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Thread: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

  1. #1
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    Default Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

    Hi: I'm trying (in UK) to find the right set of strings for a Cuatro de Puerto Rico strung as a 10 string octave mandolin. The cuatro is a 5 x 2 strung 20.5" scale length guitar style instrument usually tuned in 4ths. As a fiddle player, I want to tune it GDAEB low to high. That's like a GDAE 5ths tuned octave mandolin, but with an added high G4 string pair 3 semitones above the 2nd string. Any higher and strings break, tension gets very high. I think that's also in short scale bouzouki territory?

    I need someone who can sell me the right strings for this scale length and tuning, so they have to understand more than "It says octave mandola on the packet". Any suggestions in UK please?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?


  3. #3
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    Default Re: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

    Stringjoy might be a good bet, they don’t specifically make mandolin strings, However their customer service is absolutely amazing, give them a message on Facebook and they’ll be able to tell you exactly the gauges you need. They’ve helped me with tuning a guitar in fifths F C G D A E with the C G D A being the same register as cello with low F and high E. If anyone can help you I’d bet on them.

  4. #4
    Registered User seankeegan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

    As Ray said, Newtone.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

    You can get custom sets at Eagle Music near Huddersfield, they would probably be Newtones.

    Dave H
    Eastman 615 mandola
    2011 Weber Bitteroot A5
    2012 Weber Bitteroot F5
    Eastman MD 915V
    Gibson F9
    2016 Capek ' Bob ' standard scale tenor banjo
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    2001 Paul Shippey oval hole

  6. #6
    Mangler of Tunes OneChordTrick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ray(T) View Post
    Yes, they'll make a custom set for you: if you mention the scale length they'll also make the strings long enough in case you scale is longer than a "standard" mandola.

  7. #7
    Registered User seankeegan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Hanson View Post
    You can get custom sets at Eagle Music near Huddersfield, they would probably be Newtones.

    Dave H
    Are they still Newtones? I used to buy Newtones from Eagle Music, as their customer service was brilliant. However the name on the strings changed from Newtone to 'Puretone'. I emailed once to ask was it a different brand or manufacturer, but didn't get a response. I also noticed that the name and details on my account's order history had changed from Newtone to Puretone as well. See attached; a screenshot from the original email confirmation, and a recent screenshot from my order history on my Eagle music account.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by seankeegan; Nov-13-2019 at 6:31am. Reason: I can't spell. :(

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

    They certianly used to use Newtone (never heard of Puretone) but they may well have simply changed the name for commercila reasons; e.g. to stop people going straight to Newtone.

    A history lesson! In times gone by, Eagle would package you up a single set of custom strings (they were Newtone) whereas from Newtone you had to order a minimum number of sets. When Neil Silverman took over from Malcolm Newton, things changed and they will now put a single set together (although I’ve never asked them to do so.). In my experience, going direct has always been cheaper.

    I suppose it’s always possible that they’ve found a string maker called “Pureton”!!!

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Good non standard string buying advice in UK?

    I have used Newtone for single sets, one for a Waldzither and the other a BB mandola.
    - Jeremy

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