Round wound VS flat wound

[mandobassman]

I agree but how much of that good tone is from the mandolin and how much is from the strings?

i agree, but that is true for any type of string.

[mandobassman]

I may shoot this off in a side direction and ask, how many of you who have installed Ti's have actually had to adjust your mandolin's intonation and how many have had to do no adjustments?

my experience is the opposite of what most people describe. I have always had my intonation improve when using flat wound strings. When I was using Thomastik, with the wound A string, my intonation was nearly perfect. I have always felt that flat wounds are more forgiving of intonation issues.

[Phil Goodson]

I've used pretty much all of the above mentioned strings on one mandolin or another over the past decade. All of the general comments about differences in tone, I pretty much agree with.

The point I'd like to make is that my experience is that different mandolins really seem to respond in very different amounts.
That is: TI strings will be less metallic on ALL instruments as compared to J74s, but on SOME of my instruments, the difference is SHOCKINGLY DIFFERENT. On others, although different, the AMOUNT of difference is significantly less.

I really think that you need to take the general descriptions and decide what direction you want to go in, and then you just have to TRY a set on that particular instrument and see if it is exactly what you want. Always leave a new set of strings on for at least a week before you make a decision.

Good luck! Remember, learning new stuff about your instrument is part of the fun.

[Mike Bunting]

[QUOTE=mandobassman;1235440 Quote Originally Posted by Mike Bunting
I agree but how much of that good tone is from the mandolin and how much is from the strings? i

agree, but that is true for any type of string.[/QUOTE]
What's true?

[Pasha Alden]

I have had rather limited experience with strings. Though I experience a metallic sound with the bronze strings. I am going to change strings shortly. The make I have the most of is D'Dario 74.

[Mike Snyder]

After a long search of many years I have come to use FW74s exclusively. I have a bluegrass machine but I seldom play bluegrass. I haven't had any loss of volume and DO NOT miss the brassy/zingy sound of sets like the J series. There is no ugly sounding break-in period and the strings (wound) last and last. The set I have on now went on in September, not even close to sounding dull. The metallic sound of strings was a thing I really hated. Now I hear the instrument, not the strings. I also seem to have less trouble with friction issues at the nut and bridge. You know, tuning troubles and A strings that won't stay in thru one tune and that weird tipping thing at the bridge when you restring. Much less friction at those points as well as the old fingertips. TIs I have not tried on my current (and last) instrument. Years ago on a much lesser mandolin I found them kinda quiet and I broke a few of those wound As.
I have been through many, maybe all of the most popular mandolin strings. Could be that I find something I like better that the FW74s, but I really, REALLY doubt it. I wish they made a set in the guages I like for the GDAE tenor banjo.

[Pasha Alden]

As far as people's remarks about internation go: I have had no problem with my Jbovier and bronze strings of D'Dario. It keeps its internation just great. Perhaps a little tweak or two, nothing major in terms of tuning.
Wonder if it is the strings that cause change in intonation only, or even things like the weather, the influence thereof on the wood of the mandolin, and the strings simultaneously?



However, I again wish to emphasise the point that I have limited experience in terms of different string types, so perhaps a relatively limited frame of reference with regard to different makes of strings. so these are musings and thoughts of a beginner only!

Happy and cheery festive playing to you all!

[Brandon Sumner]

Well, I pulled the trigger on a set of TI 154S , hope i do not break one putting them on!

[mandobassman]

As far as people's remarks about internation go: I have had no problem with my Jbovier and bronze strings of D'Dario. It keeps its internation just great. Perhaps a little tweak or two, nothing major in terms of tuning.
Wonder if it is the strings that cause change in intonation only, or even things like the weather, the influence thereof on the wood of the mandolin, and the strings simultaneously?

I think you might be confusing intonation with tuning issues. Proper intonation, which is how true each note is as you work your way up the fretboard, is determined by the nut, frets and bridge. Different thicknesses of strings can affect intonation as well. What most people are referring to when talking about the Thomastik flatwound strings is the wound A string. Many feel the winding on the A string vs. a non-wound A string can have a effect on intonation. I have found that has not been the case for me. A mandolin doesn't "hold" its' intonation. It's either intonated properly or not. If not, then an adjustment needs to be made, usually to the bridge.

[mandobassman]

Well, I pulled the trigger on a set of TI 154S , hope i do not break one putting them on!

I have heard before that some people have had issues with the wound A string breaking. Even JazzMando, when advertising the former JM-11 strings, referred to the Thomastik A string as "fragile". That is interesting to me as I have used Thomastik strings for 14 of the past 16 years and during that time I never broke a single string. There have even been times that I have taken off a set of Thomastik strings that I had on my main mandolin for nearly a year and, after putting a new set on, put the old ones on a second mandolin, then left them on that mandolin for another year.

[John Hill]

Fiddlers Green has this comparison video using a couple of collings mt's:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iHtZ5Tn3TPM

[Pasha Alden]

To Larry: thanks, it is possible, and I must say I did afterwards wonder about the question of intonation.
As I think about it now, I think I was in my somewhat dazed state of writing when a bit sleepy thinking of the mandolin being in tune.
As for strings? Well have never tried TI strings.

[bratsche]

I have heard before that some people have had issues with the wound A string breaking. Even JazzMando, when advertising the former JM-11 strings, referred to the Thomastik A string as "fragile". That is interesting to me as I have used Thomastik strings for 14 of the past 16 years and during that time I never broke a single string. There have even been times that I have taken off a set of Thomastik strings that I had on my main mandolin for nearly a year and, after putting a new set on, put the old ones on a second mandolin, then left them on that mandolin for another year.

I have never had any intonation issues with the TI wound a-strings either, and what you wrote mirrors my experience as well, even down to the re-installation of a set of used TIs onto a second instrument. I find they're extremely durable and long-lived.

bratsche

[mandobassman]

Fiddlers Green has this comparison video using a couple of collings mt's:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iHtZ5Tn3TPM

Interesting video. The sound is very similar in this comparison. It sounds to me like both set of strings are brand new. Flatwound strings sound bright and metallic when first installed, however the sound will be drastically different a week or so later when the flatwounds will show their characteristic warmth they are known for. The big difference is that the flatwounds will keep that tone for a year or more.

[fatt-dad]

I have a heavy hand. Never broken a T-I A string. Did break two D strings (seperately). Emailed T-I and they mailed me replacements. Thankfully, I had backups though. It took a little while.

f-d

[Brandon Sumner]

Fiddlers Green has this comparison video using a couple of collings mt's:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iHtZ5Tn3TPM

Hey John, thanks so much for this link .To my ear the Ti's sound a lot better than the J74's. I think that the Ti's are going to suit my playing style very well, Wish they were not so costly, just a working man here ya know! Thanks again.

[mandobassman]

...Wish they were not so costly, just a working man here ya know! Thanks again.

Costly, yes. But you won't need to replace them for 6 months to a year. I usually leave my flatwounds on for at least a year.

[Ken_P]

Hey John, thanks so much for this link .To my ear the Ti's sound a lot better than the J74's. I think that the Ti's are going to suit my playing style very well, Wish they were not so costly, just a working man here ya know! Thanks again.

Funny, I actually thought the J74's were better, but only because of the style he was playing in. I certainly heard the characteristics in the TI's that make the jazz and classical players prefer them.

[Polecat]

Costly, yes. But you won't need to replace them for 6 months to a year. I usually leave my flatwounds on for at least a year.

You are a very lucky man, Larry!
I used Thomastiks (stark) exclusively from about 1987 to 2000, and still consider them the best strings on the market. I killed a set of strings every 2 Months or so; at first I found this acceptable, but over the 13 years or so that I used them they increased in price more than threefold, and eventually priced themselves out of the market for me (I literally cannot afford that kind of expense 6+ times a year). A shame, because they really are the best strings around, imho. Thomastik strings also corrode a lot slower owing to their being silver-plated (the only other silver-plated strings I'm aware of are made by D'Orazio in Italy, but after a short trial period I rejected them). The strings I now use, Elixirs, cost a quarter of the price of TIs and last about half as long, which is a 50% saving. As I say, if I could afford it, I'd use TIs, but they are just too costly for me.
Interesting points about intonation here - I find that as strings get old, the intonation, especially on the bottom 5 frets or so tends to get worse - whether this is a function of the windings getting flattened through continual use or has something to do with metal fatigue I'm not sure (probably both plus something I've never considered), but its certainly more noticable on wound than plain strings. Flat wound strings (including D'Addario flat tops) suffer less from this tendency, and Thomastik strings least of all, in my experience.
Just my two (Euro-) Cents.

[mandobassman]

Hi Polecat. I guess it has something to do with skin chemistry. When I think about the years I used TI (also Stark), I didn't always leave them on for a year, but it usually was around 8-10 months. Sometimes a year. However, when I switched over to D'Addario Fw74's, I've had them on for no less than 12 months. The first set I used on my previous Breedlove were on for 16 months. The second set I bought are on my J Bovier now and have been on since last Christmas. I have no plans to change them any time soon. I changed TIs for the same reason you did. It wasn't how they sounded but they started to have intonation issues from fret wear. So far, I have not had that problem with the FW74's. They last even longer than the TIs did, and that is something indeed. I also stopped using the TIs for the same reason you did. When I started using them in 1997, they were around $17 per set. The last set I bought in 2011 was almost $39. I thought I'd give the FW74's a try and ended up liking them even better.

[mandobassman]

I think you've all sold me on some FW 74s for my acoustic mando, but what about my Mandocaster electric? I'm thinking that would be an especially good instrument for flat wound strings, but the bronze FW 74 would not be a good choice.

I was reading through this thread and realized that no ever responded to this statement. The FW74's are not bronze. That is one of the things that makes them last so long. They are stainless steel and do not corrode like bronze does. As far as I know all flatwound strings are either stainless steel or silver tinned. I've never seen a set of flatwound strings made with bronze windings. The D'Addario FW74 set was basically created from the Chromes electric guitar strings so they should work fine with the Mandocaster.

[Paul Busman]

I was reading through this thread and realized that no ever responded to this statement. The FW74's are not bronze. That is one of the things that makes them last so long. They are stainless steel and do not corrode like bronze does. As far as I know all flatwound strings are either stainless steel or silver tinned. I've never seen a set of flatwound strings made with bronze windings. The D'Addario FW74 set was basically created from the Chromes electric guitar strings so they should work fine with the Mandocaster.

Thanks! Ironically, I just put a set of FW74s on my acoustic mandolin and noticed that they indeed are stainless. On a recommendation from someone on the electric mando sub-forum, I ordered a string by string set made up of Chromes which look an awful lot like the FW74s.
I put the FW74s on my Fullerton Gloucester, and so far the jury is still out. People have noted that they don't have the initial. brassiness of bronze strings which is true. In fact, I find that these sound sort of dull, not "mellow" as some have described them. They sure are nice on the fingers though, and sliding up or down the neck is nice and quiet.

[mandroid]

in between .. half round wind wire, ground flat faced ..

[Tavy]

I was reading through this thread and realized that no ever responded to this statement. The FW74's are not bronze. That is one of the things that makes them last so long. They are stainless steel and do not corrode like bronze does. As far as I know all flatwound strings are either stainless steel or silver tinned. I've never seen a set of flatwound strings made with bronze windings. The D'Addario FW74 set was basically created from the Chromes electric guitar strings so they should work fine with the Mandocaster.

Indeed they should: FW74's are exactly the same technology as the Chrome electric guitar strings, indeed if you want custom gauges, just order chrome singles and knock the ball out the loop...

[yankees1]

Just checking to see if it's my imagination or what ? I just installed the FW74's on my A5 and I am having trouble making the tremolo sound as good as compared with round wound ! Anyone else find a difference using tremolo ? Chops don't sound as good to me either !