Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

String Experiment

#1

I’m getting ready to put fresh strings on. I have another set of mediums but I also have some lights, or maybe they are ultra-lights. Anyway it got me to thinking. Has anyone here ever experimented with different weight
string pairs on their mando? Like maybe a medium top string and light lower string in the pair? Kind of like a 12 string guitar? Thought about playing around with that on my next string change but I thought I would check in here first so as not to waste my time. I just thought it might be an interesting effect.

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#2

You mean octave pairs like a bouzouki? It’ll create intonation problems if you play up the neck, and be a different sound when playing.

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#3

I thought his meaning was not octaves… But maybe using heavy on low strings and light on top strings.

#4

He kind of made it sound like he meant octave pairs

#5

The only time I have mixed lights with heavy’s is when I busted a string and didn’t have a new set to hand.

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#6

How did that work out?

#7

Yes…

#8

@Archie,

In that case (when you mixed the set), how did it affect your sound and playing? Did it bother you or did you feel that everything was just… off ?

Or… Did you find some advantage that made it not it tolerable - but preferred? If so, which aspects?

I am going out on a limb to presume it was not a desirable experience or you would be still doing it.

@Stixx3969, @Dragonslayer,

I don’t think octaves could ever work (I am thinking double-string mandolin here) because the tension would be unadvised and dangerous for the tuners to tighten so much.

#9

Hi @WillCoop since it was mostly the 5th string that would break it did,t bother me too much. As soon as I got home i would change the full set.

#10

Well, for the G and D courses it should be fine, and on bouzouki and twelve string guitar usually the first two courses are unison strung.

#11

I was just wondering if anyone had ever done it. I doubt that I will.

#12

Did you actually mean octave courses? It wasn’t clear

#13

No. I just meant two different gauge strings in the same pair, tuned the same.

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#14

@Stixx3969,

That is what I thought… Thanks for confirming.

I suspect it bothers those who mix… More than the playing itself.

Would one even tell if they picked up a Mando that had both. I wonder…

#15

This idea is intriguing to me… Use heavy sent for upper… Light for lower in the set… Across all strings.

This might brighten tones when cross-picking but add bottom end to normal lower downstrokes?

Hmmmm,:thinking:

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#16

It could be done to equalize volume between up and down strokes, but it seems a bit extreme. It also could cause intonation issues. If you do it, keep a diary about it

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#17

Now I am kind of intrigued by the octave tuning :grinning: That might be kind of cool (except for tuning… I can’t seem to ever keep a twelve string guitar tuned for more than a moment in time).