PSA Check your strings!

[Trapdoor2]

I had a weird experience this morning with some new strings.

I've been playing the new (new to me) set of Nylguts from Joel for the past month or two. I just can't get used to them, they're too stretchy for me. They sound fine...

So, I had purchased 3 sets of CE medium nylons back in August and I got to work this morning. Once I had the set mounted and was tuning them up, I noticed the 1st was really stiff...very heavy. At first, I thought "well, I just haven't had a set of nylons on in ages, I'm just not used to them..." Then I thought, maybe I used to get "lights" and just ordered the wrong set. I checked my inventory of old strings...all I had was two packs of 20yr old Chris Sands' "heavies" and several CE 0.028" Weaver 4ths.

The more I played it, the more suspicious I got. Being a retired engineering type, I went out in the shop and got my micrometer. I hadn't cut off all the tag ends, so I measured them. The 5th was 0.024, the 1st was 0.026...so was the 2nd. Then I opened the other 2 sets of strings...all the bags marked 0.024 actually measured 0.026. Somehow, I lucked into the only 0.024 when I put it on the 5th.

I've contacted Clem at CE. He needs to check his inventory...I hope this is an isolated incident.

Thankfully, the Chris Sands' Heavy sets have a 0.022" 5th and 1st. I robbed one pack and got it mounted. Feels much better...although the surface finish on the old Sands' sets have some tooth (I'd forgotten about that).

That's your PSA for today. Back to practicing for the ABF rally!!

[Trapdoor2]

I received a note from Clem, he's checking his inventory and sending out replacements. Can't ask for better than that!

[Joel Hooks]

I had mentioned that the first gross of strings I got from Aquila had the incorrect 4ths.  My day job has taught me enough to take calipers and check everything and I caught it before I shipped any out.  They sent me replacement 4ths that I stuck under the flaps but I still had to explain it to a lot of people. 

They labella strings I sell I specify rectified which gives that "tooth".  They told me they went to smooth nylon for their regular "17s" (19s) to save money. 

[Ethan Schwartz]

On a related subject, I recently had a set of LaBella 17s on my banjo for some weeks and couldn't get the B string to intonate correctly no matter what I did. It sounded progressively flatter as I traveled up the neck even though the D and G strings were fine. I wound up replacing it with a rectified .019. Problem solved. I've previously experienced the exact same thing on a different banjo, so it doesn't seem like a one-off thing. There must be something going on with excessive stiffness at that gauge (.022) with the smooth nylon material. 

[Joel Hooks]

Sometimes you can flip a false string and it will solve or at least make the problem less noticeable.