Re: GHS Silk & Steel Tension
I can't say whether GHS Silk and Bronze strings have shorter life than PB in the long-term, because I change strings at least once a month, if not sooner (depending on session and gig schedule). I can say that within a month's time, I haven't noticed any difference from PB strings in that respect.
I play mandolin just about every day, for at leas an hour, and something like 4 pub sessions or house sessions a month, for three hours each. That may be more wear than some put on their mandolins. If I thought the Silk and Bronze strings were unusually fast-wearing, I wouldn't use them.
No difference in volume either, between Silk and Bronze and Phosphor Bronze strings. What I hear is just a slightly "warmer" tone, a tiny reduction in the higher frequencies on the wound strings compared to PB, due to that thin silk winding layer. I like it for the music I play.
I also like the way GHS uses a slightly larger gauge A string pair in medium sets compared to D'Addario (.016 vs. .015). I think that helps tuning stability, and it evens out the string tension relative to the other strings. That's true of all the GHS string sets though, not just the Silk and Bronze.
Lebeda F-5 mandolin, redwood top
Weber Yellowstone F-5 octave mandolin
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