Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Hello fellow pluckers,
I'm a professional Mandola player currently working with a band called the Monster Ceilidh Band. Recently it's been really annoying me that I can never find strings which are made for my instrument. I always end up buying guitar strings which I have to replace nearly every gig. Untill I the other day found the perfect set - D'addario Flat Tops for Mandola. They are flat wound, like violin strings, in phosophor bronze with a special custom guage for mandola. I put them on and they sound incredible; a more subtle warm and resonant sound. As I played I noticed that the fret noise had all but dissapeared. Strings from the gods I thought. Only one problem - they are all loop ended and my instrument needs ball ended strings. I'd spent two hours taking ball ends off other strings to put them on these beauties and it was worth it. then, in a very noisy session after 4 hours of non stop hard playing (and 4 gigs FYI) in newcastle town I broke a string.
Well I decided enough was enough and wrote to D'addario string company. To my surprise they got back to me straight away. We discussed the possiblity of making some of the srings I wanted and they said it was possible to do a minimum run of 500 sets.
The question is - is there enough interest in these strings to produce and sell 500 sets? This is where I need your help thesession.org, would you possibly reply to this message with your thoughts or any questions you have related to these strings. Thanks x
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Newtone strings will make you up custom sets of loop end or ball end strings in any guages you want. They will do small quantities (6 or more sets I think). You can deal with Newtone direct, though it can take a while from your order time for them to make them. Eagle Music also sell their strings.
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Sorry, Szifty, I didn't read your post properly. I missed the bit about the strings being flatwound. I don't know if Newtone make flatwounds. It could be worth talking to Malcolm there to see if he can do it.
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
hi davel35, i've emailed newtone already but I've had no response. I have had response from D'addario as I've said above. I need to know who would be interested in buying these strings if managed to get them made.
sorry Gam, I don't think altering the instrument is a viable solution in this case. I think that appropriate strings could be a solution, if I know I can get support from the community to get them built.
The instrument I play is confusing as is any thing of its ilk. It was sold to me as a mandocello but came tuned as an octave mandolin -GDAE. I have played instruments described as mandolas tuned either GDAE or CGDA. I now tune my instrument to FCGC. I think there maybe a disparity between American instruments (which don't vary and come from the mandolin orchestra family) and European 'celtic' inspired struments. What it is is an eight stringed, four coursed instrument about the same size as a mandocello with my own tuning. I call it a mandocello because that is what I was sold many years ago and what my father also plays.
The strings I have found will be suitable for many different types of eight stringed instrument that are closely related to mandola. not sure about bouzouki because of the tension. I hope that helps.
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
thanks bodatcha
I'm not sure currently on the price but I would think I could get them at about £12 for one pack. This is purely a guess though I'm waiting on confirmation from the company. For a bulk order I'd have to look at what the cost price of getting them in was. I do plan to sell them in bulk and cheaply as long as I cover the initial cost of buying them.
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
The scale length of your instrument would be a further useful piece of information.
As for ball end/loop end; obviously you can change the tailpiece if you have a floating bridge instrument, not if you have a pin bridge instrument.
On the subject of strings; has anyone else noticed a sudden hike in string prices recently ? John Pearse bouzouki strings seem to have gone through the roof !
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
I am shure you can get custom strings in any quantity from Pyramid Strings in Germany. They sell phosphor bronze guitar strings round wound (they call it "Round Core Acoustic Bronze, geschliffen) but ground and polished - the same as D'Addario's: "D'Addario Flat Tops are round wound, then precision ground, leaving the outer surface smooth and semi-flat."
They also have chrome flat wound strings.
Just email them: info@pyramidstrings.com
English website www.pyramidstrings.com (not much content, you'd get more information from the German website www.pyramid-saiten.de).
I used to order custom sets for Irish tenor banjo tuning from them and are very satisfied.
Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Hello fellow pluckers,
I'm a professional Mandola player currently working with a band called the Monster Ceilidh Band. Recently it's been really annoying me that I can never find strings which are made for my instrument. I always end up buying guitar strings which I have to replace nearly every gig. Untill I the other day found the perfect set - D'addario Flat Tops for Mandola. They are flat wound, like violin strings, in phosophor bronze with a special custom guage for mandola. I put them on and they sound incredible; a more subtle warm and resonant sound. As I played I noticed that the fret noise had all but dissapeared. Strings from the gods I thought. Only one problem - they are all loop ended and my instrument needs ball ended strings. I'd spent two hours taking ball ends off other strings to put them on these beauties and it was worth it. then, in a very noisy session after 4 hours of non stop hard playing (and 4 gigs FYI) in newcastle town I broke a string.
Well I decided enough was enough and wrote to D'addario string company. To my surprise they got back to me straight away. We discussed the possiblity of making some of the srings I wanted and they said it was possible to do a minimum run of 500 sets.
The question is - is there enough interest in these strings to produce and sell 500 sets? This is where I need your help thesession.org, would you possibly reply to this message with your thoughts or any questions you have related to these strings. Thanks x
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by szifty
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
This might be of interest, if not of much help --
http://www.professorstring.com/string_secrets_ball-ends.php
I had a similar problem with a bouzouki, and ended up fitting a new tailpiece.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by gam
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Newtone strings will make you up custom sets of loop end or ball end strings in any guages you want. They will do small quantities (6 or more sets I think). You can deal with Newtone direct, though it can take a while from your order time for them to make them. Eagle Music also sell their strings.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by DaveL35
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Sorry, Szifty, I didn't read your post properly. I missed the bit about the strings being flatwound. I don't know if Newtone make flatwounds. It could be worth talking to Malcolm there to see if he can do it.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by DaveL35
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
hi davel35, i've emailed newtone already but I've had no response. I have had response from D'addario as I've said above. I need to know who would be interested in buying these strings if managed to get them made.
sorry Gam, I don't think altering the instrument is a viable solution in this case. I think that appropriate strings could be a solution, if I know I can get support from the community to get them built.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by szifty
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
You say you are a mandola player, but your profile says mandcello.
I think that if you are after people to want these strings, you need to tell us the length and the guages.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by ...
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
I just spoke to Malcolm, and he says he can't do flatwounds, so you can disregard my other posts.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by DaveL35
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
here's the infromation on the strings, they are the same length as guitar strings:
Diameter Tension
Item# inches mm lbs kg
FT7601 0.016 0.41 30.3 13.74
FT7601 0.016 0.41 30.3 13.74
FT7602 0.024 0.61 30.7 13.92
FT7602 0.024 0.61 30.7 13.92
FT7603 0.035 0.89 27.9 12.65
FT7603 0.035 0.89 27.9 12.65
FT7604 0.053 1.35 24.9 11.29
FT7604 0.053 1.35 24.9 11.29
The instrument I play is confusing as is any thing of its ilk. It was sold to me as a mandocello but came tuned as an octave mandolin -GDAE. I have played instruments described as mandolas tuned either GDAE or CGDA. I now tune my instrument to FCGC. I think there maybe a disparity between American instruments (which don't vary and come from the mandolin orchestra family) and European 'celtic' inspired struments. What it is is an eight stringed, four coursed instrument about the same size as a mandocello with my own tuning. I call it a mandocello because that is what I was sold many years ago and what my father also plays.
The strings I have found will be suitable for many different types of eight stringed instrument that are closely related to mandola. not sure about bouzouki because of the tension. I hope that helps.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by szifty
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
I actually call it a mondocello now. cool eh?!
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by szifty
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
I might be interested...any idea how much a set they would be?(I'd be looking for say 20 sets). Cheers.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by bodatcha
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
I like yer band btw....
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by bodatcha
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
thanks bodatcha
I'm not sure currently on the price but I would think I could get them at about £12 for one pack. This is purely a guess though I'm waiting on confirmation from the company. For a bulk order I'd have to look at what the cost price of getting them in was. I do plan to sell them in bulk and cheaply as long as I cover the initial cost of buying them.
# Posted on September 19th 2011 by szifty
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
Maybe too pricey for me...I got a bulk order of phosphor bronze ball ends for my OM here:
http://www.wholesaleguitarstrings.co.uk/
worked out about £7.80 a set (but they were not flat wound)...
# Posted on September 20th 2011 by bodatcha
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
well, thats the point I guess, flat wounds are more difficult (read impossible) to come by. Thats why I'm going to this much effort!
# Posted on September 20th 2011 by szifty
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
The scale length of your instrument would be a further useful piece of information.
As for ball end/loop end; obviously you can change the tailpiece if you have a floating bridge instrument, not if you have a pin bridge instrument.
On the subject of strings; has anyone else noticed a sudden hike in string prices recently ? John Pearse bouzouki strings seem to have gone through the roof !
# Posted on September 25th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Help me with a new line of strings mandola/cello players!
I am shure you can get custom strings in any quantity from Pyramid Strings in Germany. They sell phosphor bronze guitar strings round wound (they call it "Round Core Acoustic Bronze, geschliffen) but ground and polished - the same as D'Addario's: "D'Addario Flat Tops are round wound, then precision ground, leaving the outer surface smooth and semi-flat."
They also have chrome flat wound strings.
Just email them: info@pyramidstrings.com
English website www.pyramidstrings.com (not much content, you'd get more information from the German website www.pyramid-saiten.de).
I used to order custom sets for Irish tenor banjo tuning from them and are very satisfied.
# Posted on September 29th 2011 by TomBom