Question for Retro Monel users

[Dothraki]

What style of playing and what style of music do you play?

I have a pack of Monels and trying to decide if I should try them on my D28 or E10D. I love the big shimmery sound of PB on my D28 but hoping to find something mellower with less noise for Blues + vocals on the E10D.

Actually, I think I answered my own question lol. But still would like to hear from Monel users…. Guitar, play style and music style for those that use them. I find myself drowned out by the D28 when couch jamming, like I need to sing pretty loud with it. I can sing loud, but it sorta forces me to if I’m strumming.

[pdx]

My general rule is Monel with hog guitars.

[chopinhauer]

The general consensus is monels on mahogany, but I put them on my EIR as well and prefer them to PBs and 80/20s. Here I am talking about Martin 000-18 and 000-28 in the main. Currently, have them on my 000-28 1937 Custom Authentic Aged and besides the great vintage sound they produce (once they settle in after about a week) they feel great on the fingers and last and last.

[Dothraki]

What style of music and playing technique do you guys like with the Monels?

[Zissou Intern]

I flatpick and strum Americana, old time, and bluegrass. Monel Retros are my "go to" strings. I use them on my D18GE and J45 and have liked them on all of my past mahogany guitars, including my old E10D and E10SS. I didn't like the Monel tone on my E20D, but they sounded good on my Martin HD28LSV. I preferred DR Rares on my E20D.

[Coler]

If music sounds good played on a given guitar with a given set of strings it will also sound good played on another guitar or the same guitar with different strings.

[Robin, Wales]

I have used monel retro strings on my D-18, other dreads in the past, an all hog 000, and my acoustic archtop. I have a set of 80/20s on my D-18 at present but I may put monel on next string change.

I heavy gauge (1mm or above) flat pick boom/chuck, Carter style, Woody Guthrie style, cross picked style accompaniment for songs. I also Travis pick song accompaniment using a thumb pick and two metal fingerpicks. I use medium gauge strings on all my guitars. I don't plug in but mic' at gigs, so like some punch.

I find that monel strings, once settled, are not subtle. You get a strong fundamental and little else once settled. I can be quite physical with the strings, like I can with a well played in set of 80/20s but the monel strings stay in their sweet spot a lot longer. I can't decide if overall I prefer 80/20s or monel on my D-18. In the 30s-40s Martin supplied heavy gauge 80/20s or medium gauge monel strings on its flattops - those were your only choices in the Martin catalogue.

Try them on your D-28. Tony Rice loved them on his.

[RomanS]

Americana, classic country, bit of singer-songwriter stuff. Anything from Hank Williams to Johnny Cash to Townes Van Zandt to John Prine.
Mostly boom-chuck rhythm, Carter-style melody/rhythm playing, some bluegrass-y single note runs and rockabilly-style double stop solos; some Western Swing-style chord comping, some rudimentary Travis picking (OK, more Scotty Moore than Merle Travis).
I barely ever do any chord strumming with full 6-string open chords (that's what the other guitar guy in my band plays), and I suck at bluesy bare finger picking.
I use a 1.3 mm Dunlop Primetone pick, small triangle shape, and the heaviest Black Mountain thumbpick for Travis picking.
I love the monels on my Loar LH300 acoustic archtop, all other strings suck in direct comparison on that one; I like them on my Eastman E1D, but also like GHS Vintage Bronze or D'Addario Nickel Bronze on that one - same thing with my Guild GAD30. Don't like monels on my ladder-braced vintage Harmony H167, this one needs brighter strings.
I recently got an Iris OG, but haven't gotten around to changing the original strings (D'Addario XS) yet - looking forward to trying monels, that guitar is almost too rich and pretty sounding, maybe monels will tone that down a bit?

[asweet22]

I have Retros on my Waterloo WL-14 and my Epiphone Triumph archtop. On my Martin OM-28, I prefer 80/20s to the Retros.

I mostly play county and Piedmont blues, early jazz, and Plectrum-style guitar on those instruments, although I occasionally play some Old Time and bluegrass flatpicking as well.

[rokdog49]

I use them on my Gibson’s…the J45 and the J15.
I play folk, country, Americana, country pop and things in that vein, but other stuff as well.
I like them because you get more of a “dry, punchy tone.

[JayBee1404]

Having had the life sucked out of all my guitars several times each by Monels, my general rule is - DON’T.

As always, the standard disclaimer applies - IMHO. However, I realise that YMMV, and I’m cool with that.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Having had the life sucked out of all my guitars several times each by Monels, my general rule is - DON’T.

As always, the standard disclaimer applies - IMHO. However, I realise that YMMV, and I’m cool with that.

Many folks don’t like them.
If you prefer the zingy sound of PB you wouldn’t.
I prefer PB on my D18.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Having had the life sucked out of all my guitars several times each by Monels, my general rule is - DON’T.

As always, the standard disclaimer applies - IMHO. However, I realise that YMMV, and I’m cool with that.

Yep. That's pretty much why I like them! LOL!

I sort of like to be telling my guitar what to do with a heavy hand and a heavy pick, rather than having it running around doing it's own thing at the lightest touch!

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Having had the life sucked out of all my guitars several times each by Monels, my general rule is - DON’T.

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Yep. That's pretty much why I like them! LOL!

Ha! I kinda knew you’d say something like that, Robin! Different strokes, eh?
Enjoy your D-18 fella, whatever strings you choose - I love mine!

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Ha! I kinda knew you’d say something like that, Robin! Different strokes, eh?
Enjoy your D-18 fella, whatever strings you choose - I love mine!

Yep! It always amazes me how much every guitar I play sounds just like me playing it.