For those of you playing Octave Mandolins out there, do you have a preference/recommendation for strings? For guage? For manufacturer?
I'm playing a Freshwater made (tuned GDAE) and it came to me with a set of .014, .022, .032 and .044. I notice the pre-packaged sets tend to come .012, .022, .032 & .042.
Its not volume that you gain but 'leanability' the potential for strong heavy playing is there, I will simply break anything less anything less than a 11 when i give it some. oomph!
And it really depends on the scale of the instrument. On my 20.5 inch TC it sounds horrible with less than .015,.024,.034,.047. Longer instruments would let you use lighter strings.
As a general rule I tend to favor a little thicker string so I can put a little more meat into the pick if I feel like it. Though I haven't broken a (guitar) string playing in probably 10 years. I fear I may have to buy individual strings if I cannot find the gauges I want in pre-packaged (and generally less expensive) string sets.
What about manufacturer? Is there a gold standard string specifically made for Octave Mandolin/bouzouki that anyone is aware of? Do any of you find the GHS, or Pearse, D'Addario or Thomastik's or any brand name seems to work better for your instruments or taste.
I totally understand it'll take trial and error and the peculiar tone and voice of my own instrument to find what's "right for me." But I appreciate hearing of your experiences and opinions.
is not the mandola meant to be tuned ADGC? not EADG. that would explain the 14.
Irish musicians have changed this, like the tenor banjo, to EADG as it is more suited to trad.
sorry are we talking about the same instrument~?
Classically the mandola is like the viola of the mandolin family it is tuned CGDA (like an 'old-timey' tenor banjo), one fifth lower than the mandolin, the octave mandolin is tuned one octave lower than the mandolin so GDAE but lower, this is how a "mandolin orchestra" would have been set up, and I think that is how most instrument and string manufacturers think of things.
But in Irish music there are a lot of popular alternative tunings, I imagine EADG started out as someones way of making the instrument easier to switch to, because it would match the lowest four strings of a standard tuned guitar
I'm pretty sure mine is an Octave Mandolin (approx. 60 cm scale length). At least I intend to treat it as an Octave Mandolin so I have an istrument tuned in fifths!
I tend to feel that using the octave mandolin tuning makes it easiest to play the popular keys, that is how my tenor banjo is tuned and it's almost intuitive.
String preference for OM?
String preference for OM?
Hey y'all-
For those of you playing Octave Mandolins out there, do you have a preference/recommendation for strings? For guage? For manufacturer?
I'm playing a Freshwater made (tuned GDAE) and it came to me with a set of .014, .022, .032 and .044. I notice the pre-packaged sets tend to come .012, .022, .032 & .042.
Your advice is kindly appreciated!
# Posted on January 3rd 2008 by daddae
Re: String preference for OM?
i use .011,.020,.028,.038, heavier than that seems like overkill, i don't think you get much more volume from heavier strings. Don
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by Dont
Re: String preference for OM?
Its not volume that you gain but 'leanability' the potential for strong heavy playing is there, I will simply break anything less anything less than a 11 when i give it some. oomph!
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by jig
Re: String preference for OM?
And it really depends on the scale of the instrument. On my 20.5 inch TC it sounds horrible with less than .015,.024,.034,.047. Longer instruments would let you use lighter strings.
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by justjim
Re: String preference for OM?
As a general rule I tend to favor a little thicker string so I can put a little more meat into the pick if I feel like it. Though I haven't broken a (guitar) string playing in probably 10 years. I fear I may have to buy individual strings if I cannot find the gauges I want in pre-packaged (and generally less expensive) string sets.
What about manufacturer? Is there a gold standard string specifically made for Octave Mandolin/bouzouki that anyone is aware of? Do any of you find the GHS, or Pearse, D'Addario or Thomastik's or any brand name seems to work better for your instruments or taste.
I totally understand it'll take trial and error and the peculiar tone and voice of my own instrument to find what's "right for me." But I appreciate hearing of your experiences and opinions.
# Posted on January 4th 2008 by daddae
Re: String preference for OM?
is not the mandola meant to be tuned ADGC? not EADG. that would explain the 14.
Irish musicians have changed this, like the tenor banjo, to EADG as it is more suited to trad.
sorry are we talking about the same instrument~?
# Posted on January 6th 2008 by jig
Re: String preference for OM?
Classically the mandola is like the viola of the mandolin family it is tuned CGDA (like an 'old-timey' tenor banjo), one fifth lower than the mandolin, the octave mandolin is tuned one octave lower than the mandolin so GDAE but lower, this is how a "mandolin orchestra" would have been set up, and I think that is how most instrument and string manufacturers think of things.
But in Irish music there are a lot of popular alternative tunings, I imagine EADG started out as someones way of making the instrument easier to switch to, because it would match the lowest four strings of a standard tuned guitar
# Posted on January 6th 2008 by PJMcGorvin
Re: String preference for OM?
Here is an interesting article from ceolas.org that helps to explain the difference between the types of instruments. I found it useful...
http://www.ceolas.org/instruments/cittern.html
I'm pretty sure mine is an Octave Mandolin (approx. 60 cm scale length). At least I intend to treat it as an Octave Mandolin so I have an istrument tuned in fifths!
# Posted on January 7th 2008 by daddae
Re: String preference for OM?
I tend to feel that using the octave mandolin tuning makes it easiest to play the popular keys, that is how my tenor banjo is tuned and it's almost intuitive.
# Posted on February 8th 2008 by PJMcGorvin