19" Mandola string advice

[[j]-man]

Hi, got no replies in the gear forum so I'm reposting here, might be better suited for you build guys anyway, I've recently bought this cheapie mandola:

http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/GR320...ndola-Page.htm

It has no truss rod, would it be safe to put a d'addario J80 (12-46) set on it or might it be too heavy (tuned to CGDA)? I'm concerned about flopping and buzzing with lower tension strings, I've tried it on an electric 1/4 size (19") kid's guitar to mandola conversion with slightly lighter strings that I put together myself, 12-42 I think, and found the lower courses buzzed against each other. what do you guys think?

Thanks!
Johannes

[Marty Jacobson]

The Thomastik short-scale octave mandolin / mandola set is .014 / .019 / .028 /.045. They are supposedly spec'd for a 45cm scale length. They are all wound, and Thomastiks tend to the light side anyway (seems to me).
J76's, made for a slightly shorter scale of 15" to 16.5" or so, are .015 - .052.

So I think you should try the set of J80's, and then experiment with heavier strings on the bottom if you are still not happy.

19" is awfully long for an instrument tuned CGDA... do you plan on tuning it as an octave mandolin or a mandola? That makes a big difference in what string gauges you choose. I was thinking of it as an octave mandolin.

Bear in mind that it may not be the string's fault that they are buzzing together .. on longer scale lengths like this, the nut slots need to be properly spaced to keep the strings from rattling, but maintain playability.

Let us know how it works out...

[Jake Wildwood]

With a 19" scale and no truss I'd be sticking to heavy tenor-banjo gauges... something like: 38-40w, 24-26w, 14-17p, 10-11p.

12-46 seems almost like a very light octave mandolin set at that scale.

[[j]-man]

Thanks so much for your advice, I do want to tune it to CGDA, don't think it has the body size to be able to pull off GDAE...

It would seem that the buzz is to do with spacing then, think I'll be going with lighter strings and posting some questions about my buzzing electric conversion here shortly...

Thanks!

[[j]-man]

About the electric 1/4 size guitar to 19" mandola conversion, not much thought went into the string spacing, the most serious offence might be that as sloppily as it was measured, I didn't compensate for the string thickness, so they were measured centre to centre rather than edge to edge if that makes sense. What string spacing would you recommend? It would be a lot of fun to be able to do a little bit of note bending (it is an electric after all), after proper string spacing to eliminate rattling, what might a light set be for CGDA on a 19" scale?

Attaching a grainy picture of when it was a work in progress, I've since adjusted the string spacing at the saddle to bring the courses closer to each other, but the string spacing at the nut is as it is now...

[ptritz]

"19" is awfully long for an instrument tuned CGDA... "


It's true that that's longer than many mandolas, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's too long for that tuning. My Apollonio mandola has a 19.25" scale, and is tuned to DAEB - a full tone higher. The guages are .038, .024, .016, and .011.

Incidentally, those are actually pretty typical gauges to use on a standard mandolin. And that makes sense, since if you capo at the fifth fret, it gives you GDAE and essentially the same scale length as a mandolin.

Pete

[Bill Snyder]

It is definitely not too long for an instrument tuned CGDA. Tenor guitars are often tuned CGDA and most of them have a scale length of 23". They do not have the double courses so they are not subject to the tension a long scale mandola would be under.

[Rob Grant]

No problems using a standard set of mandola strings on a 19" scale. I once built a mandola with a 19" scale and the only problem I had with strings is that I didn't like the tone of the harsh C course, I finally found a set of Bella flatwounds that gave me the tone I desired. Thomastics would do the same thing. Thomastics are expensive, but I generally get a longer run out of them then I do anything else.

If you're having trouble with string rattle, check your course spacing at the nut.

[[j]-man]

Am I right in thinking that course spacing is a bit wider at the saddle than at the nut? Might be another thing to look at...

[Marty Jacobson]

Yep. Lawrence Smart published detailed specs on his mandolins, mandolas, and 'cellos in this article:

http://smart-instruments.com/gal95.html

I have found it, and the content of the article, useful to refer to when planning new instruments.

[[j]-man]

Hi all, I think I'll be going with a D'Addario Irish bouzouki set 11-11, 16-16, 28-28, 40-40 (for the acoustic that is, think I'll need to buy singles for the electric what with the magnetic pickups and all...)

This is based on the assumption that a mandolin set will be too short for a 19" mandola with a tailpiece, anyone know the total (useable) length of D'Addario mandolin strings?

Does the bouzouki set seem like a good idea?

[Mo Soar]

General FYI - Thomastik octave mandolin/mandola strings fit a 21" scale octave mandolin tuned GDAE - I was a little alarmed to actually get the set and see it was meant for 17 3/4" scale, but it fits fine and tunes to GDAE fine.

[otterly2k]

FWIW Johannes-
There are a bunch of mandola players that participate in the CBOM section of the forum, and you might also try that area for mandola related advice.

[tjarvis]

Hi there I have a gremlin mandola with a 19x1/4'' scale I would like strings that I could tune it to gdae ! any ideas out there !!

[Bill Snyder]

It would need to be an octave down from mandolin tuning. No matter what set of strings you choose you will not get 19 1/4" scale tuned up to the same e as a mandolin.