GHS A270 or D'Addario J74

[Bill Kammerzell]

74's and 270's just about the same strings. I use them both and buy what's on sale, between them. I have been going to coated 75's lately for my Weber River F.

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I've tried a lot of different strings, the top three are GHS A 270, J74's, & the Flat Tops FW74's. The A 270's are my favorite. I usually replace the .011 with .0115. I get GHS .0115's from Just Strings.

I like Just Strings!

[Bill Kammerzell]

Have you Weber guys tried the John Pearse Bronze Heavy gauge ? I have a 2007 Bitterroot and sent it in for a set up it came back a different animal. J74 were the strings it had on when it left and the only type I ever played on it. A few things were done at the shop so I'm not sure what changed the sound the most. I had a new bridge put on (it had the old style Weber bridge) along with a new nut (the nut had a strange string spacing on it). Anyway when it left I loved the tone and volume but now I really really love it. It's louder more sustain, the notes seem more defined and the tone went from warm and friendly to Kick ass sweetness ! When the John Pearse wear out I'll try the J74's again to compare but right now I'm a fan of the JP strings E-.012, A -.015, D -.026, G -.040

Tried John Pearse Bronze Heavy and liked those a lot on a Breedlove OF I had.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Interestingly,George Lane likes the A270's on his Weber,but the .016" gauge 'A' strings were way too harsh on my Weber "Fern". As you'd expect,they sound superbly well on my Ellis. My 'larger than standard' Lebeda will continue to be kitted out with DR MD11's as they really do 'drive' it. My Weber also is now sporting MD11's. EJ74's are great strings,but the MD11's are simply more 'punchy' & powerful,
Ivan

[Dave Hanson]

Hi Ivan, where do you get the DR MD 11s ?

Thanks, Dave H

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi Dave - I get my DR MD11's from 'Stringbusters'. http://www.stringbusters.com/Ko-Besp...0DR%20HANDMADE

They don't sell the heavier gauge MD12's. I did buy some of those,but i can't remember who from as i only ordered 2 sets ages ago,
Ivan

[Shelagh Moore]

I prefer the GHS (A275) as they seem smoother to the touch.

[TX2AK]

I’m reviving a zombie thread that stretched from 2010 to 2016 for a particular question. My understanding is that there are very few string manufacturers; the difference in brands and sets is most commonly the gauges selected by the maker/distributor, and, of course, the materials used, treatments, etc. I’m fortunate not to be a string burning chemistry, and I like uncoated strings so far. Has anyone tried a custom set from Mapes vs. the well known string brands? The price differences are negligible, and I like the GHS A270 on my Ellis, and John Pearse bright bronze medium-heavies (which are mediums by most standards) on my Paganoni, generally - but I have thought since the outset that the lowest G string on every mandolin, including the two fine mandolins mentioned above, and a Kentucky Km-1000, Collings MF, Pava F5 Satin, Gibson F5G (my least favorite of the lot - which I know is heresy; but I just can’t get behind the more modern Gibson tone, compared to the others; and it’s not the “traditional” old Gibson tone I get from the Paganoni) and the others that have passed through my hands as a hobby trader and enthusiast. I still can’t help but want a little more power and less shrill on the E strings - it’s less an issue on the Ellis than the Paganoni; and the flabby sound on the G strings - also less an issue on the Ellis. It’s like that the Paganoni kicks so hard in the mids that I can’t put it down when I play it on appropriate content, but for the full spectrum stuff I play most, the Ellis is better, or at least more balanced - but I still think the G could be more cutting and the E more full. What I think I’d like most on both is a heavier E string and G string; and I’ve seen in a different thread that Mr. Siminoff’s sets are 11.5-39. I guess my question is: are those minor changes, 11.5 vs. 11 and 39 vs. 40 sufficient changes; or should I jump to a Mapes custom set at 12-38? I’m aware these are very personal decisions, but I’m specifically curious about whether that .5 difference on the E and 1.0 on the G is worth a special order.

If anyone has been down this road, I’de love to hear about your experience.

[Zach Wilson]

In comparison to the Mandolins you own, string sets are fairly inexpensive. I'd suggest trying the Siminoff’s, Mapes (and other sets) and see if it's what your after.

Happy (string) hunting!

[pheffernan]

You can always experiment with strings, picks, and techniques, but you also might just be running up against the nature of each mandolin. A rich rather than thuddy G course and full rather than shrill E course are hard to achieve and a difference between the good and great mandolins I’ve played.

[pops1]

Instead of the GHS A270, try the GHS N270. The G is a 41 and the set is pure nickel. I like them a lot on my mandolins. To make the E less shrill I have found intonation makes a large difference. Slight changes in humidity change action and if the action goes up or down it changes intonation. Keeping your mandolin at a certain string height helps keep your intonation the same. With the short scale length it doesn't take much movement to make a difference. While your bridge may have been fit well when you got your mandolin, the top may have settled in and changed the fit slightly over time. Checking the fit, or having it refitted may help too. I recently refit the bridge on a mandolin of mine from 1979 and it made a difference in sound that I much prefer.

[Berto Boy]

I've used both a lot. When I had quality control issues with the D'Adarrios I switched to GHS. I didn't really notice a tone difference but the GHS seemed to last a little bit longer and sometimes you could find a three pack discount at Sweetwater.

I, too, like the new 0.115 gauge strings for a meatier sounding E string. Luckily, D'Adarrio makes these in their nickel silver alloy strings which are a little softer tone, easy on the fingers, and last a little bit longs (albeit more expensive)

[TX2AK]

Fair point - I certainly can just try them all; I’m sure that’s what I’ll wind up doing. I just wondered if anyone else had been down this path. I know Siminoffs are the closest set I can find to my thought.

And I don’t want to give the impression that there is any problem. The terms I’m using, like “flabby” and “shrill,” are just so you know what mean. These are fine nuances I’m taking about that seem universal from my mandolins to incredible pros. I love both of those mandolins very much. I’m also a constant tinkerer, and this is the latest nuance to tinker!