Siminoff's Straight Up Strings

[SGraham]

I've been playing a set now for a couple of weeks on my '99 Flatiron Festival. I've been using J75s for years. These Straight Up strings have wonderful clarity and sustain. I'll be ordering more.

[lloving]

I have had them on my Weber Yellowstone HT for a while. They are now my string of choice.
I have just installed a set of heavy gauge Straight Ups on my Weber Bighorne. I'll post my impressions after they settle in.

[Stephen Cagle]

You all have made we want to order some of these strings. Guess I'll order some and see what all the magic is about. Let me rephrase that, hear what all the magic is about.

[terzinator]

Just heard that Elderly will be carrying them.

http://elderly.com/search/elderly?te...P+EVEN&x=0&y=0

[TonyP]

I finally got to install a set of SU heavies on my old war horse Newson f5 and I'm impressed. Impressed enough that I won't be putting it up for sale like I'd been planing. I'd been trying unsuccessfuly for years now to find the right combo of strings and pick to find that sweet spot for the mandolin that was my one and only for over 25yrs, but had somehow slipped out of favor.

I guess it's human nature to want this radical silver bullet that will transform when in this case it was really about just changing the overall balance. I had tried after years of only using J74's, then EXP74's, then EXP75's, then Bush Monels, back to 75's and finally Tomastik Stark. Seemed like the further I went the worse it got and was the worst with the Starks. I'm pretty sure old barbed wire would sound the same on this particular instrument. And every change I immediately knew I'd missed the mark but decided to hang in there to see if it was just new strings syndrome. But there would always be that niggler of "oh the A course is too light and buzzy" or one course sounded different as I brushed across all the strings or something. Not so with these. My old friend is back. I even tried something that I usually don't do and that's taking fresh strings to practice. Never had to tune after the initial tuneup. The old volume and warm mid's were back. And the thing this mandolin always used to do for me, sit in it's own sonic space with a band is back.

It's hard to get all gushy about even and balanced but it reminds me of when a headache is gone. I only know I feel better. And for the first time in a long time I don't feel like I've tossed my hard earned $$ into another experiment that's just going to the landfill.

[terzinator]

Awesome news, Tony. I'm still really liking them on my MT, as well.

I think I agree with you on the Thomastik Starks. That was an expensive failure, for sure!

[Sevelos]

Just my 2 cents: when comparing how the mandolin sounds with different strings, setups, etc., it's important to compare actual recordings.
Some time ago I got a new mandolin and for several weeks I went back and forth raising and lowering the saddle, sometimes tearing strings (E) in the process, choosing between "cleaner sound and longer sustain" vs. "low action", and really couldn't decide.
So finally, after breaking another string, I took the bridge all the way down and recorded how each string sounded when free, when played on the 5'th fret and on the 12'th fret. Then I raised the saddle way up and did the same recordings.
I listened carefully, comparing each note, and... they sounded practically identical in both bridge heights. Finally the experiments ended! I took the saddle all the way down (and went to sleep).

BTW, couldn't hold myself and had to interject - Thomastiks are great flatwound strings which I use on all my mandolins. While people may prefer other brands, I wouldn't call Thomastiks "barbed wire"

[TonyP]

For what its worth and while I totally respect your viewpoint Sevelos I don't trust any electronic signal chain to reproduce what my ears hear directly. Room, mic, mic placement, pre amp, recorder, monitors...just too many variables. I'm much lower tech when it comes to that. I use a wall to reflect back to me the direct sound that I can't hear from my playing position.

I've learned it's the kiss 'o death with me when I get unsatisfied with something and I hunt the cure. And in the case of the Tomastiks it was a expensive experiment/fail. I guess I should have been more PC and just said they didn't work for my particular application. I let my disappointment get away from me, my bad.

[Amandalyn]

Just heard that Santa Cruz is making these types of strings for guitar with the same technology and influence from Siminoff. I've been very pleased with the Straight Ups on my mandolin, and would like to try the SC Guitar strings, but they're not cheap! $18. Set.

[siminoff]

Well, for you guitar players, all I can say is: "stay tuned!"

Roger

[GTison]

Michael Lewis: "new Straight Up strings which I have now tried. I didn't measure anything, just put them on a few mandolins and can honestly say they are nice strings and produce an even volume and tone..." ...' won't knock your socks off..'

This is a good quote.
I've been using Gibson Monroes and J75s on my '02 Gibson Fern model. I put my new Straight up strings on a few days ago. They do have an even sound, I'm not used to that really. I am used to my D string really singing out. Not so on these strings. They do feel easier on the fingers. I was thinking that they might help the E string a bit. But it is kinda like asking the sound man to 'turn me up', everyone ask for it until he turns the whole thing down and balances it out. These strings are like the soundman, turned down and balanced out. Good for some applications. Maybe I'll like them better after another week.

I'm going to leave them on for a gig next week but after that. I expect to take them off and go back to what I had before.

[sgarrity]

I've got mediums and heavies here ready to try. Plan on putting the heavies on today. Will report back.

[lloving]

After a long stint with these strings installed on my Weber Yellowstone I am very impressed. They outlast most strings and retain their tone. Mine have begun to look a little crusty but they sound great. Replacing with more of the same.

[billy_v]

I like them a lot. I like the tone of phosphor bronze, and I've been playing those coated D'Addarios. I've always been wary of, and have had no luck with, "the next big thing in strings," except for Elixir acoustic guitar strings, love 'em. But this is Siminoff! Lucky for me, a used mandolin I bought had them installed, and it was love at first bark. They seem much smoother to play than the D'As, too. I'm sold.

[billy_v]

Hmm. Just put a set on a friend's MD305, and it doesn't seem to like them so well. Seems to have had a better tone and response with the nameless 80/20s that'd been on it. May well just be a wrap alloy thing, tho. They'll probably sound better in a day or two. They're still fabulous on my F5.

[George R. Lane]

I just order a set of the mediums for my Weber Yellowstone. I emailed Roger to see if he thought the Weber traditional bridge would work with them. There is a brass bar solder to the posts and it fits into a groove in the bridge. He said it would make no difference. I will report back with my impressions in a week or two, once they settle in.

[Mandoplumb]

I put a set on my Flatiron about 4 months ago still love them. I alternate between this and a Dearstone so 4months is about adveridge for me, and they are about to need changing, so no real change with longevity. The Dearstone likes steel strings so I matched string size as much as possible, ordering single strings and they sounded good on it.
I had discussed, at some length, the logic of Siminoff's concerning the balance and referring to a fiddle bridge having no string going directly to the base, still don't see the connection but the strings sound more balanced on both my mandolins now. What really surprised me was that pesty A string. I had been putting on a heavier A that helped some but still wasn't right, with this set the A sounds better than it ever has and it is not heavier. If, as someone posted, you don't want balance, and I understand different things for different people, then this string is not for you. But if you are trying for a more balanced sound try Straight-Ups, I did and I'm glad. NFI

[GTison]

As to my above post, I may be WRONG. I am probably comparing apples to oranges. I usually use Gibson Monroes which may be closer to the Straight Up Heavys. I have Medium Straightupstrings. It is understandable that these would not be as loud or comparable in many ways. I think I must have been scared of the 17s on the A string or something. I'll have to give them a second chance some time.

I wonder what the DOWN PRESSURE is on DAddario J75 strings or Monroes are? Daddario does list tension and it is a bit more (if I'm reading correctly.) Seems Siminoff has done his research on these.

[George R. Lane]

I put the set of mediums on my Yellowstone last night and my first impression are the D string is quieter than the D string from my normal GHS A270's. Volume s not a priority with me as I play at home by myself. I will say they are very even tone wise across all the strings and the sustain is nice. I usually use a BC TAD 50 1R pick and I found the tone to sound slightly muted. I also tried a Primetone 1.4 large triangle and that did give is a little brighter sound. I also like the feel of my finger on these the wraps seem to be much smother than the GHS's. I will keep them on for 2 to 3 weeks and see if they change for the better or worse. I can always go back to the GHS's.

[sgarrity]

I've had the heavies on for 4 days now and I like them. Like someone else mentioned, they're not earth shattering...just really good quality, playable, balanced strings. The 17s on the A course kind of scared me but they're actually very playable. The only thing that is very difficult is bending the strings. Once these wear out I'll try a set of J-75's and see how they compare.

[George R. Lane]

Shaun,
Did you notice a difference between the mediums and heavies on volume? How did the D strings sound?

[bbaker2050]

OK, I have been playing mandolin for a long time and I always thought that the D strings and the A strings sound fine. I have never noticed them lacking compared to the G and E strings. In fact I remember years ago at a bluegrass club night there was this old guy with a Nuggett and he saw my new mandolin. He told me to pick the D strings for him. He said the way to tell how a good mandolin sounds is by picking the D strings. And I think he is right. On all the mandolins I have owned the D strings always sound the best to me. They just pop out. So to me that kind of takes away from Mr Siminoff's idea. I don't think I will pay $17.00 just to hear how they sound. But good luck to Mr Siminoff.

I too have always thought the D string sounded best on my mandolins.

[George R. Lane]

I have had the SUS on for about 2 weeks and they have their own sound, of which I neither hate or love. My only complaint is that they sound sort of blah, no life or soul to them. I have used GHS 270's and they were loud and had a driving presence. I will put a set of 270's back on. I will say they give each string equal clarity and no string overpowers another.

[Drew Egerton]

I have had the SUS on for about 2 weeks and they have their own sound, of which I neither hate or love. My only complaint is that they sound sort of blah, no life or soul to them. I have used GHS 270's and they were loud and had a driving presence. I will put a set of 270's back on. I will say they give each string equal clarity and no string overpowers another.

That's interesting George, because I put a set of 270s on my Flatbush and felt the same way about them that you do about the SUS, just blah. I've been using various D'addarios for years and will probably go back for a while. May have to try some of these SUS though, but not sure about the price based on the comments here.

[George R. Lane]

Drew,
That is the one strange thing about mandolins, how one set of strings works on one mandolin will sound terrible on another. I guess we will continue on our string and pick journeys.