Curt Mangan Tenor Banjo Stainless Wound 4 String Set. Gauges: 9 - 16 - 24 - 32 Loopend Plain Steel Gauges: 9 - 16 Stainless Wound String: 24 - 32 Stainless Steel wound strings became popular in the early Seventies. Stainless Steel strings are the brightest sounding strings and offer extended life to players who have acidic hands. Stainless Wound strings are created by wrapping Stainless Steel alloys around a hex-shaped core wire which is made from tin-plated high-carbon steel (same as plain strings, but hex-shaped).