Ovation Question

[Keltic Fiddler]

Ok, OK...I know that Ovation mandos aren't too popular. Nonetheless I have one, and wondering if there are others out there who also have one.

My question is about finding good strings. I have had many problems using Adamas strings, which seem to break if you just look at them the the wrong way.

What other possibilities are there for good quality, good sounding strings?

[Lee]

By single strings for guitar in the gauges you want and cut-off the extra length.

[Ted Eschliman]

Good news for Ovation fans...
D'addario announced new EJ70 Ball End Mandolin/Medium Gauge sets at the Winter NAMM show. These are brand spanking new, so it might be a few weeks before you see them at your local dealer, but you are right in that ball end mando sets are rare as hen's teeth.
Another option, one I use, is the Thomastik 154K ball end sets. If you don't mind paying three times as much for a high quality set that lasts SIX times as long, These are your ticket. I won't use anything else on my custom MM68.
I don't want this to be an advertisement, but if you can't find them, email me offline, and I'll hook you up with someone who sells them.

[Stillpicking]

Hey Ted,
I put that set of TS ballends on my Wailing resonator mando and they sound great !
Thanks for stocking them.

[Mando Medic]

Keltic Fiddler,
I run into this problem all the time and what I do is use D'Addario J-74 or J-75 strings with the loop but as I string them on, I use a 3 inch length of a wound G string from a J75 set and slip them into the loop so that they can't pass through the bridge. Works great. I have also done a loop pass through on the bridge like a classical guitar string bridge and that works but not as well as using a string in place of the ball loop. The other thing I do is keep a couple of sets of balls from used strings on my bench and will install them on loop end strings with needle nose plier and a couple of twists and they go on very easy. Problem solved with several options.

[Keltic Fiddler]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'll look around for a set of the D'Addario or Thomastic strings. In the mean time, I just bought a set of Elixir singles guitar strings with ball ends, and am going to try them out today. Thanks again for the help.

[peterbc]

Are the EJ70's nickel? That might make and ideal (and cheap!) Mandobird set... What're the guages?

[mandroid]

You can get Ballends from your guitar playing(and string breaking) friends and choose any string you want.
I have a Fender thru body electric, and put 2 loops on one barrel.
also tried cello ends which are bigger in size.
Bag of balls can be bought from John Pearse with the string wizard or without. his Wizard twists loops in plain wire,roll your own ball ends, or use loops made out of the other end of guitar strings.
I wonder where I can get 100' roll of .011" music wire?

[Lee]

Mandroid, Mapes Piano String Company will sell rolled lengths of music wire, plain and wound.

www.mapeswire.com/index.htm