Yes, I would certainly use different stings on single- and double-strung
instruments. On the single-strung mandore I've currently got (SL
33.5cm), the first string is at c. 2.8kg, the rest at c. 2.5 - 2.7kg (I
prefer a slightly higher tension on thicker gut strings, 3rd / 4th). I
don't have a mandolino any more but it would normally be string with at
a lower tension, c. 2.3 - 2.4 kg per string.
Alexander
On 01/06/2010 21:36, Stuart Walsh wrote:
Alexander Batov wrote:
Many good points, Stuart. I myself is a long term fan of this this
little instrument (although not so much nowadays) and have made a
number of copies of both the mandore and mandolino. I could never
really see any hard reasons to distinguish them (I'm talking about
early 17th - mid 18th century time frame). In fact, constructionally
and in terms of size it is the same instrument and that's the main
thing! There is also an evidence of a small late 16th century descant
lute by Venere that was converted to a 6-course mandolino (hardly
surprising, bearing in mind a suitable body size at hand!). As for
the stringing, there seemed to be all different sorts of
combinations, with 5- and 6-course instruments being double-strung
throughout, or with a single first course, not to say with 4, 5 and,
occasionally, 6 single strings (again, within the above-mentioned
period).
Very interesting. I'm still puzzling over string tensions. Would you
use a different set of strings for a single-strung instrument than a
double-strung one? Would a single-string instrument need slightly
thicker strings and higher tension?
Stuart
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