long as they are ice cold, nor can I tell the difference between all those expensive and less expensive wines ( so I now only buy three buck chuck Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe's because it tastes great) , I've driven hundred of thousands of miles on cars with cheaper motor oil and more expensive motor oil and I can't tell the difference in protection or performance and I've tried various brands of strings on my mandolin and I really can't hear the difference ! I'm not alluding to the opinion that I believe you or other players can't hear or feel the difference as I'm sure you can. I'm just saying I cannot so why spend the extra cash or experiment with different brands ? I guess my senses and hearing are too old ! :)That's what I told my wife when I took her out to eat at McDonalds in Wal-Mart. We got to sample the orderves in the store, then picked up a $1 special on the way out. Can't tell the difference.

[Astro]

That's what I told my wife when I took her out to eat at McDonalds in Wal-Mart. We got to sample the orderves in the store, then picked up a $1 special on the way out. Can't tell the difference.

Just wait 3 hours. :whistling:

[Stephen Cagle]

We carry most of GHS mandolin strings at banjo.com but dang we don't have the S&B. I think I'll place an order tomorrow and give em a whirl. I do love my J74's. I revisited a set of silk&steels at spgbma this year and have been using them ever since (not the same set of course;)) Out of all my years I've never tried S&B but dang it I'm gonna do it. ~o)

[McIrish]

This topic is beginning to make me think about making a switch from J74s. I usually like J74 after about a week. If these sound like that right away, I'll be buying a set today.

[mandosonthemarsh]

Spring for the Green Finn at TJ's!

[mandroid]

How do they compare to silk and steel ?

the winding wire is the same as used on the DAE on Classical guitars, a silver-coated Copper.

Not Bronze .. Cu+Sn

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

I also use the S&B primarily these days. I have been really partial to GHS strings, in part because of the sound but also for the heavier A strings that come with them. It never occured to me until someone said it - the S&B sounds like J74 after a week or two, which is when I liked them the most.

[McIrish]

I finally got around to picking up a set of S&B for my Weber oval hole mandolin. I only spent about an hour with them, but so far, I'm completely sold. They sound like the J74 after a couple weeks of play. My mandolin sounds too brassy for the first week or two with J74s. These S&B sound perfect right away. I mean, just perfect. I get a very woody sound yet its still very clear. They are also smoother. Maybe the windings are a slightly thinner wire? I like these a lot. I just have to see if they will last a while. This string test was well worth the effort. This proved to be the most useful thread in a long time for me. :grin:

[Alyx Hanson]

Yet another fan of the GHS S&B strings. I use J74s on my A-style, which is more of my beater mando, and the S&Bs on my F. I have several extra sets of J74s, so I think I'm going to keep using them on the A until they're gone, but I'm seriously considering just using the S&B. (I came around to the S&Bs after trying flatwounds and deciding that they were just a hair *too* dry for what I wanted. S&B strings are the perfect middle ground.) I even cobbled together a S&B set for my octave out of the single guitar strings. They sound is incredible.

[Marc King]

I have just tried a set of GHS S&B for the first time. I have just been playing for about six months and have only ever used J74's. At first I thought they were a little wimpy compared to the J74's. Now I love them, quite a bit more delicate and responsive. What I really love about them is how they feel. My pick rolls off them so smoothly and I am finding cross picking is coming so much easier now. Has anyone ever noticed that their playing style will change with different strings? Maybe they just inspire you in a different way!

[stringduster]

After trying MANY brands I actually settled in on the GHS Silk & Steel. Love 'em!

[almeriastrings]

I have had sets on my Fern and my Big Mon for around a month now, and they are still sounding very good, despite a lot of playing time. Very satisfied.

[Perry]

I've been stringing my Mix A5 with LSB250's since the beginning. Will Kimble made the suggestion years ago...so far no reason to switch. I agree that they are not as strident sounding as J74's on the lower strings especially when brand new.

LSB250's seem to last a long time too.

[joni24]

They don't just sound different, they have a different feel as well. They have a softer feel than a conventionally wound string at the same tension (or gauge) but don't sound or feel wimpy. Once a conventional PB wound string is broken in, the difference is much less between them, but when they are new, it is alot more noticeable.

I'm slowly experimenting with different kinds of strings. Just switched from ghs S&B to ghs PB and can't believe the difference in sound, especially in the G strings. The warm, mellow tone of the S&B strings has been replaced by a much more metallic, twangy sound. Hopefully you're right that once they are broken in the difference won't be as noticeable. In the meantime I'm switching from my preferred ProPlec pick to a Dawg pick, just to get a little more of that mellow sound that I prefer.

[Marc King]

I have just tried a set of Elixir Nanowebs for a change, gave them 5 days and went straight back to the GHS S&B. Far too bright and metallic for my liking. My F5 and I were not getting along when she was wearing the Elixirs, now that she has put the S&B back on, we have kissed and made up!