D'Addario JS 74's

[Scotti Adams]

..and for the most part I really like them..not much diff in the sound at all as compared to the Bushs....the only thing I noticed is they are not as smooth right out of the pack like Bushs are. Im anxious to see if this straightens itself out. Im not really sure of the guages of them...I think the G's and D's are them same...as is the E's..the A's are a little beefier I believe. I dont have them in front of me right now. At almost $2 cheaper I definently think they should be considered as an alternative to the Bushs. Of course you get and extra A and E string with them. So its 6 one way and half a dozen another....bottom line is I like them so far.

[mandoJeremy]

Good to hear somebody finally tried them. I just haven't had a chance to order any yet. I think the guages are .011, .015, .026, .040 according to D'addario's website and the FQMS catalog. The Bush's are .011, .014, .026, .041. Thanks for the review Scotti, keep us informed as to how they break in and last compared to the Bush's.

[Scotti Adams]

..I got to play for about 30 mins before I went to work....they indeed got smoother to the touch and for what its worth my fiance said they sounded alot louder than the Bushs. She was a total mando newbie when we met 2 years ago..although she doesnt play she has a great ear. I believe they are louder.....I trust her intuition....

[mandomood]

now if someone would only make a set that was

11.5 - 16 - 26 - 41 it could be a perfect set!

I tried 2 sets of the JS74's and liked em better than the Bush set but to my ear the J75's (16A and 11.5E) just sound and feel like they should. #Amazing how much a difference can 'bother' your playing or sound...

but Jeremy mentioned a simple truth a while back...the explosive pull offs and hammer ons can be a bit tougher with more tension like this but they sure work great for good Monroe style/bluesy playing. #I guess it can all come down to setup as well...

[Scotti Adams]

..Hey Jason..nice to see your post..been wondering what your up to.....I really think Im starting to like these JS74s better than the Bushs.....we have a rehearsal this weekend so I will be able to tell a little more after that. BTW....Im havin another pickin party at my place Sept. 4th....your more than welcome to come....

[mandomood]

have a gig sept. 4...thanks for the invite though, I had fun the last time...

I'm playing alot with a guitar/mando duo that has me on mando and singin high harmonies 95% of the time....finally havin some fun now!

[mandoJeremy]

I'll be honest Jason, when I first switched to the Monels years ago I hated that .014 second string and I replaced it on every string change with a .016 from our days endorsing GHS and having plenty of spare strings hanging around. #I finally got very used to it because I actually moved up to those J75's when Wayne Benson would send me cases of them. #I did like the very heavy strings and I am still a very heavy right handed person but the .014 finally felt right. #I think a .015 should be a happy medium for us to both meet on!!!!

[mandomood]

Jeremy/Scotti...

I'm still really trying to balance things, pullin tone without beating the instrument, left hand grace suffers or tightens up when right hand has to play too hard, and tone can suffer greatly when having to only play for volume. I mean you can play the tone right out of it but finding an approach that is totally consistent has been quite a journey.

I'm havin fun though and prefer to play lightly when I can which actually gives me a thicker sound...I'm still thinking about getting a one foot full contact bridge in hopes of strengthening up some lows or mids (which are already good though, no wrong impressions)

I played a Gil F5 and a Nugget A the other day and my stomach aches for that woof...though my BRW does have a thick cut to it.

[mandoJeremy]

I understand what you're saying Jason. Even though I still play harder than a lot a mando players I don't play nearly as hard as I used to. Believe it or not, it never hindered my tone even when I played harder. Now it just depends on what musical situation I happen to be in at the time that influences my right hand. If it is just me and a guitarist I definitely don't play as hard as I would in a bluegrass jam.

[Scotti Adams]

...well after a couple of days of banging around on them I can say I officially like them....to me there isnt that much of a diff in the sizes of the A strings to bother me...the "roughness" I mentioned a couple of days ago have subsided..they are slick now....yep...I like 'em.....ya gotta get ya some...if you havent already...only thing is I just got six sets of Bushs too...

[Scotti Adams]

..holy cow!!..had practice yesterday...these strings are beasts..they are louder and I believe a little cleaner sounding....after about 4 hours of playing on them I started to feel the bigger A strings....nothing I couldnt learn to adapt to though..I may be a convert..

[mandoJeremy]

Scotti, I am ordering a few sets of them today along with some more Bush strings just in case but do you really think you will convert to the JS74's? Are they that much better than the Bush's? I will guess I will find out soon enough.

[Scotti Adams]

..Im seriously thinking about it....

mandojeremy,
Do you really like the bush strings? is it worth me ordering? Its hard to get strings around here, so I gotta order online aswell.

[mandoJeremy]

Yes gdae_boy, they are the only strings that I can't corrode! I have a very acidic chemistry I guess and I can ruin a set of Phosphor Bronze strings in about three songs. The Bush set does hold up very well for me but it is because they are actually stainless steel wound. I am really considering Scotti's advice on this thread because he is probably the only person that has used Monel's longer than me. Stainless steel....deeper tone, longer string life, and very great if you happen to use a pickup (which I do!). The JS74's are just stainless steel wound which is basically all that the "monel" wound strings are (or the Bush set now!). Just try them and if you are really wanting to know, PM me and I will send you a free set so you can figure it out on your own.

[Scotti Adams]

..now your making me feel old Jeremy..40 isnt too bad. Ive been using the Monel/Bushs since 1985...mainly because of the reasons you mentioned. I swore by them....now these J74s come along and...BAM...they made a real big impact for me. I will probably use of the 6 sets of Bushs I just bought along with the other set of JS74s...then I dont know what I will do...Im leaning towards the JS74's....man..Im feelin like Im being unfaithful...this is bad....

[Scotti Adams]

..Hey Jeremy have you tried them yet?

[mandoJeremy]

No I haven't Scotti, I am still waiting on them to come in at the music store I used to work at. I ordered a case of them so I better like them! I will let you know when I do get to try them. Believe it or not, about 4 or 5 years ago I tried a set of the Fender medium stainless steel strings and they were pretty good even though they weren't quite as good as the monels so I am sure the JS74's will be great. I have always like D'addario better than most strings but they just never had anything comparable to the monels.

[JD Cowles]

this isn't fair...you guys just got me hooked on the bush's. i was a little skeptical of the lighter A (i played j75s to that point) but they seem to be holding up just fine. my mando is a little loud as it has a cedar top, and the monels seemed to mellow it out just right. maybe after i burn up my 6 sets of bushs i'll try the js74s. thanks for all the good info.
jd

[mandoJeremy]

JD, I am not sure that I will like them better than the Bush strings but I am going to give them a try. I really like that .014 A string on the Bush strings for pulloffs and for the tone I get out of it. We'll see! I am always looking for something to "tweak" with mandos and new strings are always good to try. That's why I have tried just about every brand you can name over the years! I still love my Bush strings though!

[Scotti Adams]

..just wanted to let you all know that they are hangin in there very well....still liken them

[mandomick]

You guys had me ready to try some monel's or Bush's untill I saw this thread. I picked up a box of 10 JS74's for $50.00 and put a set on my Bluett last night. BIG difference! Louder and real honkin' throaty tone. Gonna string up the BRW tonight.

Don't know why but I always equated bronze wound strings with acoustic instruments and steel with electric. Duh! Thanks Scotti and Jeremy.

BTW, I agree, they do have a rougher texture than the J74s and 75s.

[Bradley]

Yeah you guys got me too....

I ordered a few sets for the Steffey today. Have tried J74's,John Pearse,GHS Silk and Steel,so what the heck...

So far the J74's are the best,but who knows what the JS74's will be like

[Scotti Adams]

I dont think you will be dissappointed Bradley...the only thing, and I mentioned this earlier, is they seem to be a bit rougher initially but after playing them awhile they become smoother....and yea they are louder than the Bushs...Mick..let us know how the BRW fares with the JS74s....#40 should probably be in my hands by the end of Sept.

[Scotti Adams]

Jeremy...man..where did you order your JS74s from???...Bagdhad?....havent you gotten them yet?