Flat wound electric strings?

[Paul Busman]

I think I'd like to try some flat wound strings on my Eastwood Mandocaster, but there seem to be virtually no reasonably priced choices. I take it that I need steel or nickel wound strings, not bronze for the magnetic pickups, right? Just about all I can find is Thomastik, which is 'way too rich for my taste. Am I missing other good choices in a medium gauge electric flat wound string?

[jefflester]

Still more than regular strings, but less than T-I:

http://emando.com/shop/strings8_flatwound.htm

[Rob Norton]

One option is to use flatwound electric guitar strings. Websites like juststrings.com sell them individually. The flatwounds for your bass courses go for $2 or so up; the plain steel ones the trebles are even less. That way, you can also get exactly the gauges you want.

[Emandojangle]

I have had great success with D'Addario Chromes flatwound strings on my electric mandolins. I buy them as single guitar strings in the correct sizes for my mandolins. Just Strings and other suppliers sell them at very reasonable prices. I use them on most of my Mann mandolins, my Mann octave and baritone mandolins and on my Mandobirds. They have a nice, stiff core which gives a solid feel I really like. This is especially true on the octaves and baritones. Their sound is nice and warm and they last quite a long time. The only instruments I do not generally use them on are my Godins and Rickenbackers, where I want a bright, jangly sound. But I like my Mann instruments the best of all and always grab the ones with the Chromes first. They really play well.

[Paul Busman]

Do you have any recommendations for string gauges if I go for the do it yourself sets? I'm thinking a light gauge would be nice since I'll be amplifying the mando don't need a huge amount of volume for our band (Irish) gigs.

[Rob Norton]

I started using the gauges in the standard Martin light-gauge bronze set -- .010 .014 .024 .034.

Some sets use heavier strings on the "G" --- like .036. or even .038

Depending on the mando, I sometimes use a .09 and .013 for the the trebles for more of an electric guitar feel -- easier to bend, use vibrato etc.

and .011 will give you a stiffer feel, but more beef.

What's nice about the single-string route is you can replicate an existing sets, or experiment all you want.

[mandroid]

Bronze is magnetically invisible , then the pickup is needing to be a soundboard /bridge type
so the physical vibration of the bridge is the signal source.

for a magnetic pickup the string alloy winding has to be able to be sensed
vibrating in the magnetic field over the pickup.

with Bronze wound , it's only the steel core wire .. so a nickel alloy, with some iron in it is better..


OP .. check out a set of D'Addario FW74's..

[maplebeans]

OP .. check out a set of D'Addario FW74's..

How do you use loop end strings on an electric?

[Rob Norton]

Bronze is magnetically invisible , then the pickup is needing to be a soundboard /bridge type
so the physical vibration of the bridge is the signal source.

for a magnetic pickup the string alloy winding has to be able to be sensed
vibrating in the magnetic field over the pickup.

with Bronze wound , it's only the steel core wire .. so a nickel alloy, with some iron in it is better..


OP .. check out a set of D'Addario FW74's..

Just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting using bronze strings. (In my earlier post I specified flatwound electric guitar strings -- which are typically nickel- or stainless-steel .) I was replying to the the OP's query about string gauges, and saying that I had started by replicating the gauges of the Martin light bronze set, which is a pretty typical set that's been around for a long time.

[Paul Busman]

I ordered a string by string set of Chromes last night from Just Strings and am looking forward to trying them on my mandocaster. I also ordered a set of FW-74's for my Fullerton Gloucester, so I'll be all flat wound.
A tangential question-- is there any difference in plain steel strings? Do they vary at all or much from company to company?

[Tom Wright]

I have found no real difference between plain steel strings, other than the offering of soldered twist if you're nervous about unwinding ball ends. I think you can find plated steel, like silvered, but I just use ordinary Ernie Ball or D'Addario.

For your wound strings you should also try the milled half-round XL D'Addarios or GHS Brite Flats. The D'Addarios are a little softer-toned as I recall from using them on guitar. Both retain some single-wound tone but are less twangy than normal round wound nickel.

I only find the GHS Brite Flats listed as singles from Just Strings, but maybe elsewhere you could find the D'Addarios, which felt closer to flat wound in my experience, while still having more sparkle than true multi-layer flats. I preferred the GHS for guitar, since I wanted the brighter tone.

[Paul Busman]

*%^&*()$%*&&*$!!!
My Just Strings order just arrived, and apparently I forgot to change the 1 to a 2 when I ordered the high E string for my Mandocaster.
I'm glad I asked here about whether or not there are any differences between brands of steel strings-- I can pick up a single in my local shop.

[buchrob]

Some other discussion in thread below. The plain strings are all plain. The Brite Flats are a great choice. Four of these will run you about $10. + shipping in your typical gauges.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...in-string-sets

[mandroid]

Half round start out as round wound, then are ... ground flat it's the door between the 2 other choices ..