I'm looking around for appropriate string solutions for a mandocello restoration project.
The instrument is currently with my luthier getting a pretty deep spa treatment including steaming out the top and replacing the original sound bar with a mod-X brace.. This is a 1910's Gibson K1 mandocello, this instrument predates truss rods but has a wildly beefy V neck. Sunken arches at the bridge are very common with these instruments as they were made with very lightly braced carved archtop oval hole soundboards.
The original Gibson factory string gauges are lost to history. The mandocello employs double courses of C2 G2 D3 A3, the scale length is 24.75" which is shorter than a 4/4 cello. when I got the instrument it had flats.
I am planning on rounds for the overtones. I don't plan on performance this instrument is for writing and recording so lower volume is amenable.
I am amenable to mixing sets and even courses. I have considered synthetic core but I believe steel cores are the standard. I have also considered single courses instead of double but I do think I want the double courses for the mando sound.
Right now I have a set of curt mangan mandocello lights that should work fine. the gauges are .070 .046 .030 .020. about 200lbs of pressure according to the daddario tension calc.
any ideas welcome thx fam
The instrument is currently with my luthier getting a pretty deep spa treatment including steaming out the top and replacing the original sound bar with a mod-X brace.. This is a 1910's Gibson K1 mandocello, this instrument predates truss rods but has a wildly beefy V neck. Sunken arches at the bridge are very common with these instruments as they were made with very lightly braced carved archtop oval hole soundboards.
The original Gibson factory string gauges are lost to history. The mandocello employs double courses of C2 G2 D3 A3, the scale length is 24.75" which is shorter than a 4/4 cello. when I got the instrument it had flats.
I am planning on rounds for the overtones. I don't plan on performance this instrument is for writing and recording so lower volume is amenable.
I am amenable to mixing sets and even courses. I have considered synthetic core but I believe steel cores are the standard. I have also considered single courses instead of double but I do think I want the double courses for the mando sound.
Right now I have a set of curt mangan mandocello lights that should work fine. the gauges are .070 .046 .030 .020. about 200lbs of pressure according to the daddario tension calc.
any ideas welcome thx fam
