Collings, Fiddler's Green, and a Dream Realized.

[JeffD]

Its really great to get the dream instrument. There is this sigh of relief as you can now get on to enjoying it for the rest of your life.

Sounds like you got the dream girl 20 years ago.

Great story. Have a happy 2015.

[Caleb]

Its really great to get the dream instrument. There is this sigh of relief as you can now get on to enjoying it for the rest of your life.

This is exactly right. It is a huge relief, but on the other hand it is strange for this pursuit to have ended. It's odd to think that all I have to do now is enjoy it. Since getting the Collings, I've made it a priority to play each day. I mostly just play a little on the weekends, but I've been getting up early to play this week. This alone will obviously help my skills along immensely.

Now the search is on for the perfect string/pick combo. Anyone ever tried Thomastiks on an MT? For some reason I'm intruiged by them. It has J-74s on it now, which do sound good, but they've always been sort of a bland string to my ear. Good but not great.

[MikeyG]

Anyone ever tried Thomastiks on an MT? For some reason I'm intruiged by them. It has J-74s on it now, which do sound good, but they've always been sort of a bland string to my ear. Good but not great.

Yes, I had Thomastiks (starks) on an MT for several years. Give them a try if you want truly want to know what BLAND is!!! The sound they gave didn't thrill me at all & I didn't play the MT for a LONG time. But as soon as I slapped on some J74's, I bonded with it quickly. It was as if the mandolin came to life.

Caleb, there's a VERY GOOD reason that Collings installs J74's on EVERY mandolin that leaves their shop.

MikeyG

[Caleb]

MikeyG, thanks for the tip. Noted. It does sound great with the J74s right now. Maybe I should leave well enough alone.

[pheffernan]

Now the search is on for the perfect string/pick combo. Anyone ever tried Thomastiks on an MT? For some reason I'm intruiged by them. It has J-74s on it now, which do sound good, but they've always been sort of a bland string to my ear. Good but not great.

If you like the J74s but want to experiment, you might consider D'Addario's flatwound offering (FW74) or flattops (FT74).

[ccravens]

If you like the J74s but want to experiment, you might consider D'Addario's flatwound offering (FW74) or flattops (FT74).

I concur with the above advice. Flattops and Flatwounds will give you a different sound.

When you say the J74's sound sort of "bland," are you saying that you want more warmth, woodiness or low end? If so, that will dictate your string choice more towards the flatwounds , flattops or the Tomastic. Or maybe even nickel or monel. IMO.

If you are longing to hear more "zing" (usually associated with Phospher Bronze), or brightness, or bluegrass "cut," then you would go down a different road in choosing strings. The above characterizations are subjective, obviously.

Many people love their Bluechip picks; I tried many picks and settled on those.

But above all, don't be afraid to experiment! How do you know how well your instrument can sound if you haven't tried a variety of strings and picks? IMO, you can't. We all like different shades and tones of sound, and we all hear at different frequencies. What the Collings factory likes may not be what you end up preferring.

Get out there and experiment! It doesn't cost too much, and if you look hard enough you should be able to find one or two threads around here devoted to strings and picks. Maybe.

[Caleb]

Thanks, guys. I've never used D'Addario's flat wounds or flat tops (what's the difference?). As I've said here already, the mandolin sounds beautiful now as it is with the J74s. But if I were to look for the perfect string for this mandolin, it would be one to accentuate the sound of the wood itself and allow the range of natural tones to become fuller and more colorful. With some strings it seems like you just end up hearing the strings and not the wood they are supposed to be amplifying. Make sense?

I dislike the harsh, brassy Bluegrass sound, and I dislike the clangy and piercing treble sounds, though this mandolin isn't capable of making those tinny treble sounds anyway: it's too well built for that.

To me, a mandolin sounds best when it sounds a bit like a violin. Rich, warm tones rather than harsh, clangy ones. This MT reminds me a lot of a good violin.

[Russ Donahue]

Hi Caleb.
I have an MT with J74s on it, and use either a blue chip or a golden gate pick. The Blue Chip gets me greater volume and speed, but I also hear more pick noise. I find I enjoy it best at a jam where it helps me be heard amongst the other instruments. When I'm playing by myself I like the golden gate. It provides a mellower sound - more rounded, with less pick noise. I have used regular J74s and the coated J74s. Find I don't like the voice of the coated strings, though they certainly have stayed alive longer.

That's my story and I'm pickin' to it!

[ccravens]

Thanks, guys. I've never used D'Addario's flat wounds or flat tops (what's the difference?). As I've said here already, the mandolin sounds beautiful now as it is with the J74s. But if I were to look for the perfect string for this mandolin, it would be one to accentuate the sound of the wood itself and allow the range of natural tones to become fuller and more colorful. With some strings it seems like you just end up hearing the strings and not the wood they are supposed to be amplifying. Make sense? I dislike the harsh, brassy Bluegrass sound, and I dislike the clangy and piercing treble sounds, though this mandolin isn't capable of making those tinny treble sounds anyway: it's too well built for that.

To me, a mandolin sounds best when it sounds a bit like a violin. Rich, warm tones rather than harsh, clangy ones. This MT reminds me a lot of a good violin.

Makes perfect sense to me, and that's kinda what I suspected. I went through the same process with my guitar, and I finally found some strings (John Pearse Nickle) that were warmer, woodier, where you heard the guitar more and not just the strings. Exactly how I would have described it, just as you did.

With that in mind, I would try the D'Addario Flattops (they are round wound and generally less bright), the D'Addario Flatwound, and maybe even the Thomastiks. Also the Martin Monels, as some people describe as much warmer and woodier sounding than traditional Phospher Bronze.

I'm journeying down the same string road with my new mando, so let me know how yours turns out.

[9lbShellhamer]

Congrats! Everything about this story is awesome. Thanks for sharing!

I just acquired my first Collings last week as well...I LOVE IT.

[Caleb]

Some better pics...

[Caleb]

Makes perfect sense to me, and that's kinda what I suspected. I went through the same process with my guitar, and I finally found some strings (John Pearse Nickle) that were warmer, woodier, where you heard the guitar more and not just the strings. Exactly how I would have described it, just as you did.

With that in mind, I would try the D'Addario Flattops (they are round wound and generally less bright), the D'Addario Flatwound, and maybe even the Thomastiks. Also the Martin Monels, as some people describe as much warmer and woodier sounding than traditional Phospher Bronze.

I'm journeying down the same string road with my new mando, so let me know how yours turns out.

Think I'll try some flattops when these J74s wear out.

[pheffernan]

Think I'll try some flattops when these J74s wear out.

I'd suggest the FW74's if your goal is to darken the tone.

[bayAreaDude]

This is exactly right. It is a huge relief, but on the other hand it is strange for this pursuit to have ended. It's odd to think that all I have to do now is enjoy it. Since getting the Collings, I've made it a priority to play each day. I mostly just play a little on the weekends, but I've been getting up early to play this week. This alone will obviously help my skills along immensely.

Now the search is on for the perfect string/pick combo. Anyone ever tried Thomastiks on an MT? For some reason I'm intruiged by them. It has J-74s on it now, which do sound good, but they've always been sort of a bland string to my ear. Good but not great.

My primary acoustic mandolin is an MT2 with Thomastik Heavies - I've played it with many strings and since having the heavies on wouldn't play it with anything else. It could be the adirondack top on the MT2 still has plenty of 'brightness', which might not be the case on an MT though. I also play with a Blue Chip, which I think adds some treble. For me, the MT2 with Thomastiks is perfect and 'woody' and dark is definitely how I'd describe it compared to J-74's.

[itstooloudMike]

Hey Caleb, congrats on that new Collings! As a current Eastman owner (MD815) who is contemplating that "step up" purchase, I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on how the new Collings directly compares to your playing experience with your Eastman. I'm trying to figure out exactly what gains I could expect if I spend the dollars. I am primarily a guitar player, and while I do like my Eastman, I believe I could play more cleanly and accurately with a radius fretboard and possibly larger frets. From what I've heard (haven't had an opportunity to actually play a Collings), one of the attractions to Collings is their playability. How much difference do you "feel" this far? Do you find the Collings easier to play? Do you feel that you can play better on the Collings? And what about the tone? My Eastman actually sounds pretty good, but not as much like a Gibson F-9 as I would like. Does the Collings have more low-end bark than your Eastman? I would be very interested to hear any of your early observations.

[Caleb]

Hey Caleb, congrats on that new Collings! As a current Eastman owner (MD815) who is contemplating that "step up" purchase, I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on how the new Collings directly compares to your playing experience with your Eastman. I'm trying to figure out exactly what gains I could expect if I spend the dollars. I am primarily a guitar player, and while I do like my Eastman, I believe I could play more cleanly and accurately with a radius fretboard and possibly larger frets. From what I've heard (haven't had an opportunity to actually play a Collings), one of the attractions to Collings is their playability. How much difference do you "feel" this far? Do you find the Collings easier to play? Do you feel that you can play better on the Collings? And what about the tone? My Eastman actually sounds pretty good, but not as much like a Gibson F-9 as I would like. Does the Collings have more low-end bark than your Eastman? I would be very interested to hear any of your early observations.

Mike, I'm still getting to know the Collings but will give you my impressions after a week or so. First off, my Eastman is a very good instrument. It probably still feels a bit more like home to me because I've played it for a long time and really learned how to play on it. But the Collings is a little easier to get around on: something about the V-neck and profile of the fretboard is very comfortable. The action is a little higher on the Collings too but rather than lower it im just working a little harder at making clean notes. I'm finding that my playing is becoming more focused. The action on the Eastman is super low.

As far as low end, yes, the Collings has lots more. The Eastman's always been just a bit thin in this area. But more than the low end, the Collings just has more of a complex tone. More colors. Way more sophistication. I'd say the average passerby wouldn't be able to tell any difference between the Eastman and Collings: they'd both be just "little guitars" that sound alike. But the player looking for good tone would know right away.

To me the Eastman is a good Chevy, but the Collings is a Porsche. I'll try to make some time in the coming weeks to A/B them on video.

Also, the Collings is new and still feels a little tight overall. But now and then I get glimpses of what it will be when it's older and I can hardly wait to see how it matures. If you decided to get a Collings I think you'd find yourself playing more, which will make you enjoy it more, and become a better player. Since getting mine I've MADE TIME to play each day and can see/hear myself getting better.

Hope this helps.

[mrtorian]

MT + Thomastic mediums are a great, mellow combo. Dunlop ultex .88 triangle pics have a nice edge that grabs these strings just enough. But the combo's a thing in and of itself. Definitely not current by bluegrass standards etc.

You lose some volume coming from the Diadarrios, but you gain fuller tone up the neck. That is to say, you're not just getting chop and plunk. Volume is not an issue with the MT as it projects a lot anyway, so you're probably safe. No sense of the string making a overtly stringy noise. 1.5 months with my set and no marked degradation in tone or intonation. In this time they've been pulled off by Collings for warranty work etc.

They are a great value when considering longevity vs. the high initial price, but this issue has been beat to death on this forum I am sure. The value is also in the quality in that you get what you pay for with Thomastic across the board (played them over the last 10 or so years on bass, then acoustic guitar, and now mandolin).

This is exactly right. It is a huge relief, but on the other hand it is strange for this pursuit to have ended. It's odd to think that all I have to do now is enjoy it. Since getting the Collings, I've made it a priority to play each day. I mostly just play a little on the weekends, but I've been getting up early to play this week. This alone will obviously help my skills along immensely.

Now the search is on for the perfect string/pick combo. Anyone ever tried Thomastiks on an MT? For some reason I'm intruiged by them. It has J-74s on it now, which do sound good, but they've always been sort of a bland string to my ear. Good but not great.

[John Norris]

The instrument for a lifetime. That is what we all said at one time, two times, three times. Well, you get the picture. My wife just rolls her eyes every time I get another one.

[mrtorian]

Your wife knows when you get a new instrument?

The instrument for a lifetime. That is what we all said at one time, two times, three times. Well, you get the picture. My wife just rolls her eyes every time I get another one.

[Caleb]

The instrument for a lifetime. That is what we all said at one time, two times, three times. Well, you get the picture. My wife just rolls her eyes every time I get another one.

So true! But really, I'm done. I found my dream guitar 12 yrs ago and knew I was done then too. Sometimes you just know.

[Caleb]

Hey Caleb, congrats on that new Collings! As a current Eastman owner (MD815) who is contemplating that "step up" purchase, I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on how the new Collings directly compares to your playing experience with your Eastman. I'm trying to figure out exactly what gains I could expect if I spend the dollars. I am primarily a guitar player, and while I do like my Eastman, I believe I could play more cleanly and accurately with a radius fretboard and possibly larger frets. From what I've heard (haven't had an opportunity to actually play a Collings), one of the attractions to Collings is their playability. How much difference do you "feel" this far? Do you find the Collings easier to play? Do you feel that you can play better on the Collings? And what about the tone? My Eastman actually sounds pretty good, but not as much like a Gibson F-9 as I would like. Does the Collings have more low-end bark than your Eastman? I would be very interested to hear any of your early observations.

http://youtu.be/byCtYK5LIlk

Quick A/B of the Eastman 505 and Collings MT. Eastman is strung with DR 11's that are getting a little age on them, Collings has new J74s that are a bit jangly still. Pick is a Primetone 1.3 Dunlop. I'm a hack at fiddle tunes but tried to find something to showcase the low end especially.

[ccravens]

In that video, the difference was obvious and awesome.


Now you have a campfire mandolin (the Eastman, I mean).

[Caleb]

In that video, the difference was obvious and awesome.


Now you have a campfire mandolin (the Eastman, I mean).

Pretty big difference for sure. In fairness though the Eastman was pretty "cold" and hadn't been touched in a couple weeks. It's odd but after about 20 minutes it wakes up and is ready to make music. Its always pretty neat when it happens: it's like a tone and volume boost all at once. But still it isn't in the same league as the MT. The Collings is just more complex and has better tone and feel overall.