String shortage!?

**Amish Andy** · Jan-06-2021, 8:02pm

I have been searching the web like crazy trying to find elixir strings. (medium) I ended up calling elixir and asking and they said due to shutdowns and such they had to cut out a few strings in production and mandolin strings happend to be one of them. does anyone have a plug on some sktechy websites that no one knows about and may be on stock? thanks!

**Bill McCall** · Jan-06-2021, 8:05pm

Juststrings seems to have them now, at least the nanoweb ones. But I couldn't find them a few weeks ago and ended up buying something else.

**Jim Garber** · Jan-06-2021, 9:48pm

There are lots of shortages these days in everything. I went to three stores in my town the other day to find some bananas for some reason. Good luck on your search for the perfect elixir.

**Ray(T)** · Jan-07-2021, 3:39am

Saw some the other day in a UK shop (Richtone Music) ...... and they’re in the sale!

**Murphy Slaw** · Jan-07-2021, 6:56am

I don't think Elixir builds strings. The buy them from (X) and they coat them. If (X) is having supply or labor problems they probably will cut discounted sub-contract sales before cutting their own Brand sales.

**mandroid** · Jan-07-2021, 11:52am

How was it in the 40's, during WW2?

**killntime** · Jan-07-2021, 12:40pm

Gr8, This threads gonna cause everyone to buy up the strings!

Just kidding....

That’s how it seems to work with everything else though.

**Ray(T)** · Jan-07-2021, 12:59pm

Originally Posted by mandroid

How was it in the 40's, during WW2?

The 40s ended 35 years before d’Addario started making strings. I suspect that, back in those days, people put new strings on when they broke; that’s certainly what we did in the 60s.

**Bill McCall** · Jan-07-2021, 1:11pm

Originally Posted by mandroid

How was it in the 40's, during WW2?

Really, how relevant is that question? Would ‘better than the 1750’s’ be a good answer?

**JeffD** · Jan-07-2021, 1:31pm

I have the habit of buying a packet of strings every time I visit a bricks and mortar music store, just to "pay" something for my time poking around. As a result I have a massive emergency chest of strings. I am ready for mando-string apocalypse.

**SWS** · Jan-07-2021, 7:55pm

Originally Posted by Bill McCall

Really, how relevant is that question? Would ‘better than the 1750’s’ be a good answer?

I suspect it’s relevant because, during WW2 most manufacturing was to support the war effort. Something called the War Production Board. I would venture to guess that would include the production of mandolin strings?

-Best

**Bill McCall** · Jan-07-2021, 8:21pm

Originally Posted by SWS

I suspect it’s relevant because, during WW2 most manufacturing was to support the war effort. Something called the War Production Board. I would venture to guess that would include the production of mandolin strings?

-Best

Suggesting that there have been other periods of shortage provides no information or insight into the current situation except to say ‘it occurs sometimes’.

That’s not particularly helpful to me. Ymmv

**SWS** · Jan-07-2021, 10:45pm

Originally Posted by mandroid

How was it in the 40's, during WW2?

I don’t know how it was then but, I would like to think people helped each other out where they could.

To the OP- I have a “new” box of Elixir Medium, Nanoweb. If those will work for you, they’re yours. Full disclosure, they’re probably 8+ years old. I don’t know if they go “stale” or whatnot so free sounds fair. PM me if interested.

Best