Monel strings

[mandroid]

A non corrosive non magnetic winding wire metal so Monel wont change over such a relatively short time like Bronze does...

[Alban Havidson]

Totally agree. These last months.

[DaveGinNJ]

A bit of thread dredge here. I have been playing J74s since I started playing mandolin. A couple of months ago I tried the Daddario monels. My initial impression was that they sounded shrill and metallic. I hated them, but after a few days they sounded very different, much warmer. Now I liked them. This week I put some Martin monels on my travel mandolin. Same deal. Initially sounded shrill and again mellowed. Am I imagining this or is this normal for Monel strings?

[DHopkins]

A bit of thread dredge here. I have been playing J74s since I started playing mandolin. A couple of months ago I tried the Daddario monels. My initial impression was that they sounded shrill and metallic. I hated them, but after a few days they sounded very different, much warmer. Now I liked them. This week I put some Martin monels on my travel mandolin. Same deal. Initially sounded shrill and again mellowed. Am I imagining this or is this normal for Monel strings?

I never noticed the difference but usually when I change strings, I tune, set it aside for a day then tune again.

I like the monel strings because I don't have to change as often. Apparently, I'm toxic when it comes to strings. They would last about a month and a half and become discolored and almost looked they were rusting. No so with the monel strings.

[NDO]

I particularly like the D’Addario Sam Bush medium plus monel set on my Morris and Eastman mandolins. They really sound great and last a long time.

[stevo58]

Deleting an ignorant hasty post. Ignore.

[Alex Orr]

I hate them. Shrill and metallic is exactly how I'd characterize them, and I don't think they improve, at least not in a week or so I used them. That said, every mando is different and responds in different ways to different strings. Sam Bush obviously likes them, and I've got a bit of work to do to be in the same level as Sam . My luthier is also a fan. The other thing I notice is that they make my fingers feel weird, almost like if you hit a tuning fork and hold it up tot he end of your fingers. My luthier suggested I might actually have a bit of an allergy to nickel, which is supposedly not an entirely uncommon response to nickel strings.

[Ray(T)]

Interesting comments. Some of us might remember being glad to see the back of them when D’addario phosphor bronze strings became available in the mid 70s.

That said, I have no wish to go back to them. Perhaps strings are going the way of vinyl records and flared trousers!

[Crazyquilt]

I love monel on certain instruments, and find it meh on others. Generally, I prefer it to phosphor bronze because after it settles it's a somewhat drier sound. It lacks the sizzle of PB, and doesn't color the tone as much. Yeah, it's a bit zippy at first, but it mellows out quickly, then stays that way all but indefinitely. I've never played them on a resonator mandolin, but they excel on my National guitars, so I reckon they'd sound fantastic. I usually use Mangans or sometimes Martins. I'm not sure I could tell the difference. I'm interested to try those medium+ D'Addarios, however.

[Mandobart]

Just one more Curt Mangan fan. I use their monel strings on my hybrid F4, my archtop guitar and my Martin 000-15SM. I put a set on my HD-28 recently when I was out of phosphor bronze.

I use the fusion-matched phosphor bronze strings on my F5, F4 octave mandolin, F5 octave mandolin, 10 string mandola and 10 string mandocello. I also use them on my E2OM-CD guitar, Ovation 12 string, Applause 6 string and usually on my HD-28.

I am not someone who typically notices subtleties, but I immediately noticed an improved tone, volume and sustain when I switched to Curt Mangan strings.

[Crazyquilt]

An update:

I just went out of my way to change strings on a mandolin that had Martin monels on it with Mangan monels. The Martins were a couple weeks old, so worn in but not worn out.

In hand, there's really no difference; the winds are the same size, neither is smoother or rougher than the other. The loops on Martins have a small tab/string end, which is annoying, while the Mangans do not. After the Mangans settled, I do think that they have a richer sound with more overtones, but I didn't record both to play back to back, so I'm not sure I trust my perceptions. Bias is a powerful thing, and it's hard not to assume that a $17 set of strings must somehow be better than the $6 set.

[DaveGinNJ]

An update:

I just went out of my way to change strings on a mandolin that had Martin monels on it with Mangan monels. The Martins were a couple weeks old, so worn in but not worn out.

In hand, there's really no difference; the winds are the same size, neither is smoother or rougher than the other. The loops on Martins have a small tab/string end, which is annoying, while the Mangans do not. After the Mangans settled, I do think that they have a richer sound with more overtones, but I didn't record both to play back to back, so I'm not sure I trust my perceptions. Bias is a powerful thing, and it's hard not to assume that a $17 set of strings must somehow be better than the $6 set.

The Martins are so cheap they had me wondering what is wrong with them. I put them on my backup/travel mandolin so I can’t really compare them the the Daddario Monel I have on my main mandolin. I do think they sound better than the J74’s

[musicofanatic]

I have been a big fan of the Martin monel strings, mostly on an old Martin guitar, but they sound great on a couple of my mandolins too. My main complaint is they do not offer single strings for when the odd breakage occurs with a relatively new set.

[Mandobar]

Curt Mangan offers singles.

[Mandoplumb]

My experience had been that they don’t change much, they don’t even seem to go dead. They may would last forever except after a couple months ( I play about 2or 3 times a week) I
can not get the strings to twin , that is when I change them