Ah yes, you could just use ball-end guitar strings but it's tough to get a wound .015 or .016 these days. It used to be the standard. Clapton was one of the first to use a banjo string as an unwound 3rd on his Strat so he could bend it further. I think Tommy Iommi from Sabbath was using a banjo .006 for his top E at one stage! Anyway…
I would recommend these guys for quality stings, they do ball or loop mandolin gauges:
Ordinary ones won't do him, though. They have to have a ball end and they have to be nickel plated. He's very particular – and very grumpy by the looks of things.
I would just like to say that despite all that my old sparring partner might say I am not and never was a grumpy bastard………thanks to all the bockpeople for your help. I will investigate when sober…….
Ah yes, you could just use ball-end guitar strings but it's tough to get a wound .015 or .016 these days. It used to be the standard. Clapton was one of the first to use a banjo string as an unwound 3rd on his Strat so he could bend it further. I think Tommy Iommi from Sabbath was using a banjo .006 for his top E at one stage! Anyway…
I would recommend these guys for quality stings, they do ball or loop mandolin gauges:
http://www.newtonestrings.com/traditional_page.htm
Not only do I work on ships, I play the mandolin also….no I don't have a parrot or a wooden leg!
McCullough Pigotts in Dublin.
The Living Tradition(ossian.ie)
45a MacCurtain Street – Cork – Ireland
Phone / Fax : 353 (0)21 4502564
E-mail : info@thelivingtradition.com
Ordinary ones won't do him, though. They have to have a ball end and they have to be nickel plated. He's very particular – and very grumpy by the looks of things.
I would just like to say that despite all that my old sparring partner might say I am not and never was a grumpy bastard………thanks to all the bockpeople for your help. I will investigate when sober…….
Absolutely, Pat. You're definitely not a bastard.
The search goes on for nickel-coated ball-end mandolin strings.