Mandola Tuning

Mandola: (Tenor) scale length around 420mm (but I have seen 410 and 440!)
Tuning: Accepted tuning for *mandolas* in most places is the same as violas, *CGDA* from low to high, with unison strings, that is, with pairs of strings in the same octave. However, there are two accepted methods of tuning, the *alto/treble* or *tenor tuning. The 'mandola tenore'* is common in Italy, where the tuning is GDAE an octave below the mandolin. But beware, mandola scale lengths do seem to vary more than the classical Neapolitan mandolins. Middle C is 5th on the 3rd string with the *alto tuning, (CGDA)* and 3rd on the 2nd string in *tenor tuning (GDAE).*
	Alto (CGDA)
Strings Manufacturer:		1st	2nd	3rd	4th
D'Addario light	Phosphor Bronze	.015"	?	?	.052"
Galli Mandola	Phospor Tenor In D	.019"	.025"	.042"	.060"
Galli Mandola	Phospor Tenor In Sol	.014"	.024"	.034"	.050"
GHS PF 280 Mandola	BRIGHT BRONZE loop end	.012"	.022"	.032"	.044"
	Unfortunately I haven't tried out all these string sets yet. I tend to use GHS bright bronze, but for a typical mandola scale length, I replace the 2nd string with a 020w, as I find 022 breaks too often, so is too heavy.
	Tenor (GDAE)
Dogal	they do low tension strings for Tenor tuned mandolas, for scale lengths of 44, 46 and 48 cms.