To mellow it out, I wouldn't tune it so tight and that includes snare tension. I doesn't take much to get a 4 x 14 really cranked up. Also, you have figure out what sound you are looking for, and what size drum you have(tunning range).

peace

First, try moving to more snare wires, such as 42 strand. I know this may sound like the opposite of what you're after, but I think you'll be surprised. The greater surface area coverage of the 42 wires actually muffles the reso head, resulting in a dryer sound. Second, assuming by "mellow" you mean less bright, go with Puresound (other than the Blasters). They are definately a mellow wire (too much so for my taste, in fact). Whether you go for the 42 strand based on my advice or not, the duller Puresound wires will darken up the tone a bit. Hope this helps.

Why not try an actual Ludwig set of wires? They are fairly nice and would actually sound pretty cool on this thin snare.

With my limited experience, I'd agree with the above statement. I did a A/B test on a drum I purchased recently, Gibraltar vs Puresound. The Puresound won hands down and took the edge off the sound (the Gilbraltar wires were brighter and more 'rock' sounding - not bad, just not my thing).

You guys are going to LOVE this:

http://www.malletjazz.com/snares/snarewires/#grover Cool1

The creator (James Walker) has posted a bunch of recorded snare wire comparisons, with all variables the same except the brand of wires used (though I noticed a few minor deviations in tuning - but overall very consistent). I've got my few definite favorites (and dislikes) but I'll keep them to myself to avoid tainting your opinions. It'll then be fun to compare likes/dislikes.

FYI, each sample has a "mix" recording of batter/reso microphones, which I think is the most telling in terms of what the player will actually hear. Can't wait to test the "beauty is in the ear of the beholder" addage! ENJOY!

Cool! I skimmed over a few. I'll check more later! Thanks for linking!