Bill Monroe signature strings

[David Lewis]

Who uses them? Why? Just curious. I've got a set of daddarios on my epiphone. (JX 75s). But Monroe said 'Gibson bronze are the best' Not that I advocate doing it the way bill did (or didn't for that matter). I'm just curious.

And of course I get a typo in the heading.

[JEStanek]

I fixed the title. Re:strings... that was a long time ago. I wonder if they are even made the same way anymore. I say experiment and find the string/pick combination taht works best for you and the mandolin. My different mandolins have different combos that work best on them.

I've never used the Gibson strings. I like the D'Addairo EJ74, and their flatwound EFW74 strings. Thomastik mittles when I'm rich.

Silk and Bronze are nice, too.

Jamie

[GTison]

I like the Gibson Monroe strings. The gauges are fine for my mandolin nut and saddle. They sound "right" to me, on THIS mandolin. I play a '02 Gibson Fern model. I used to have a'96 Gibson F5L. I thought the Monroe strings sounded bad on that mandolin. I never could understand why my friend swore by them for his F5G. I have tried the J-75 strings and they are ok too, but there is a difference to my ears. The only way to know is to try different strings and see what the difference is. It also makes a difference as to where you are playing, microphones or just jamming. I am going to try some of the new Siminoff strings to see what the deal is on those. I haven't changed strings in a long time. They say you should change strings every year or two whether they need it or not.

[Mandoplumb]

I like the Gibson Monroe strings. The gauges are fine for my mandolin nut and saddle. They sound "right" to me, on THIS mandolin. I play a '02 Gibson Fern model. I used to have a'96 Gibson F5L. I thought the Monroe strings sounded bad on that mandolin. I never could understand why my friend swore by them for his F5G. I have tried the J-75 strings and they are ok too, but there is a difference to my ears. The only way to know is to try different strings and see what the difference is. It also makes a difference as to where you are playing, microphones or just jamming. I am going to try some of the new Siminoff strings to see what the deal is on those. I haven't changed strings in a long time. They say you should change strings every year
or two whether they need it or not.

Wish I could go a year or two. As I've said before every mandolin has a set of strings it likes, not every brand or every model, every mandolin, when MAS attacks and we buy a different mandolin we have to find what string it likes, if we don't it won't open up for us.

[David Lewis]

Thanks everyone. I'm not looking for new strings as such. I like the daddarios on my epiphone. But I wondered given the reverence for Bill (and I'm not knocking that) if people liked his signature strings. (I will try them out in my next string change in around a month or two).

[lflngpicker]

I have tried the Sam Bush Monel set on my Gibson F9, and I like them. I miss the bronze sound, but love the classic look, feal and vintage vibe of the monels. I have two sets of Monroe's coming any day and I am going to see what they sound like. I like the idea of trying a variety, if one can, and then determining what works best for your style and attack. Best of luck!

[Ivan Kelsall]

Signature 'anything' doesn't necessarily mean that the owner of the signature ever used the product bearing their name.Some maybe do for a while & then go back to their own preferred choice. Who makes the Gibson strings ?. I only ask because when my UK source of Stelling banjo strings retired,i couldn't buy them in the UK. I contacted my old dealer & he told me that the Stelling strings i used were made by GHS, & sure enough i found the exact ones. It could be that lots of folk are using the Bill Monroe strings under their original brand name,
Ivan

[GTison]

The question of who makes Gibson strings has been on the Cafe before. Gibson seems to wind their own strings in Illinois. They must purchase raw unwound wire from Mapes. If not, I don't see any other strings like the Monroe signature strings that are available for purchase.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Well,i had a look around for similar string gauges in a single pack,but could only find one,however,that's just the string gauge combo. If you take the .041 G strings from a DR MD12 (heavy) set & put it with the D/A & E strings of an MD11 (medium) set,you've got the same string gauges as the Bill Monroe set. The .041 G strings seem to be the anomaly, as there are a few variations onthe D/A & E string gauges in various brand sets,although D'Addario have a .041 gauge G string in their EXP75 set. The other brand that has a full 11 - 41 gauge set - ''The Castle'' mandolin strings,
Ivan

[lflngpicker]

Hey Ivan, Thanks for the good information!

[Ivan Kelsall]

The pricing of the 'Castle' strings has me a bit concerned. They do seem pretty cheap at $3.99 per set,so are they made in Asia ?.
They also seem to be available only via eBay & Amazon. I just found it - they're made by the SAM HYUN Musical Co., Ivan

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Seems Asian, since "Kontrabässe String" translates to "Double Basses String".

[Barry Allen]

My mandolin seems to like elixir nano web light's. Although I must admit it's the only strings I have tried on it. But it sounds really nice.

[lflngpicker]

I bet those are great strings, Barry! Wow, Elixir is a very consistent high quality item. I have them on my electric and acoustic guitars presently.

I am now strung with the Bill Monroe set on my Gibson F9. I have come to the end of the search. I love the tone, the ring of the bronze and the beefy chop. It is a great combination with a bit more bass to compliment the highs. I really recommend the Sam Bush Monels for the steel wound purist and it is hard to give up that smooth tone. But I want the old time blue grass ring and the gauges and phosphor bronze fit my mandolin just right.

[mandroid]

The winding wire is Phosphor Bronze, lots of other strings do Also.

[GTison]

What's the deal with Gibson Bill Monroe strings? There are almost no online retailers it seems. And the price is above $12 that I see. Are they on the way to discontinuing these strings? I hate to see them go but there are other choices.
Also, the last 2 sets I bought don't seem like they are the same as a few years ago. The sound seems thiner or something. Maybe it's just me.

[George R. Lane]

You should check out the Mapes strings. High quality and you can build your own personal set gauges.

https://www.mapesstrings.com/

[doublestoptremolo]

I bought three sets several months ago when, probably through some fluke of Amazon's pricing, they had them for $1.97 per set (the banjo strings I like were similarly low priced that day too). I put them on my beater and they seem pretty nice. Big Bill fan but I wouldn't buy the strings otherwise, I'd probably just get the cheapest phosphor bronze set on sale that day.

[bigskygirl]

I’ve used the Bill Monroe strings and they were ok...like doublestoptremolo I generally buy a set from the local shop with 16’s for the A courses for about $5.

[Mandoplumb]

Ivan is right about “signature” anything. An endorsement depends on who pays the most. My first mandolini used Bill Monroe strings set 161 Gibson Monel strings. Anybody remember that? If memory serves they weren’t named Monroe just set 161 but had Bill’s endorsement right on the package. Next mandolin I had liked bronze or so I didn’t think about them for several years, when I looked for them again the were called Sam Bush and were still set 161. Go figure. I’ve never seen the attraction of endorsements in anything I know more what I like than anybody else. I don’t think putting a Sam Bush, or Bill Monroe, or anybody else’s name string on my mandolin will make me play like them, no more than wearing Calvin Cline underwear will make me pee (or look) like him.

[MediumMando5722]

For the record, D’Addario endorsers aren’t paid. They get free strings and whatnot, but no paycheck. I doubt many string endorsers are getting much different from other companies.

[allenhopkins]

...I’ve never seen the attraction of endorsements in anything I know more what I like than anybody else. I don’t think putting a Sam Bush, or Bill Monroe, or anybody else’s name string on my mandolin will make me play like them, no more than wearing Calvin Cline underwear will make me pee (or look) like him.

I prefer the Curly Ray Cline underwear to the Calvin Klein.

[doublestoptremolo]

I think if you're after the Monroe sound, apart from all the other factors that go into it, nickel or nickel alloy strings will get you closer than phosphor bronze.

[T.D.Nydn]

I use them and really like them..I have a set on my 03 fern and it sounds awesome,,Sam bush strings also are very good and last a good amount..