C.F. Martin 80/20 strings on a bowlback

[vic-victor]

Hi all.

I tried a set of Martin .010 -.034 M400 80/20 Bronze on a vintage Vinaccia some years ago and was pleasantly surprised with the sound compared to GHS ultra light set. This time I have strung a 1910 Calace with the same new set and I'd like to report that it didn't fail me this time either in producing a good classic Neapolitan sound. The strings just a tad heavier than ultra light GHS, but they are pretty soft to touch and look to me like a perfect match to the sturdy bowlback that has no structural issues.

[Peter K]

Thank you Viktor, your ear is probably better than mine because I have been unable to tell those two string types apart. Tavy uses the Martin set too, and all mandolins I got from him had those strings. My own favourite is Dogal Calace "Dolce" brand of strings.

[Tavy]

Yep. I started using them because I couldn't get the GHS's over here, and as Victor says, they don't disappoint.