Decided to try Martin Retros on my 000-15SM again

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by emtsteve

Coincidentally, when I added the 15SM I thought I would choose one of these as a keeper and sell the other. But, they are actually different enough in feel and sound to justify keeping them both, at least for a while - hence my sig below... I also use Monel .12s on the 15M.

I thought about that, having had an 000-15M and now having an 000-15SM. But if I kept both my wife would realize I'd gotten a new one...

-Ray

[1Charlie]

For owners of vintage '30's and '40's mahogany/spruce Gibsons, monels are a terrific choice. In fact, the guitars would have been strung with them in Kalamazoo, and presumably voiced to maximize the monel tone.

An interesting aside about monel. It is a puritan alloy produced during a huge meteor impact near Sudbury, Canada nearly 2 billion years ago. The meteor drove almost 10 miles deep into the planet, causing an upwelling of magma that slowly cooled. All around the rim of the crater, you find deposits of monel.

That is what Retros are made from. Two billion year old rock. Think about that the next time you strum.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by 1Charlie

For owners of vintage '30's and '40's mahogany/spruce Gibsons, monels are a terrific choice. In fact, the guitars would have been strung with them in Kalamazoo, and presumably voiced to maximize the monel tone.

An interesting aside about monel. It is a puritan alloy produced during a huge meteor impact near Sudbury, Canada nearly 2 billion years ago. The meteor drove almost 10 miles deep into the planet, causing an upwelling of magma that slowly cooled. All around the rim of the crater, you find deposits of monel.

That is what Retros are made from. Two billion year old rock. Think about that the next time you strum.

Post of the month!

[catfish]

Originally Posted by beatcomber

I found that mine was a bit, um, reticent/stiff at first, but a few months later, once it opened up, it sounds absolutely divine.

These all-mahogany Martins need some time to open up with regular playing and ageing, not a few months but a few years.

If you will still have this guitar in, say, five years and put the Monels, you will be surprised how good it will sound comparing to now!

[DesertTwang]

The Martin Monel "Tony Rice" strings are a mystery to me. I've tried them on several guitars, ranging from my 000-15sm to a spruce-topped dreadnaught and an Epiphone archtop, and on neither of those did they impress me.

The reason I'm puzzled is because if these strings are indeed what Tony Rice plays or played, why does he sound as great as he does? Based on my experiences with these strings, I wouldn't collect his records as I do.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by catfish

These all-mahogany Martins need some time to open up with regular playing and ageing, not a few months but a few years.

If you will still have this guitar in, say, five years and put the Monels, you will be surprised how good it will sound comparing to now!

That's actually very good to know, because the guitar was purchased new in May and already sounds wonderful.

Originally Posted by DesertTwang

The reason I'm puzzled is because if these strings are indeed what Tony Rice plays or played, why does he sound as great as he does? Based on my experiences with these strings, I wouldn't collect his records as I do.

Tone is in the fingertips!

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by catfish

These all-mahogany Martins need some time to open up with regular playing and ageing, not a few months but a few years.

If you will still have this guitar in, say, five years and put the Monels, you will be surprised how good it will sound comparing to now!

Completely agree - the potential of that new all mahogany Martin is barely being explored - however, some new guitars never really open up over time due to less than ideal woods - right off the bat a new guitar should have soft overtone production - anything biting or astringent probably won’t soften up over time.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by catfish

These all-mahogany Martins need some time to open up with regular playing and ageing, not a few months but a few years.

Interesting. My Custom-D opened up dramatically at six months, but the 000-15m hasn't changed much at all after its first couple years. (Still sounds wonderful, however, especially after I switched to Retros.)

[catfish]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

Interesting. My Custom-D opened up dramatically at six months, but the 000-15m hasn't changed much at all after its first couple years. (Still sounds wonderful, however, especially after I switched to Retros.)

I own 000-15M made in 2010 and only for the last couple of years it started to sound just fantastic, very responsive + more complex tone. Strung either with Martin Retro Monels or any brand of 80/20 strings.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by 1Charlie

For owners of vintage '30's and '40's mahogany/spruce Gibsons, monels are a terrific choice. In fact, the guitars would have been strung with them in Kalamazoo, and presumably voiced to maximize the monel tone.

An interesting aside about monel. It is a puritan alloy produced during a huge meteor impact near Sudbury, Canada nearly 2 billion years ago. The meteor drove almost 10 miles deep into the planet, causing an upwelling of magma that slowly cooled. All around the rim of the crater, you find deposits of monel.

That is what Retros are made from. Two billion year old rock. Think about that the next time you strum.

This is why dinosaurs quake with terror when I play my 0015 strung with Retros: they can smell the meteor!

[WildBill82]

My experience with monels has me agreeing with the convention that they are for mahogany-backed guitars. My Country Western nails the sound of Keith's Hummingbird now that it has monels on it, and as others have said they are almost too easy to play.

At the same time, I also imagine these strings would sound awful on a rosewood-backed guitar. They so strongly favor the midrange (and not much else) that I would think a D-28 would sound thin and crappy with monels on it.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by WildBill82

My experience with monels has me agreeing with the convention that they are for mahogany-backed guitars. My Country Western nails the sound of Keith's Hummingbird now that it has monels on it, and as others have said they are almost too easy to play.

At the same time, I also imagine these strings would sound awful on a rosewood-backed guitar. They so strongly favor the midrange (and not much else) that I would think a D-28 would sound thin and crappy with monels on it.

"Tony Rice is an iconic Bluegrass player who during the 1960's loyally strummed his 1935 Clarence White D-28 armed with Martin Monel strings. His favorite aspect of the strings were how they did not change the timber of the guitar. In the 1970's, the Martin Monel strings were no longer available but Tony still sought out the sound of the Martin Monels."

I guess it's just a matter of taste...

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by WildBill82

At the same time, I also imagine these strings would sound awful on a rosewood-backed guitar. They so strongly favor the midrange (and not much else) that I would think a D-28 would sound thin and crappy with monels on it.

I can sort of agree. I only have a rosewood laminate but those strings sounded weird and not in a good way on it so I took them off.

(So I then put on some of those GHS Aluminum Bronze ... and they sounded positively the worst of any strings I've put on a guitar in quite a few years. No kidding. Back to some PBs I guess.)

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by WildBill82

My experience with monels has me agreeing with the convention that they are for mahogany-backed guitars. My Country Western nails the sound of Keith's Hummingbird now that it has monels on it, and as others have said they are almost too easy to play.

At the same time, I also imagine these strings would sound awful on a rosewood-backed guitar. They so strongly favor the midrange (and not much else) that I would think a D-28 would sound thin and crappy with monels on it.

On a first new 000-15m, I found Martin monels had an ear bleed sizzle, on a second new 000-15m, a good match (clear) and long lasting. On the OM-21 - monels are rich and crystal clear to my ear - depends on the guitar and your preference.

[madhat]

Great strings the Retros.

I have gone back to PB on my 00 Martins and to Nickel Bronze on my 00 Gibsons.
Preference for now

madhat.