Well, It looks like the Tele strings don't match what I use on Lucy after all. I think in the end I just put it together buying single strings but they are D'Addario and the gauges listed.
Hey Geeky666, Lucy looks cool, an 8-string.
I also saw a recommendation to purchase individual D'Addario strings, however I had a spare set of the Slinky strings already in my Strat case, which were for my Strat but I haven't been playing it for some time.
I do recommend that people use the strings of their choice, and to experiment according to their desire with gauges. Personally I've become an adamant user of Slinkys on my Electric Guitar.
Epiphone do the Mandobird in an 8-String, the Mandobird VIII, however I consider I was fortunate to stumble across the 4-String model. Apparently the Mandobird VIII has a Single Piece Saddle, whereas the Mandobird IV has Four individual fully adjustable saddles as on a Strat style Guitar. I found having the Individual Saddles meant I could adjust the intonation of each string accordingly, whereas with the Mandobird VIII that can't be done.
Also I really wanted a 4-String, so for me it worked out very well, I also very much like the Firebirds. It's a personal thing, but I still count my blessings for finding this instrument. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it advertised on a FB page, and after 18 hours of the post being up there was not a soul interested in it. It was advertised as a small guitar, the owner had no idea about it, it was just sitting in their shed getting dusty and even the frets were starting to get a small amount of surface rust it had just been sitting there for years apparently, as some kind of ornamental purpose.
Until I saw it I was not even aware these existed, and to be honest I looked at it several times before I really comprehended just what I was looking at. A quick and easy exchange and it's now mine. The previous owner really couldn't have cared less about it. As the saying goes "One man's trash is another man's treasure" ..
I'm curious, Do you have a post regarding your National ?
Thanks very much for your input