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Thread: Mandola string gauges?

  1. #1
    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Mandola string gauges?

    Just curious, as I'm stringing up a new 'dola, what strings and gauges are folks using for their dola's? Mine will be a 17" scale BTW when it's done, CGDA obviously.

    Cheers, John.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    D'Addario J76 or J72. I prefer the J72.

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    MandolaViola bratsche's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    For CGDA tuning, I have JazzDolas on my 17" instrument and Thomastk 164s ("Alt Mandoline") on two shorter scale mandolas.

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    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eddie Sheehy View Post
    D'Addario J76 or J72. I prefer the J72.
    Aren't those designed for shorter (15-16") scale instruments?

    Cheers, John.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    I have a Trinity College 17" scale mandola and use D'Addario J 72 lights. They are perfect for the instrument.
    I would not suggest to use the J 76 because in my opinion with a 17' scale mandola the tension is a bit too high.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    curt mangan has mandola strings 12,24,34,48 which i am about to try. his strings all seem to have a bit more spring in them.
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    I have two mandolas -- both are 16" scale.

    One has D'Addario J76 (0.015; 0.025w; 0.035w; 0.052w) the other has Jazzdola JD13 flatwounds (0.013; 0.022w; 0.033w; and 0.043w).

    These later flatwound strings are expensive but are advertised to last 3 - 4 times as long as the more conventional strings. I think they sound great and I will know soon enough how long they last.
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Hi,
    I also play a 17" mandola (flattop style). I string it with generic Phos. Bronze guitar strings, gauges .047-.035-.023-.013 (or 0.012). This combination is slightly lighter weight than the J-72 package, which D'Addario says is designed for a 16" scale.

    I would select a smaller guage wound D string if they were easier to find, say a 0.021. And my C string could probably be a tad heavier. But the above works pretty well for me.
    Jeff Rohrbough
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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    have 12 22 32 44 p bronze happened to be packaged by GHS, they do a 12 24 34 48 set too ,
    but wind those with brass/bright bronze

    I have an H scale dola, .4M long
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    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Thanks for the info everone, for the record I started with 12, 20w, 30w, 46w PB's from Newtone, but based on your advice, I'll try a step or two heavier and see how it goes... it's a little too "stringy" sounding at present.

    Cheers, John.

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Hi, I found this old thread. I posted somewhere else about my new Mandola and string questions. I'm new at this instrument so I want light-gauge. In fact this instrument might need a Nut adjustment because the action is pretty bad.

    I really like the bouzouki sound so I tried stringing my lower 2 strings in octaves. Has anyone tried this?

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    Registered User tonydxn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    I'm tacking my question onto this old thread hoping someone will spot it. I'm working on restoring an old German bowlback mandola from the 1930's, scale length 420mm (16.5 inches) to be tuned CGDA. I'm more used to dealing with mandolins, so all the string gauges mentioned here (and available as string sets) seem remarkably heavy - giving tensions around 25lbs per string.

    Of course I could get a lighter-gauge set made up to put on my 90-year-old bowlback, but it leaves me wondering . . . just why do mandolas need such thick strings with so much tension on them?
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    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    On my 17" 10 string I use .045, .036, .022, .014 (and .0095 for the E).
    Last edited by Mandobart; Feb-23-2019 at 11:29am.

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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    "I'm tacking my question onto this old thread hoping someone will spot it. I'm working on restoring an old German bowlback mandola from the 1930's, scale length 420mm (16.5 inches) to be tuned CGDA."

    This instrument would almost certainly have been tuned GDAE, i.e. as a mandola in G (aka octave mandolin), originally. I have one, East German, from the 1970s. Easy to find appropriate strings (I use either Fisoma or Thomastic, Dogal will also work) if you tune it as a mandola in G.

    If you want to tune it as a mandola in C, you might get in touch with Dave Hynds, retired (Brit) living in France. Dave also restores these and tends to tune them CGDA, so he would have a good idea on make and gauges.
    Robert A. Margo

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    Registered User tonydxn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Thanks for your advice folks, but maybe I didn't make my question clear enough. The sets on offer and the gauges recommended on here will result in the strings being very tight. I'm not familiar with 10-string mandolas so I'm assuming Mandobart is tuning his CGDAE. That means the tension on his strings is C 21lbs, G 30lbs, D 25lbs, A 25lbs, E 26lbs - that is a lot of tension. It seems to be the case that mandola players normally string up their instruments with high tension like this.

    My question is - why? Why do mandolas use thick strings with heavy tension (like 25-30lbs), rather than lighter strings and lower tension (mandolins are more like 20lbs). I'm trying to understand something that mystifies me about mandolas.
    Last edited by tonydxn; Feb-23-2019 at 7:21pm.
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    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    have 12 22 32 44 p bronze happened to be packaged by GHS, they do a 12 24 34 48 set too ,
    but wind those with brass/bright bronze

    I have an H scale dola, .4M long
    Where can you get the 12 22 32 44 set? I've never seen those.

  17. #17
    Registered User tonydxn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Quote Originally Posted by BoxCarJoe View Post
    Where can you get the 12 22 32 44 set? I've never seen those.
    That's an old comment, from 2010. I don't think they do them any more. But you can get an ultra light set from Clifford Essex in England 12/20/30/46 http://www.cliffordessex.net/index.p...&productId=772
    Mandolins: Bandolim by Antonio Pereira Cabral
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    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Quote Originally Posted by tonydxn View Post
    That's an old comment, from 2010. I don't think they do them any more. But you can get an ultra light set from Clifford Essex in England 12/20/30/46 http://www.cliffordessex.net/index.p...&productId=772
    Yeah I knew it was an old post. Just wondering if anyone knew about it.

    I love GHS but I'll give your link a try. Thanks.

  19. #19
    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Quote Originally Posted by tonydxn View Post
    My question is - why? Why do mandolas use thick strings with heavy tension (like 25-30lbs), rather than lighter strings and lower tension (mandolins are more like 20lbs). I'm trying to understand something that mystifies me about mandolas.
    If you're talking about D'addario's sets, they're designed for 15" scale archtop 'dolas which are a whole other kettle of fish, for yours J80's tuned CGDA would be nearer the mark, or else a 'dola set tuned as an OM GDAE.

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  21. #20
    Registered User tonydxn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tavy View Post
    If you're talking about D'addario's sets, they're designed for 15" scale archtop 'dolas which are a whole other kettle of fish
    Aha! Thank you John. That explains it - I didn't realize there were such things. I've only ever handled the old German ones. I'll either use Clifford Essex's ultra light set or get a set made up by Newtone.
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    My Collings came with the d’Addario J76 set from new and that has a scale length a tad under 16”. I’ve been using the same gauges from Newtone (cheaper and easier to get in the UK) and they’re fine.

  23. #22
    Registered User tonydxn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Thanks Ray - those gauges will be fine on your robust young Collings I'm sure. But they will be too heavy for my antique bowlback. I decided to get a set made up by Newtone 11/17/28/40
    Mandolins: Bandolim by Antonio Pereira Cabral
    German flatback mandola by unknown maker converted from a descant Waldzither

  24. #23

    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    May I suggest getting the Aquila reds Nylon Strings set for you turtle shell or bowl back mandolin if you have trouble with breaking the e-string try using heavy set fishing line for the equivalent guage that would work on the mandolin

    Kirk

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    Registered User PT66's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    Just found this thread. Everyone seems to be using heavier strings than I do.
    Dave Schneider

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    Default Re: Mandola string gauges?

    I have a Collings MT2 Mandola, scale length just under 16. It was set up with D'Addario J-76. They sound nice and I have stayed with them.
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