Question for Retro Monel users

[rollypolly]

I’ve tried them on everything and they sound good IMO. Definitely brings down the bright and shimmery rosewood but I don’t mind.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Enjoy your D-18 fella, whatever strings you choose - I love mine!

I come close to selling it each time I put on a new set of strings!!!! Then they play in and it sounds great to me. It still need its first ding though. It is a 2009 with hardly a mark on it. I wish that I'd found one that was beaten up a bit really, but any D-18 at all is hard to find in the UK.

[Steve DeRosa]

IME Monels are a natural match for all-hog/all-koa, archtops, and cedar-top guitars, and if you're looking to tame the in-your-face zippiness of a CF instrument they'll make it sound almost woody - anything else is a matter of personal taste...

[Wellington]

I wouldn't overthink it with style of music, they're just great strings on some guitars, play what you want.
I've tried Monels twice on my rosewood spruce (Engelman spruce if that makes any difference), and not only are they NOT mellow at all, they are still and metallic sounding, awful combination.
The Monels on my spruce/mahogany are very good sounding, crisp and woody.

[abn556]

Good info. I just got in a few packs of Martin Monels. I’ll use them on my 000-18 and on the LG-0 when it comes back from the shop.

+

[Methos1979]

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 rollypolly

I’ve tried them on everything and they sound good IMO. Definitely brings down the bright and shimmery rosewood but I don’t mind.

I tried them on my IRIS DF sitka top/sinker mahogany back and sides guitar in an effort to do all of the above. My DF has an over-the-top, in-your-face loud tone with jangly forward mids and highs that I need to tame and by all accounts from my research here, nickel strings and in particular Martin Retro Monels were what I needed so I tried a set.

They did in fact seem to quell the overtones a bit and I liked the sound. Unfortunately for me, they also produced an annoying 'clinking' sound due to (I believe) the nickel content. The sound was indeed similar to a nickel coin being dropped on a hard table. I also noted this feature even more so when I tried John Pearse Pure Nickel strings which is why I attributed it to nickel content.

I continue to search for strings for this guitar and right now I'm trying the relatively new D'Addario NM strings which are a monel blend. They are the best of the nickel/monel strings I've tried so far. There is just a hint of that clink but it's so minor that I barely notice it and even then only on a few songs. I have one more set of nickel/monel strings to try after these, SIT Americana Roots.

I play both fingerstyle with no nails and also (and mostly) strum with a pick, a Blue Chip TAD50-3R. The rounded corners of this pick helps quiet and darken the tone a little bit. I've also modified my playing technique quite a bit in a good way, paying much more attention to how I'm play, how many strings I'm hitting and playing might lighter with more attention to dynamics.

As for material we play, we have an acoustic duo (me on guitar, wife on vocals) and we perform regularly at assisted living facilities, playing songs from 30's-60's. We play both all acoustic and (mostly) amplified shows.

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

IME Monels are a natural match for all-hog/all-koa, archtops, and cedar-top guitars, and if you're looking to tame the in-your-face zippiness of a CF instrument they'll make it sound almost woody - anything else is a matter of personal taste...

In addition to the IRIS DF, I also play two RainSong carbon fiber guitars. One of them is very in-your-face zippy and so I tried the Martin Monels on that one and they were very good sounding but also still had that 'clink' which drove me nuts. So it's definitely the strings and not the guitar causing that.

Originally Posted by Wellington

I wouldn't overthink it with style of music, they're just great strings on some guitars, play what you want.
I've tried Monels twice on my rosewood spruce (Engelman spruce if that makes any difference), and not only are they NOT mellow at all, they are still and metallic sounding, awful combination.
The Monels on my spruce/mahogany are very good sounding, crisp and woody.

I think because of the sinker mahogany back and sides of this guitar, this is the case with the monels. The sinker seems to have a much drier, even more mid-forward and jangly overtones sound than regular mahogany. So this combined with the metallic sound of the monel is a double-edged sword - slightly tamed overtones but more pronounced metallic 'clinkiness'.

[mr. beaumont]

I use Monels on my 000-15m. I play almost exclusively jazz, on the acoustic guitar I've been focusing a lot on big band rhythm lately, and while an archtop is still a better choice in a band setting, the 000 with monels sounds perfect for practice.

[Dothraki]

I’ll give them a try on the E10D. I went through quite a few sets that didn’t sound too good on it, but the GHS Vintage Bronze 13-56 are awesome on it, although the most difficult strings I’ve ever played. The mediums feel like heavy gauge. So even if the Monels aren’t my cuppa tea I still have a good string set I like, albeit the highest tension, roughest feeling strings I’ve ever played lol.

After Monels I need to check out the DR Rare everyone talks about.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Dothraki

I’ll give them a try on the E10D. I went through quite a few sets that didn’t sound too good on it, but the GHS Vintage Bronze 13-56 are awesome on it, although the most difficult strings I’ve ever played. The mediums feel like heavy gauge. So even if the Monels aren’t my cuppa tea I still have a good string set I like, albeit the highest tension, roughest feeling strings I’ve ever played lol.

After Monels I need to check out the DR Rare everyone talks about.

GHS Vintage Bronze lights have been my favorite so far. I also have a set of DR Rares that are in queue to try along with the SIT monels.

[beatcomber]

My '30s Slingerland Songster reacted poorly to Phosphor Bronze... literally. It buzzed and howled, it felt stiff, and seemed to be struggling physically.

It reacted better with 80/20s, but it really shines with period-appropriate monels. All of the PB-related problems completely went away.

[Zaam]

Originally Posted by 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.

Finally, a question about strings that has some context! The golden zone for the "right" strings is pretty much that overlap between the tonal properties of the specific guitar, the player's personal preferences, and the demands of the type of music played, right? So here's one use case from my POV — I like Monels a lot overall. I mostly play my own arrangements of jazz standards, chord melodies, etc. Monels are IMO generally better suited for this than they are for outright strumming, although YMMV. As for the guitar, most seem to favor hog guitars with Monels, but I like them on a rosewood OM. Go figure. I do like other (PB) strings better overall, but like Monels well enough to put them on now and then for a change of pace.

So, more specifics...
The Martin Retro Monels are good, but you should give Curt Mangan Round Core Monels a try. Just better overall. Second, based on what you say you might do just as well trying some Silk and PB strings like the John Pearse ones. Tomastik Infeld Plectrums would also be worth a try. They have a silk strand embedded in the wrap that warms up the tone nicely.

[mawmow]

I tried Monel on a Loar archtop and could compare with D’Addario EJ :
The Monel sounded more jazz while the d’Addario sounded more Country to my ears.

Now, my all-Mahogany Martin OODB came with Monel and I did not wish to change.

As usual, a matter of feeling and taste.

[jricc]

I like and use the Martin Retros/Monels. I use them on my Taylor AD22e mahogany top/sapele b&s, and on my Rainsong CH-OM.

Typically play classic pop/rock and singer songwriter stuff.

[OptimusJay]

I’m also a Retro user. For my all mahogany 000-15sm I’ll alternate between the Retros and JP Pure Nickels, both sound excellent to me.
My 2001 J45 with Rosewood back and sides has been strung with EJ16s for years but I thought why not and put from Retros on it…and they sound wonderful to me.

Playing style is maybe some light strumming but mostly finger style, using nails, whatever that is called LOL

Jay

[Monty Christo]

I only like Monels on mahogany-topped guitars; they sound great for open-tuning fingerstyle.

I don't care for them at all on spruce of any type.