Straight Up Strings by Siminoff - any thoughts or experiences?

Curious to know more about this brand of mandolin strings, which its maker says are "engineered with compensated down pressure for optimum balance."

Caleb Klauder endorses them and he sure sounds great, so I looked at the Siminoff website and read the details.

Do you buy Siminoff's theory about downward string pressure and a need for strings that address the distinctive structure of modern mandolin bridges?

Or, theory aside, does anyone just happen to like or dislike the way these strings sound on their instrument?

I started reading the engineering text on the site and quickly fell asleep.

Bought a set and tried them on my Weber Bitterroot and they sounded great. Tried them on my Northfield F5S and they sounded good, but not as good as the Monels. I'll try a set on the Kimble that is coming soon (!) and see how they sound. Every mandolin is different.

I have used them and really like the tone. Very even sounding. They last a long time.

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Originally Posted by Amandalyn

I have used them and really like the tone. Very even sounding. They last a long time.

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How long did they last for you? (I typically find my D'Addario phosphor bronze strings need changing after a month to 6 weeks of daily playing).

I like them.

I tried Straight Up Strings and couldn't tell any significant difference in sound from J74s and such.
I found the technical explanations for the strings to include too much 'hand waving' and too little data to be convincing.
I might use them if they sold for $5/set.
YMMV

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Originally Posted by callmegina

How long did they last for you? (I typically find my D'Addario phosphor bronze strings need changing after a month to 6 weeks of daily playing).

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I tend to not change my strings that often🙂, but I noticed they were still sounding and feeling good under my fingers for a couple of months. What I don’t like about most ph/bz strings is that new brassy tone when put on and then they settle in and then quickly decay. The Straight Ups seem to be more consistent.
I will say my new favorite is the new D’Addario nickel bronze!
You just have to test out a few different strings to determine what works for you.

Well, the thread got me to look! What they describe does make sense but the strings I like at the moment are DR Dragon Skins (10-36). Last a long time and the tone works of both my low-end Loars (LM-110 and LM-310). Plus they stock them at Guitar Center so I can have them shipped free to the store near my workplace.

I did have an issue recently where one of the A strings broke within the loop but I luckily had extra guitar strings I could use. I contacted DR and they send me out a couple extra sets, which was nice service.

I might try the Straight Ups if they came in 10's.

I've tried the Straight Ups and really liked them. I'm in no position to judge about the physics, but I liked the slightly lighter gauge G strings. I got a custom set from Mapes strings in same gauges but they didn't sound as good. I'm going to try the Straight Ups again.

I like them better than anything so far on my Mike Black A2. I play Irish sessions and am going for fatness and volume, otherwise it really hard to hear me. I play hard with a heavy pick. At home they sound great with good dynamics. I found them much more to my liking than EJ 74 and Daddario Nickel bronze, though they both also sound good. The Straight UPs work best for me in sessions. You will know if you try them .

They are very good strings.
I tried the heavies, and didn't really care for them, but I tried the Mediums and love them.
They are similar to J74s, but the wind on the bass strings feels a tiny bit finer.
I don't know about the science stuff from the website, but they do sound more balanced across the courses.
They are clear and solid in tone, and feel really nice.

I am currently using them on my Northfield 5Bar and they are great on it.
The tone is balanced and thick.
The trebles are strong.

I could easily use J74s in a pinch, as they a great too.
I have also tried the Monels a couple of times, and love them, but they are of a very specific type of tone.

Try them out and see what you think.
Like all strings, what works best on one instrument, may not work best on another.

That was my main string set on my Kimble A-5 until I switched to Thomastiks. I used them on my mahogany guitars, too. But also check out Stringjoy in Nashville. Only electric and acoustic guitar strings right now, but they're working on adding mandolin strings. Both are great products

Mybe they can sound good on your mandolin despite their theory instead of because of it. It seems like different tailpiece widths would change their notion of downward and lateral pressure on the top. It's nice to have choices that work for folks.

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Originally Posted by Philphool

I tried Straight Up Strings and couldn't tell any significant difference in sound from J74s and such.

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Same here. Nothing wrong with them, nothing different either. Now on my cedar topped F5 I just put a set of DR RARE 11-40 phosphor bronze strings and they really pop! Currently my new favorite!