favorite strings for mandola?

[Jim Bevan]

I use the EJ76s on my '21 H2, and I really enjoy the tone. They're pretty tight, but with a quite-low action they're still very playable.

[Paul Statman]

I use (E)J76 replacing the .015 with .016 for a more 'solid' A string sound on my 'dola, a 16" scale Eastman MDA615.

[DougC]

Well, the EJ76 strings came off. It killed me to destroy new strings, but I did it in the name of research!
The new Mangan strings are just as loud, feel much better under my fingers and clear as a bell. The C string is responsive not like the GHS. This may be due to the slightly thicker string. In any case the problem is solved.

The Mangan's seem to be a little stiffer under the fingers compared to the GHS. They don't sound metallic like the EJ76 strings and they may not be as warm sounding as the GHS or flat wound strings, (that I still have not found). Mangan's are darned nice strings. I'm gonna put them on the mandolin too.

[Kieran]

I just put some D'Addario EJ76 medium strings on my Collings Mandola. They feel like really stiff guitar strings. Collings must put light gauge strings on the new ones because I can't believe that anyone would like the mediums. They are much louder but it is not necessary. They come off as soon as my Curt Mangan strings arrive.

I love the GHS PF280 Light strings but the C is not as responsive / lively as I'd like. Maybe a .49 would work?

The GHS PF280 Light gauge: 12-24-34-48

Mangan strings are: 12-24w-34-48

EJ76 medium gauge: 15-25-35-52 yikes!

Well, to be fair I should compare these to D'Addario's EJ72 Light gauge strings: 14-23-34-49

Didn't Mandobar like a .14 on the A string?

Also I'm still trying to find a source for Dogal or Thomastic flat wound strings in America. Ones that fit my 15.9" scale length Collings Mandola.

Bernunzio have Dogal strings listed http://bernunzio.com/category/strings/mandolin/ but I don't see the exact ones I linked to.Might be worth contacting them.
Maybe the export team at Thomastik can help you track down some flatwounds http://www.thomastik-infeld.com/team

[Nick Gellie]

I found that the strings Collings provides are a bit too heavy and cut off a lot of the sound. The Mangans have a lot more "spring" in them and you get a bit more volume. The gauges end up being 48, 34, 24, 14. The 12 is a bit too light and sometimes will create a harmonic as the bridges are set up for 15's.

Well what about the GHS PF280 strings as a viable cost-effective alternative to Mangan strings? The Mangan strings are twice the price of the GHS PF280 strings but they are the same gauge as the GHS PF280. I like the idea of using a lighter set of strings to open up the sound of the mandola.

[tmsweeney]

The weber mandola I bought came with GHS, but I recently put on John Pearse mandola set and like them better than the GHS, the D and G have wonderful warm tone.

[Nick Gellie]

What scale length is your Weber mandola?

[tmsweeney]

Nic - 17" its a Gallatin A.

[DougC]

Well what about the GHS PF280 strings as a viable cost-effective alternative to Mangan strings? The Mangan strings are twice the price of the GHS PF280 strings but they are the same gauge as the GHS PF280. I like the idea of using a lighter set of strings to open up the sound of the mandola.

Yes. I'd go for the GHS PF280 strings as and alternative to Mangan strings. In fact on my Collings mandola 15.9" scale length they are not 'slack' and sloppy. I think the scale length becomes a factor with mandola stings. Getting the right stiffness and response is challenging. I'm not real happy with the C string in GHS, but they are my 'go to' strings of choice on my mandolins.

My instrument has a custom Brekke bridge so the A string is for GHS . The .12 is fine and I'd have to go back to the Collings bridge to see if .14 feels different.

[DougC]

How long do your Curt Mangan strings last? This set is a month old and already there are intonation problems. The bridge and pegs seem to be fine. I'll have to change some strings and / or bring it into the shop. Do these strings sometimes have a bad batch? Right now my only other string set is Mangan.

This stuff can drive me nuts. (Yea, I know. I started out kind of nuts...).

[Drew Egerton]

Just wanted to jump in and say thanks for all the input on this thread. I just purchased my first mandola yesterday (Eastman MDA815) so I was looking for some help with strings. Based on all the comments I think I'll try EJ72s or Mangans when needed.
Now to figure out what to do for a strap. Everything in the music store was either a big thick way too long guitar strap, or a too small mandolin strap.

[tmsweeney]

I just got

Gretsch G Brand Mandolin Strap (New, Brown)
Item number - GRE 9220080101 1 @ 19.95 = 19.95

from zzsounds, works pretty good

[Lord of the Badgers]

Can you lot stop talking about 'dolas as it's tweaking my MAS considerably... !!!

[Lord of the Badgers]

... but ... I'm gathering people love Collings & Girourard, but sadly there's only really the choice of Weber in the UK via Trevor's store if we're talking F types (which I would be, if I was interested in a low price F hole 'dola 17" scale, which of course I haven't thought of and therefore am not. Oh no. Not me. I'm just happy with the herd as it is. Probably)

[mandroid]

H scale .4m long.. The scale length matters..

for light gage Ive used Irish Zouk strings for heavier D'addario mandola is fine..

[DougC]

I'm going back to the GHS strings for my Collings MT mandola. The D'Addario strings only last a couple of months. And the Curt Mangan strings for my mandolin seemed a bit stiff and went out of tune early. So I'm not sure I want to put their mandola strings on my mandola.
The hunt goes on...

[Ancient]

I use John Pearse 2250 on my Weber mandola. That is what Bruce Weber recomended and I like them.

[CHASAX]

I use John Pearse 2250 on my Weber mandola. That is what Bruce Weber recommended and I like them.

What sort of music do you play?
Just got a Weber CGDA mandola myself.

[DougC]

O.K. I'm back to the Mandola string issue because I just changed strings on my Collings mandola.
Scale length 15.9"

I had some GHS PF285 strings for octave mandolin so I thought 'why not?' And now I know 'why not', ha, ha. The C strings are pretty thin and don't fit the nut very well and the A strings are a bit too thin. CGDA = 44-32-22-12 (they were made for an octave mandolin GDAE and were about 10" too long.) Also got a very 'jangly' metalic sound. All in the name of research I guess.

My Favorite strings are: Thomastik Prazision 174 W - (European Octave Mandolin) strings. They fit the Collings Mandola length and they have have a great sound and feel under the fingers. Expensive and worth every penny. BUT... I wonder how mediums would work. And $$$. So...

Does D'Addario make a flatwound set like EFW74 for Mandola?

[tmsweeney]

I like the John Pearse 012-021-032-049

On a Weber Gallatin, nice balance of low and high and not to hard on the fingers.

[Gary Leonard]

O.K. I'm back to the Mandola string issue because I just changed strings on my Collings mandola.
Scale length 15.9"
...

Does D'Addario make a flatwound set like EFW74 for Mandola?

The EFW74 are simply a set assembled from their chrome steel flatwounds, you can buy gauges that fit your needs. Here is an article from jazzmando about what they did to assemble custom sets. Be aware you will need to cut the ball ends off. I assembled 5 sets for my OM, and that was not as expensive as a set of thomastik fw strings. I currently have a custom fw set from emando.com on my OM, which I like a lot.


http://jazzmando.com/tips/archives/001442.shtml

[mnmcouillard@yahoo.com]

May I ask a slightly different question? I see TI 164 and TI 174 suggested for mandolas. I have a set of TI 170s labeled Mandola, and indicating tuning of EADG. I thought I saw somewhere that this set is for the European crowd. My simple question that may elude a yes or no answer: I have an Eastman MDA 315 Mandola and I want to know if I can use the 170s and tune this instrument to EADG. I don't want to break it! Thanks for any expertise and answers!

[mnmcouillard@yahoo.com]

Clarification to my question. I actually have a set of TI 174 suggested for mandolas and indicating tuning of EADG. I have an Eastman MDA 315 Mandola and I want to know if I can use the 174s and tune this instrument to EADG? I think the answer is yes, according to the discussion above reference the Collings Mandola. Just want to make sure. I don't want to break it! Thanks for any expertise and answers!

[JamesPV]

I have the same Eastman mandola and have used medium TI's (174M), which work fine for CGDA tuning.
I'm certain they would be too slack for GDAE (one octave below mandolin tuning) with the 16" scale.
They did not last as long as TI's I've used on my mandolin, but they felt and sounded good.
Jim

[mnmcouillard@yahoo.com]

thanks so much Jim--these are 174M so I will do as you said and tune to CGDA tuning when I use these strings; it was just a bit confusing as the individual string packages are labeled e1 a2 d3 G4

thanks again!