Martin "Monel" Strings

[mdutr0]

I was looking at these online the other day and, well, I am a little confused...

How are they different from PBs or 80/20s exactly? Is it like the Clapton's Choice strings which are basically just regular EJ16s with a fancy name? What am I missing here - what makes them different?

Anyone have any personal experience with them?

Originally Posted by mdutr0

I was looking at these online the other day and, well, I am a little confused...

How are they different from PBs or 80/20s exactly? Is it like the Clapton's Choice strings which are basically just regular EJ16s with a fancy name? What am I missing here - what makes them different?

Anyone have any personal experience with them?

They are made of Monel, rather than a brass/bronze alloy. Monel is a nickel alloy. If you've had experience with nickel strings, you'll have some idea of how the Monels will sound. To my ear, they have a bit less volume and smoother tone.

Clapton's Choice strings are not EJ-16's, since those are D'Addario strings.

Originally Posted by mdutr0

Anyone have any personal experience with them?

Yes -- I love them on my Gibson J-35, but they REALLY shine on my Martin 000-15M. They have quickly become my favorite string. Highly recommended!

[TBman]

I put them on my Seagull folk and I'm actually liking this guitar a lot more because of them.

[SJ VanSandt]

I didn't much like them. They seemed to reduce the shimmer and complexity I get with PB strings. For some people this would be a good things - different strokes, you know - so I would say they are worth trying. I will say that at a bluegrass jam they tended to stand out (to my ears) because the timbrel quality was so different from what everybody else was playing.

[KaleChips]

I would be curious about the Monel strings too... I have a Crafter GLXE3000SK (extremely similar in sound etc with the Taylor 414ce) and I'm looking for something a little more alive than EJ16s, but not as brassy as Elixer.

[Placida]

Anyone ever mix strings, say Monel bass and PB or silver trebles?

[mdutr0]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

They are made of Monel, rather than a brass/bronze alloy. Monel is a nickel alloy. If you've had experience with nickel strings, you'll have some idea of how the Monels will sound. To my ear, they have a bit less volume and smoother tone.

Clapton's Choice strings are not EJ-16's, since those are D'Addario strings.

Ack! You're right of course about the Clapton strings - I got my brands crossed there.

But as to the Monel strings, that is very interesting. I did not realize that Monel was the name of an alloy; I honestly thought it was more of a marketing term.

I have never tried any nickel strings. I may order a set just for fun.

[Graeme]

Tried these on my J40. Worst strings i have ever used. Sounded terrible from the start. Persevered with them and the sound got even worse. Took them off after a week and personally would never use them again. I have read other people saying how good they are so to each their own. ( even my wife said how bad they sounded and she can normally tell no difference )

[JimB1]

Just bought a set of the Tony Rice ones to try on my D-18. They had a promo at a Martin Experience event I went to a few weeks ago where if you buy any Martin string you get a set of Lifespans for free. The lifespans were $12 normally and the Tony Rice ones were $8 so I figure if I don't like them, worse case I got a set of Lifespans to replace them for $8 and they were free...
-Jim

[Archtop Guy]

Originally Posted by Placida

Anyone ever mix strings, say Monel bass and PB or silver trebles?

Just FYI, the plain strings of all sets are steel.

It's only the wrap on the wound strings that matches the name such as phosphor bronze, 80/20, Monel, nickel, etc.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Graeme

Tried these on my J40. Worst strings i have ever used. Sounded terrible from the start. Persevered with them and the sound got even worse. Took them off after a week and personally would never use them again. I have read other people saying how good they are so to each their own. ( even my wife said how bad they sounded and she can normally tell no difference )

But, you have a Gibson. Does anything sound good on it?

A little AGF humor. The J-40 is a great looking guitar.

[frank4001]

Sometimes I feel like the proverbial outlier on these boards.

I tried John Pearse Nickel on my J-40M and loved them.
Actually sounded close to
PB but a little softer sounding and feeling..

Maybe the Pearse are very different form the Monel though.
I can't imagine very much.
Just ordered a few sets so guess I'll find out.

[DesertTwang]

Originally Posted by mdutr0

I was looking at these online the other day and, well, I am a little confused...

How are they different from PBs or 80/20s exactly? Is it like the Clapton's Choice strings which are basically just regular EJ16s with a fancy name? What am I missing here - what makes them different?

Anyone have any personal experience with them?

They're a completely - and I repeat - completely different animal than either PBs or 80/20s. I tried them on my Martin SWDGT once (cherry back and sides, spruce top). Wasn't impressed at all. They kind of sounded like old PBs, except out of the package. I guess some might say they're "mellow," which would be accurate. Think opposite of snappy and bright.

I definitely don't like them on a spruce top - but I heard someone say they sound killer on an all mahogany guitar. I might try that sometime.

[DesertTwang]

Originally Posted by Graeme

( even my wife said how bad they sounded and she can normally tell no difference )

Haha, I remember one time during the time I had the Monels on, I was sitting in my guitar class when my teacher turned to me and say, "Boy, your guitar sounds like crap lately. Take those gray strings off, whatever they are."