I get asked this more than anything else.

If you play a bouzouki or octave mandolin, you’ll know the string situation can be… frustrating. You can’t just buy a proper set — you have to mix and match. What gauges should you use for which tuning and scale length? And on longer scale instruments, the wound section often won’t even reach the tuners. It’s all a bit unsatisfactory.

So I asked Neil Silverman at Newtone Strings to come up with something better — and he did.

These custom sets are now ready to buy straight off the shelf. They’re hex core, they’re what you’re hearing on all my recent bouzouki sound samples, and they’re absolutely perfect for my instruments. The hex core strings have a little more zing to them than the D’Addario equivalent which I really like. And the extra length solves a lot of issues.

The sets cover GDAD/E 8 string bouzouki and OM, 10 string cittern and short scale cittern (DGDAD/E) and GCGC bouzouki. Ball or loop end.