I can’t remember the name of the guy/his strings, but the package shows a picture of him standing there with a banjo and he’s holding a pack of strings. They’re my favorite strings but it’s been so long since I’ve bought new ones that I’ve forgotten his name.
I remembered! Bill Keith! I’m gonna leave this up just in case anyone wants a recommendation for a set of great strings that are also really cheap. I’ve got an Ome and I like them way better than the Ome brand strings. I think they’re just a perfect gauge combination. Has anyone tried the Pisgah strings?
Somebody told ME that someone else told THEM that all the steel musical instrument strings made in America came from the same factory.
Just packaged in whatever envelopes and gauges the various wholesalers want.
Don't even know if now, thirty-five years later, ANY instrument string factory in the U. of S. of A. even exists.
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregorySomebody told ME that someone else told THEM that all the steel musical instrument strings made in America came from the same factory.
Just packaged in whatever envelopes and gauges the various wholesalers want.
Don't even know if now, thirty-five years later, ANY instrument string factory in the U. of S. of A. even exists.
D'Addario is an American company, based in New York. I had also heard that one company made most strings available. I recently saw a video by D'Addario that says they make 700,000 strings a day! I originally heard that Mapes made the majority of strings. I don't know if that is true... can't believe what you hear. This is not the video I saw the other day but it is interesting nonetheless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHoyP53naNk
You peaked my curiosity. In addition to D'Addario, I found that Mapes and GHS are also American made strings.
My understanding is there are very few makers of "music wire" or "piano wire" but there may be more companies that turn wire into finished strings. Mapes is definitely one of the few makers of wire from which strings are made. So several different brands of strings are probably Mapes wire, which may be made into strings either by Mapes or someone else.
Mapes does sell finished strings under its own name, with nickel-plated steel, phosphor bronze, and stainless steel 4th strings, in round or "Octocore." They have two pre-selected sets plus the option to specify your own mix of gauges.
Just because a company is based in the US doesn't mean their products are made here.
Mapes, however has their main factory in Elizibethton, Tennessee. It is likely that many banjo strings are made by Mapes, as they also supply piano strings, even to Steinway.
There is a large supplier of music wire in Germany, Roslau, and with a huge piano industry (and many other instrument makers) in Asia, I would suspect some strings come out of there.
I believe that "all strings are from one factory" is a myth.
I see a lot of talk about “strings” going on here, but find it odd that no one has mentioned the production of “strangs”… which is what is used on a banjo?
Mapes, D'addario, GHS, John Pearse, and Curt Mangan are string makers so they probably all make their own strings. I can see where instrument companies like Gibson, Martin, Vega, and Guild would likely have their strings made by a company like Mapes and packaged with their company logo on it.
That is speculation, don't take it for Gospel.
Edited by - Culloden on 06/09/2023 14:24:39
My grandma worked in the GHS factory for a long time.
I'll second Curt Mangan strings, made in Cortez, Colorado. Been using them for several years now. Locally made, for me living in Boulder, CO, and they sound great on all my banjos. He makes strings for other instruments as well.
I have worked with Optima out of Germany, and Andre (the owner) tracks down sources for his wire from multiple manufacturers all over the world, and when he can't find what he wants, he finds someone who will formulate and make the wire to his specifications. It is likely that he is not the only supplier of musical instrument strings that does that.
That said, too my knowledge Mapes is the only manufacturer who uses Appalachian moonshine to cure some sets of their strings to give them more life. My experience with moonshine leads me to believe that moonshine can cut both ways, so it might be a good idea to try a set of their strings before totally imbibing with all your banjos.
There are multiple companies located in the US that manufacture wire suitable for use in musical instruments, and the suppliers of banjo strings likely source their wire to suit their product line and customers best, imho.
https://www.thomasnet.com/products/music-wire-94750403-1.html
Edited by - rmcdow on 06/10/2023 03:09:11
Fender of all people are over in Scottsdale, Arizona.
I used the GHS Keith "Reds" from '86 to '99.I think the sizes were 11 11 14 22pb 11.
In '99 I got my tb-2 conversion and went up to 11 12 15 22pb 11.
I order from anybody's (Just Strings ,etc.) single string offerings to make up this set.
Strings are strings to me.It's only about diameter
I used to use these on my Ibanez Artist and they sounded great. On my Nechville Phantom, I prefer a thinner 1st and 5th.
Years ago it was often said that all strings come off the same roll of piano wire,but Korea started offering their version of lobster trap wire and car floors and fenders.
I think it was around then that other wire choices came around.
quote:
Originally posted by sdfarris
I used to use these on my Ibanez Artist and they sounded great. On my Nechville Phantom, I prefer a thinner 1st and 5th.
These were the first set of strings I put on my StewMac "Vintage" kit in '86.They sounded so good I never looked for anything else on that flathead.It has their "Extra bass response" 20 hole ring from that time.I like a bronze 4th on a maple banjo.
As I played more and more melodic fiddletunes and such I seem to have gotten bigger strings.
I find myself playing nearer the neck for more accuracy and the bigger strings hold their voice further from the bridge it seems.
Maybe the wave-form is a touch lower and there's no "slap" notes that I get from light strings.
More how I play than anything else.
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