Lenzners in the US

[Jim Garber]

I have been checking with Steve Miklas at Acoustic Music Works, LLC in Pittsburgh, PA who carries the violin line. He checked for me on the Consort strings but it seem like there is no distributor in the US who carries them. He contacted Lenzner directly and they wopuld sell to him directly.

He will try and find out the exact price but it looks like the price is prob close to $15, more or less.

Just wondering how many folks would be interested in buying and at what quantity? I will let Steve know. He might order 4 dozen or base his quantity on what we want.

Also, since I haven't been able to find much info on the strings themselves, we want the Consort set, but do they come in different gauges?

Jim

[vkioulaphides]

There are also the Lenzner "lights", i.e. those with solid-steel A's, not the uncommon, flatwound A's of the "Consort" set.

I have the lights on my de Meglio and love them! I would surmise that others, too, would want this type of string. I would, in other words, ask the distributor to bring roughly an equal number of the two types, say, two dozen of each.

At the risk of apparent hypocricy, however, I must say I have ample strings myself, at least for the time being, and therefore cannot jump on the bandwagon of this "joint order". Eventually...

[Jim Garber]

Do the "lights" have less tension than the Consorts? Would the Consorts be suitable for the vintage bowlbacks? What is the type that were ordered right before I joined this list a few years ago?

Jim

[Eugene]

I ordered one of each. I think it was Bob who organized the whole thing. I used the "Consort" set on my Martin and liked them very much. The sound was excellent and the durability was much better than lesser bronze-wound strings (like the GHS "Classical" set, Dean Markley, or Ernie Ball). The tension of the whole "Consort" set (especially the wound a') struck me as probably being a little much for lighter bowlbacks like Vega. I don't know the exact gauges or tensions; this was simply an impression. I still have Lenzner's unwound "Special" set and am planning to put them on one of my non-Martins with my next string change.

[vkioulaphides]

According to the manufacturer, who labored under close guidance of our own Alex T., the "Consort" set is e-x-p-r-e-s-s-l-y made for vintage instruments.

My affection for the lights does not stem from any sense that the Consort set is too heavy; not at all. It's just that the lights, with their plain A's (and, of course, E's) accentuate the tinkle of my de Meglio to jolly perfection. I would surmise that others may also like that folkie tinkle on their Neapolitans. Just my guess, of course...

[jeffshuniak]

I would like to try out two sets.

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello all,

That´s great news!


You are exactly right, Victor!

The 'tinkle' of the plain a strings is (unfortunately) damped a bit by the wound a strings in the "Consort" string-set. We accept this because the wound string stays tuned much better and because of the balance between all strings of the mandolin; the a always being a little to ´klanky´ far away of the wound d strings.

Another important reason was that the wound a string gives less to no problems in getting all the mandolins (1st & 2nd mand.) of a mandolin orchestra ´in tune´.

The tention of the Lenzner "Consort" strings and more specific that of the wound a string, is in my opinion not to heavy for ´healthy´ vintage mandolins as that is about the same - or even lighter - than that of the Italian strings manufactured at the time.

However if you play solo repertoire on the instrument or duo pieces with a guitarist etc. and you are not sure about what the mandolin can carry best, I would recommend to use the light Lenzners with the plain a strings.


Greetings,

Alex

[Bob A]

I have strung my Pecoraro (Embergher clone) with the Cosort lenzners, and am quite pleased. I still have two sets of the unwound Lenzners which I plane to put on the very light Italian bowlbacks, one of which is now strung with Dogals, the other with GHS.

I can envision getting a combined order of half a dozen sets, half and half, though I still have several sets of the Dogals and a couple Daniel Mari. Given my preference for buying a new instrument instead of changing strings (costly perhaps, but ultimately more satisfying) that should hold me for a year or two.

[RSW]

I disagree with Alex on these strings. I would never use the "Het Consort" Lenzner strings on a Vega, Vinaccia or other lightly built and braced mandolin. Embergher's (Het Consort's preferred mandolin type) are built very strong and can take the extra tension. I tried several mandolins (Embergher's) with these strings during my visit with Het Consort and I generally found a balance problem in the original sets (A too strong, G too weak). Since then, I was able to get a modified set of these strings upping the G, lowering the D and using either a plain steel A (which I don't find problematic) or another wound type using aluminium or steel winding rather than the bronze alloy. This gave a much better result with my Larson (more strongly built than the Vega but much more lightly braced than most modern mandolins or the Embergher. What I like about the Lenzner strings is their longevity (I hate changing strings) and well focused sound. I use Black Diamond and Dogal strings as well and only these strings (in the light version) for my Vega or equivalent mandolins.

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Richard,

We did listen to you (and others) and I thought you were aware we (Lenzner and Henk van den Broek and myself) took out the old set with the wound bronze bronze a strings (this is not for sale any more) because of it´s tention.

So there is no need to refer to those, since they do not exist as Lenzner "Consort" string sets anymore.

Instead of the old set we put together a lighter tentioned new "Concort" set with flat-wound a strings that have an aluminium winding over a steel inner core (to my knowledge the lightest flat-wound a string available).

The modified set you are refering to is the only Lenzner "Consort" set available today as such.


Best,

Alex

[RSW]

GREAT! By the way, tomorrow I take possession of my Cremonese mandolin (by Larson) and will be lent a Strad. mandolino copy for the coming year. Now, might I trade a nice tshell pick for one of those cherry bark picks you've so beautifully crafted?

[Alex Timmerman]

Wonderful Richard,

Yes, I send one or two of them to you tomorrow!

Stay tuned, I must find an image of one that I also like to send you.

[Alex Timmerman]

Here it is:


One is 6 cm. and the other one is 3.5 cm. long. The smaller one is very nice also. I oil them once a week or so and it is just great on gut. I hope you´ll like them!

Do you like to have a hard or a somewhat flexible point?


Alex

[RSW]

Alex,

Not sure because I've never played a pick of this material. With quills, I like a bit of firmness and a well worn tip (the 'barbe' that the French describe as giving a special warmth to the sound). What do you prefer?

[Alex Timmerman]

I understand what you mean, but that was said of the quill made of a birds feather to be used on the metal strung Neapolitan mandolin. On this quill type I like a bit of wear because the overal sound becomes less "klanky". #

With these cherry wooden quills the signs of wear at the point looks like that it has been polished with leather. The point is shining. The quill stays as it is more or less and the sound can probably only be regulated with changing the quill´s thickness. I have used a thin and a thicker one (the 6 cm. models) and liked best the latter. Not so much because of the sound which is richer with the thicker one - but more because of the string attack noise produced when playing with the thin one.

I will send you both models and I am curious to hear what your experiences are.


Best,

Alex

PS. If you have time to make some, I would love to see some photos of your Cremonese Larson mandolin.

[margora]

I would certainly like to try some of the Consort strings with wound A's.

[etbarbaric]

Hi Jim,

I would be interested in 4-5 sets of the Lenzner strings. I'd prefer the lighter variety if there is a choice. Let me know what I need to do.

Thanks,

Eric

[John Bertotti]

So is it determined now that the Consort set is suitable for light bowl backs. IE my soon to arrive Vega? I like a bell like tone, would the lights be a better choice?
Jim I'm in for 2 sets depending on the answer to this question, probably the lights but if the consorts will work then 1 of each. Of course this all depends on what they can get.#Thanks John

[Bob DeVellis]

I'd also like a couple of sets of the Consorts. I'm totally fed up with the GHS strings on my Martin and, because of them, it seldom gets played. The Lenzners sound like a far superior choice.

[Eugene]

They certainly are, Bob. #Have you tried Dogal's RW-92b set? #I like their behavior on Martin instruments. #They start out a little to brash and klangy, but mature nicely and last forever. #I admit that if Lenzner strings were widely available here, they would probably compete with Dogal for my favor. They certainly would on an aural basis, but I wore out the Lenzner wound a' a little more quickly than I do Dogal's plain steel.

[Jonathan Rudie]

I would be game for two sets of the consort strings and two sets of the lights.

[Jim Garber]

I am still waiting to hear from Steve as to the final price and whether this all will actually work. For expediency's sake, we can prob just order individually directly from him. I'll let you know the details when I know them.

Barring all that, I suppose then we could attempt to bulk order them from somewhere in Europe. I am sure that Alex has a source we could order from.

Jim

[Ali]

Alex, (or anyone....)
I ordered some "Lenzner" strings from Trekel - I didn't know about the "consort" word and the strings I got seemed more like the Tomastik "flat wound" strings....did I get a completely different set? Or are these the strings you are discussing?? I am a little confused now!
ALI

[vkioulaphides]

[QUOTE]"are these the strings you are discussing"

No, Ali, I am afraid they are not. Lenzner being a German company, they also (predominantly?) make flat-wound strings for German-style instruments.

The ones we are in fact discussing are round-wound, bronze winding on the G's and D's. Lenzner's flat-wound strings are excellent but, of course, inappropriate for vintage Italians.

[Jim Garber]

Ali:
The Consort strings are the ones we are discussing. They are difficult to get them in the US since there are virtually no distributors. US players on this board ordered some from Europe last year.

Alex has info on this page on his site. Scroll down to the subhead "Strings."

Sounds like you got another kind of Lenzner mandolin string, similar to the Thomastik ones.

Jim