Customer Reviews

D'Addario J62 80/20 Bronze Mandolin Strings, Light, 10-34

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most mandolinists I know or know of (in the US & UK at least) play with strings much heavier than these. However, their mandolins are mostly Gibsons (or copies thereof) and thus have a truss-rod in the neck.

I have a pre-First World war Neapolitan (bowl-back) mandolin which I use for folk music, and high-tension strings would collapse it like a piece of cardboard. In fact, they wouldn't even fit in the slots in the nut.

I've tried several brands of strings over the years. La Bella and Black Diamond were satisfactory, but now I've standardised on these D'Addarios. I've stuck with them for the following reasons:

• They're extremely reliable -- I can't remember the last time I had a dud string.
• Their sound is excellent and they last a long time.
• They settle in extremely quickly (this is a biggie for a professional musician).
• They have eco-friendly packaging.

So if you have a Neapolitan, or an old mandolin without a truss-rod, give them a try. They would probably also be suitable in general for someone with weak hands, for instance a child.

The gauges are .034, .024, .014 & .010. The La Bella set are actually lighter, except (for some inscrutable reason) the 4th string, which is heavier. So you might consider those, too.

Great strings for the price. Easy to replace,and easy to the touch for those beginner players like me!