Mandolin Strings

A mandolin, known as mandolino in Italian, is a stringed musical instrument belonging to the lute family and is typically played by plucking with a pick. It features four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, for a total of eight strings. Various string types are used, with steel core strings being the most common and affordable. The courses are typically tuned in perfect fifths, sharing the same tuning as a violin (G3, D4, A4, E5). Like the violin, it serves as the soprano member of a family that includes the mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello, and mandobass.

Historically, mandolin development centered around the soundboard. Early instruments were relatively quiet, strung with gut strings, and played with fingers or a quill. However, modern mandolins produce louder sound, utilizing metal strings that create greater sound pressure than gut strings. The modern soundboard is engineered to withstand the pressure of metal strings, preventing damage that might occur when stringing an earlier instrument with steel strings. Soundboards come in various shapes, typically round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes featuring scrolls or other ornamental elements. Additionally, one or more sound holes, whether round, oval, or f-hole, are typically present in the soundboard, often adorned with decorative rosettes or purfling.