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Thread: Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

  1. #1
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    Default Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

    Greetings all!

    Have been doing some poking around for information and have found it to be a little bit daunting finding string sets. I'm a jazz player and I am particularly interested in having all wound strings except for the E - like the way the thomastiks are available in this manner. However, the thomastiks don't have ball-ends (they've confirmed directly by email). I could try to gently guide the strings in with perhaps a little bit of silicon to hold the ball in while I draw tension on the strings (I bet it's kind of a pain). The reason I was thinking about using the thomastiks is that they have a nice thin ~14-16g flat-wound A.

    My other option is to use a set of d'daddario chrome guitar strings or similar - perhaps the light set, (11-50 I believe) and just leave out the E string.

    Has anyone had any experience with getting 4 wounds strings on a 5 string electric with ball-ends? Would a 14g E string be too much tension or would this be ok? I've used guitar strings this heavy in the past without issue - just not sure if they will work on the mandolin.

    Thanks for your time!

    -Jeannie

  2. #2

    Default Re: Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

    I'm not an expert, but it might be a little crowded. Neck width on Eastman's Mandocaster is only 1 3/16. You might want to consider Eastman's Mandocaster 12 which has a nut width of 1 7/8 for $100 more.

    The Mandocaster 12 is really an octave 12-string guitar.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

    The strings aren't doubled - and the neck is designed for 5 strings; so no problem there.

  4. #4
    Chief Moderator/Shepherd Ted Eschliman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

    I use the D'Addario Chromes, ECG23 (10, 14, 20, 20, 28, 38, 48) but I leave out the G string (20). I've also used the Thomastik JS110 guitar (10, 14, 18w, 23, 33, 44), and leave out the 18. The combinations you're looking for would be unmanageable for my playing, and probably hard on the instrument as well.

    It's a tall order finding a wound string thinner than 18w (TI) and 20s (D'Addario). I worked with D'Addario on an acoustic set and they said the physics making it thin but strong enough are insanely difficult.
    Ted Eschliman

    Author, Getting Into Jazz Mandolin

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

    TI makes wound strings even thinner than that. As far as I can tell from my research is that they make down to a .015 flat-wound for an A - in their mittel set. So what I'm looking for is for 4 wound strings and one plain (would love to have them all wound, but I can see the impossibility of a wound E from previous experience). I guess I will have to try out my ideas and see what transpires. I will probably start with the TI's and attempt to gently guide the loop string in to tighten on an extra ball-end - an expensive proposition but I think I can make that work. I will just have to add in a 50 for the low C. If that'll not work, then I'll try to the light (guitar) flat-wound set leaving out the e or b string.

    For reference:

    Thomastik-Infeld Mandolin strings - Medium (Mittel)
    1st - E - .010 -- 17.42 lbs. tension -- Tinned Silver Steel
    2nd - A - .015 -- 15.43 lbs. tension -- Chrome steel flat wound
    3rd - D - .021 -- 15.43 lbs. tension -- Chrome steel flat wound
    4th - G - .033 -- 15.43 lbs. tension -- Chrome steel flat wound

    Thomastik-Infeld Mandolin strings - Heavy (Stark/Strong)
    1st - E - .011-- 21.83 LBS tension -- Tinned Silver Steel
    2nd - A - .016 - 18.74 lbs. tension -- Chrome steel flat wound
    3rd - D - .022 - 17.64 lbs. tension -- Chrome steel flat wound
    4th - G - .034 - 17.64 lbs. tension -- Chrome sttel flat wound

  6. #6

    Default Re: Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

    Quote Originally Posted by StuartE View Post
    I'm not an expert, but it might be a little crowded. Neck width on Eastman's Mandocaster is only 1 3/16. You might want to consider Eastman's Mandocaster 12 which has a nut width of 1 7/8 for $100 more.

    The Mandocaster 12 is really an octave 12-string guitar.
    It’s Eastwood, not Eastman
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

    So I found something interesting here for you folks that really love a wound A string like I do: http://www.juststrings.com/toi-kf110.html Looks like this guitar set is has a flatwound .014 *gasp*

    NOTE

    DESCRIPTION

    DIAMETER INCHES
    TENSION LBS

    1st E

    Plain Steel

    .010

    15.8


    2nd B

    Stainless Steel Flat Wound on Steel Core

    .014

    16.3


    3rd G

    Stainless Steel Flat Wound on Steel Core

    .018

    15.8


    4th D

    Nickel Flat Wound on Steel Core

    .024

    15.8


    5th A

    Nickel Flat Wound on Steel Core

    .031

    15.8


    6th E

    Nickel Flat Wound on Steel Core

    .038

    14.7

  8. #8
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flat-wound string options for electric 5 string

    Well, .038 - .024 - .014 - .010 is a perfectly acceptable set of gauges for GDAE. You could buy that Thomastik set and a single .048 Chrome for the C string from JustStrings and have what you need.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

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