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Thread: Wound a-string?

  1. #26
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by fatt-dad View Post
    D'Adderio has a "Flat Wound" string set with a wound A string.

    f-d
    That set is the “Flat Tops”, not flatwound. Very different string.
    Larry Hunsberger

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  3. #27
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Statman View Post
    I believe that both of D'Addario's 'flat top' and 'flat wound' sets have wound A strings.
    Only the flattops have the wound A. The flatwound set uses a plain A.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  4. #28
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Statman View Post
    I believe that both of D'Addario's 'flat top' and 'flat wound' sets have wound A strings.
    The flattops use the wound A, the flatwound strings use a plain A.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

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  6. #29
    rock in rôle Paul Statman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Statman View Post
    I believe that both of D'Addario's 'flat top' and 'flat wound' sets have wound A strings.
    I just heard back from D'Addario: Only the flat top, EFT74 has a wound A course.

  7. #30
    rock in rôle Paul Statman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandobassman View Post
    The flattops use the wound A, the flatwound strings use a plain A.
    Oops- I only saw this after posting my own correction. You are, of course correct, mandobassman!

  8. #31
    Registered User seankeegan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Just to add my two cents worth...

    I experimented with using a wound 2nd string on a mandolin, tuned down a tone (FCGD). The set was phos bronze, same gauges as j74s, but the second string was a .16 wound. Tuned down a tone to G, it worked well. The rationale was the melody on the first tune flicked between the fifth fret on 3rd string, open 2nd string & 2nd fret on 2nd string (would be G->ABA->G in standard tuning, but F->GAG->F down a tone). Having the 2nd string wound helped to smooth out the timbral differences between the three notes.



    The wound .16s snapped as soon as you approached standard tuning.

    Moderators, if this is viewed as self advertisement for posting a clip of my own playing, please accept my apologies and feel free to delete.

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  10. #32
    rock in rôle Paul Statman's Avatar
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    Thumbs up Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by seankeegan View Post
    Just to add my two cents worth...

    I experimented with using a wound 2nd string on a mandolin, tuned down a tone (FCGD). The set was phos bronze, same gauges as j74s, but the second string was a .16 wound. Tuned down a tone to G, it worked well. The rationale was the melody on the first tune flicked between the fifth fret on 3rd string, open 2nd string & 2nd fret on 2nd string (would be G->ABA->G in standard tuning, but F->GAG->F down a tone). Having the 2nd string wound helped to smooth out the timbral differences between the three notes.

    The wound .16s snapped as soon as you approached standard tuning.
    This sounds great, Sean. I'm more than a little surprised to learn that the wound 'A' snapped when brought up to the pitch it was meant for.

  11. #33

    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Which number D'Addario set is that?

  12. #34
    Registered User seankeegan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    This wasn't a pre made set of strings for mandolin. It was a custom set I ordered from Newtone strings in UK. They will make whatever strings you want. So the gauges were 11, 16w, 26w, 40w.

    The 16w was never sold or advertised as a viable option for a mandolin A string. It was me experimenting to see if I could get away with using the thinnest wound strings Newtone would make, if I had the mandolin tuned down a tone. That's common in Irish trad; tuning the fiddle down a tone. Uilleann Pipes in C. A lot of the tracks of Angelina and Peter Carberry the banjo is tuned down a tone.

    I did have to make a tiny adjustment at the nut. A few of the strings snapped at the nut at first due to it being cut for a plain string. I filled the 2nd string slots on the nut with pencil graphite and ran one of the broken strings through it several times and that seemed to fix the problem.

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  14. #35
    rock in rôle Paul Statman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by seankeegan View Post
    This wasn't a pre made set of strings for mandolin. It was a custom set I ordered from Newtone strings in UK. They will make whatever strings you want. So the gauges were 11, 16w, 26w, 40w.

    The 16w was never sold or advertised as a viable option for a mandolin A string. It was me experimenting to see if I could get away with using the thinnest wound strings Newtone would make, if I had the mandolin tuned down a tone. That's common in Irish trad; tuning the fiddle down a tone. Uilleann Pipes in C. A lot of the tracks of Angelina and Peter Carberry the banjo is tuned down a tone.

    I did have to make a tiny adjustment at the nut. A few of the strings snapped at the nut at first due to it being cut for a plain string. I filled the 2nd string slots on the nut with pencil graphite and ran one of the broken strings through it several times and that seemed to fix the problem.
    The EFT74 by D'Addario include a wound 'A' course made to be tuned to concert pitch. I'd assumed you were using those. Now I understand why they broke.

  15. #36
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Wound a-string?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandobassman View Post
    That set is the “Flat Tops”, not flatwound. Very different string.
    I've learned a lot over the last 16 years

    f-d
    ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

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  17. #37
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Exclamation Re: Wound a-string?

    It takes longer to change them than they last, playing, until breaking.

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    is like dancing,
    about architecture

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