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Thread: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

  1. #1
    Registered User Rob MacKillop's Avatar
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    Default Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    My mandola bought from this website has arrived at my local post depot today from France. Assuming it has arrived in one piece, I might well be looking for new strings. I have a set of GDAE low octave strings by Thomastik, but might try CGDA at viola pitch. String length is 45cm. Looking for warmth and if possible a softish touch for the left hand, medium tension. Recommendations welcome.

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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    I’m using EJ 72s on my 20 inch scale OM, and really like them better on that instrument than the OM sets (thanks, FattDad and others for that tip). I suspect they’re probably a little brighter sounding than you’d like based on your description, though they do play easily enough IMO. I’m sure you’ll get much more poignant advice from others. Congrats on the new mandola!

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    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    GHS PF280 (light)

    12-24-34-48


    I really like these.

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  6. #4
    Registered User Rob MacKillop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Thanks, guys. Keep em coming.

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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    On mandolins, I really like Dogal's "Calace" brand carbon steel, but my taste doesn't necessarily apply to people who don't happen to be me. (Personally, I 1. dislike changing strings and thus 2. love extremely long-lived strings. Carbon steel fits that bill.) I also have absolutely no experience with mandola. Dogal does assemble one Calace-brand set for "contralto" tuning (c, g, d', a') on mandola which is packaged as set RW124.

    https://www.dogalstrings.it/en/calac...dola_contralto

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  9. #6
    Registered User Rob MacKillop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Interesting, Eugene. And how do I know I'm not you?

  10. #7

    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop View Post
    And how do I know I'm not you?
    I admit, I can't claim absolute certainty. However, presuppositionally accepting the three traditional laws of thought—i.e., identity, non-contradiction, and excluded middle—I am at least fairly confident.

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  12. #8

    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    PS: I tend to order strings from stringsbymail.com. Their prices tend to be quite competitive. However, I don't know what they'd charge for shipping to Europe.

  13. #9
    Registered User Rob MacKillop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    That's, okay. I can get them in Europe. Thanks again.

  14. #10

    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    I figured, but Dogal appears to charge much more for them directly than otherwheres.

  15. #11
    Registered User Rob MacKillop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Well, they ain't cheap, that's for sure. But they'll last a year or two, I imagine.

  16. #12

    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop View Post
    My mandola bought from this website has arrived at my local post depot today from France. Assuming it has arrived in one piece, I might well be looking for new strings. I have a set of GDAE low octave strings by Thomastik, but might try CGDA at viola pitch. String length is 45cmk. Looking for warmth and if possible a softish touch for the left hand, medium tension. Recommendations welcome.
    Hello
    Unfortunately I have no experience to answer those questions, I don’t play Mandola and I cannot really say for sure if you are indeed you or Eugene, although Eugene has a strong argument about thermodynamic laws.
    However, I have a question
    Which site are you referring to ?
    I’ll be interested to check that beauty you just bought.
    Thank you

  17. #13
    Registered User Rob MacKillop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    It was from this website, Mandolin Cafe, in the For Sale section.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Unfortunately the seller just posted it at the post office, which then shut down for four days, and then it arrived in Edinburgh too late to get out to me before the weekend. Hopefully I'll get it Monday...and hopefully in one piece!

    This was the sale notice:

    French A. di Mauro Octave Mandolin

    Awesome french A.Di Mauro Octave Mandolin (european mandola)
    Fully restored
    Original cleaned tuners
    Leveled fretboard, new frets, bone nut, original rosewood bridge,
    French new tailpiece.
    Cedar top mahogany back and sides
    Fisoma F3120D new strings GDAE
    Low action 2mm
    Scale 45cm

    Here's hoping...

  18. #14
    Registered User urobouros's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Sweet! I noticed that one too. I hope it sounds as good as it looks I use EJ72s on my mandola (17 in scale) & my octave mandolin (20 in scale). I've not tried any others on the mandola yet and found the OM strings from D'Addario to be a bit too floppy.

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  20. #15
    Registered User Rob MacKillop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Well, the mandola has arrived in one piece. Looks good. It has Fisoma 80/20 Bronze, Light Gauge on. A new set of modern tuners were included, should I want to replace the originals. The originals are aged brass, I think, whereas the new set are very shiny silver. So, efficiency or looks? I tuned it up with the original tuners, and they are a little stiff, but work. I'll give it some time before making that decision.

    Of course, it is tuned GDAE, which is low and grumbly. I'll see if I can live with it, or splash out of a set of Dogals at CGDA viola pitch.

  21. #16
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Your 45cm scale look like an awkward 'in-between' scale length. My German mandola, designed to be played as an 'octave mandolin' GDAE in orchestras, is 48cm. Thanks to the large body volume it will take J72s without problem, although the plain E string needs to be beefed up - possibly with a wound pair. My English made (c1910) tenor mandola has a 38cm scale (which is pretty short for a mandola) and uses D-Addario TM strings for CGDA tuning. Vintage Gibsons and many modern TMs (such as Collings) tend to be around 41cm scale with Webers more like 43cm.
    Yours is just 2cm longer than a Weber CGDA TM and 3cm shorter than my GDAE octave, so you are unlikely to find an easy fix in ready-made string sets and may need to go down the custom set path.
    Anglocelt
    mainly Irish & Scottish but open to all dance-oriented melodic music.
    Mandos: Gibson A2, Janish A5, Krishot F5, Taran Springwell, Shippey, Weber Elite A5; TM and OM by Dave Gregory, J E Dallas, Tobin & Davidson.

  22. #17
    Registered User Rob MacKillop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend Mandola in CGDA strings?

    Oh, I don't know about that. I've just put some TI flats on it, which took away what for my tastes was excess jangle, and they sound great. Really beautiful, in fact.

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