You may recall we had some issues last spring with size of the loops on the JM11 JazzMando flatwound mandolin string. The good news is with the new jig they have to make these, loop size is no longer an issue (see archive story). Unfortunately, another problem that has plagued our last batch of 200 sets is an intermittent incidence of flawed string cores on the D strings.

What is happening is the string will not intonate correctly and as you move up the fret the strings will be out of tune from each other. It's not a nut or bridge slot issue, it's the string core, and you will notice this immediately. It either works or it doesn't, but there is no way to know without putting it on. The don't deteriorate over time, they simply don't play in tune.

We'll also point out it's still rare. We've only had 4 reports (out of around 100), but we want you to be aware of it. Labella is taking care of this by sending us some replacement D strings. If you do have a defective string, email us right away, and we'll get a replacement string out in the mail the next day.

These handwound strings are not easy to manufacture; the precision necessary for a flatwound string this high and pressure so intense is a challenge, though that's still not an excuse for a bad string.

We want to make this right. Everyone who has reported this issue so far has been happy to get the replacements, because they still like the strings. We're glad it's worth the hassle.

Contact us if you have any questions!

Posted by Ted at November 5, 2009 12:49 PM