I love it when things get on-topic!
.060 on the bottom end--seems a lot of rock guitarists went with that size in the 80's--the heavy strings. I actually find a heavy string 'flops around' less and can be picked faster--but not bent as readily.
Chris Thile--bluegrass/pop kinda mandolinist uses a wound A on his mandolin--which I just can't stand on my own, but he sure makes it sound supple.
Ralph's mandolin player, if he is the same fella who plays a flatiron gibson A (?)--what kind of strings and action does he prefer? When I was mixing Ralph's band when they played at our church, there was one point when I looked down, and his mic was almost shut off--the mando player--he has such a ringing baritone/low tenor that just cut through the amplification and filled the room. He barely needed any sound reinforcement.
Jonathan
As my father used to say: "The truth is a rabbit in a bramble patch. All you can do is circle around and say it's somewhere in there." -Pete Seeger
