Straight Up Strings: Balanced Mandolin Strings Announced

[NewsFetcher]

The Mandolin Cafe has posted the following news release:
Straight Up Strings: Balanced Mandolin Strings Announced

Siminoff Banjo and Mandolin announce the official launch of their Straight Up Strings, balanced mandolin strings explained in a white paper published earlier on the Mandolin Cafe.



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[lflngpicker]

What an interesting and needed concept. I watched the video with interest and it seems like an idea worth trying. I hadn't know of this difference in access for the middle string pairs to the vibration through the bridge posts. Sure makes sense. Thanks for the posting!

[John Flynn]

It is certainly an interesting approach and Mr. S is truly an expert. My questions would be:

Would this idea not also be true with a two-footed solid bridge, since the G and E courses are closer to the feet?

According to this idea, the most prominent strings on a mandolin should be the G and E courses. I don't find that to be true. For every mandolin I've had, and most I've played, the mids (D and E courses) have been strong relative to the treble and/or bass. Some also have decent bass, and some also have decent treble, but it is rare that they have BOTH a G course and an E course that can stand up to the mids. Usually one is weak and sometimes both are. It just seems to me that the theory here does not stand up to my, admittedly unscientific, observation. If I'm missing something, I'm happy to be enlightened.

[Sasquatch]

I for one am super excited about this product. Pre-ordered 3 sets from Simonoff and I'll be stringing up my 5's on return form vacation, Good Lord willing! I have for some time now been mixing 2 sets of strings on my main axe with great results. BUT, I have string waste this way which drives me bonkers. This new set is very close to the variety I am making now & the price is similar. Super stoked to try them. Thank you to Roger Siminoff for the great data and the new product.

[Jeff Hildreth]

I am awaiting someone else's evaluation and observation rather than the source advert.
I am forwarding the "white page" info to an engineer friend, see what he thinks.

I take it this new "invention" would be a change in string gauge ?

[testore]

I've never made a mandolin that I thought the G and E strings didn't have the same quality of sound as the A and D pairs. And I've never heard anyone say that this was a universally accepted flaw. I will be interested in trying a set or two.

[Shelagh Moore]

Seems like a simple gauge tweak to me.

[siminoff]

John F: You are right in your finding - that the "...mids (A and D courses) have been strong relative to the treble and/or bass." I agree and I don't suggest otherwise. And this is exactly the reason that we have increased the load on the E and G strings. Your "admittedly unscientific" analysis is absolutely correct!

Jeff H and Richard M.: Simple change in string gauge? Yes, a change in gauges, but the real change is in the core-to-wrap wire relationships (size wise). Some folks may read our specifications and consider the reported gauges *only*. What is important is the size of the core wire and the size of the wrap wire since there are many ways to make up any specific gauge.

Testore: This is a great point. The key here is that the tone we hear from our instruments is something we become very accustomed to. String imbalance could be considered an instrument's idiosyncrasy, but not necessarily optimum. Consider the banjo bridge, which is probably one of the worst designed bridge systems in use today. You have three strings over feet and two strings over arches, and the string-to-string balance is not great, but it is very much what banjo players are used to. Gibson's 1921 patented two-post adjustable bridge was a great departure from the one-piece - as well as from the interim one-piece with movable saddles - bridge. The two-post adjustable bridge does what it is intended to, and the two separate feet do, as Loar described "… allow greater freedom for this sort of [rocking] motion." But the location of two pairs of strings near the posts and two pairs of strings in the middle of the saddle leave a bit to be desired. It may sound "normal" but can be improved.

[Jeff Hildreth]

Gauge equals tension. Granted there are ways to make a string.. gauge being secondary to tension.. then there is flexibility.

I believe we are all saying the same thing..
change all the gauges,tension, flexibility etc to balance between outside and inside.
However, I am still focusing on the two point theory and the existence of the "condition" to be "needs" to be corrected.

Curious to hear users reports. Based on that , I'll try them. Tried about everything else over the years.

Are there any before and after videos/audio?

[testore]

I've just tried a couple mandolins with the new strings. Yeah, I like them enough! Very nice top end, the G feels like it may be a tad soft under the ear BUT not from the listeners perspective. The bottom is just fine. Certainly a quality product.

[scapier]

These are excellent strings! I got them a week or so ago, and put them on my Heiden F5 a couple days ago. I was a little skeptical just because I always find myself returning to D'addario sets (the Thile two sets combo thingy). I am really impressed with the Straight Up Strings. If anyone has a table comparing downward pressure of exp 75's and 74's with this set I'd be interested. The A string is the best I've played. I've always missed the wound 'A' of the FT74's and Thomastik sets. No longer, this A is very firm and easy to play. Ditto on the D string. Tonally the strings are very crisp clear and warm. My only wish would be that they came coated like the EXP's so I wouldn't have to replace them as often. Okay the other wish is that Mr. S produces a Mandola set soon! Really great set of strings.

[Cheryl Watson]

A few days ago, I strung my Williamson F5 with some Simonoff Straight Up medium gauge strings. I decided to give these strings a try out after a friend of mine reported that they sounded great, were easy on the fingers, and had lasted for a month of hard play and were still going strong.

My Williamson is a very good sounding mandolin to begin with, having a clear, refined tone with a good depth and volume. The one small fault is has might be that it could be more even-toned. It seems to have a very wide range of frequency range from the "lows" to the highs, and perhaps a bit scooped midrange.

The Straight Up strings did change the response, and for the better. The lower end has been somewhat reduced, the midrange seems more complex and less scooped, and the highs are a bit less shrill. Overall, tone is more even. It still sounds like the same mandolin, but with a more even tone.

These strings also feel great under my fingers; very silky and yet they still feel very solid. They are easier to play than the EXP77s that I usually use, but feel more substantial than J73s (which I used on this mandolin before the EXP77s). These strings also have very good volume and very good sustain. I'll have to see how long these strings last, but so far, so good. I'm very pleased!

[yankees1]

Any other opinions from those who have tried these strings ?