# Instruments and Equipment > Equipment >  D'Addario Monel Strings !

## yankees1

When anyone has played on these new Monel strings I would like to hear your opinions. I will be ordering but not sure on which gauge strings to order.

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## yankees1

Just ordered both gauges so I will see/hear any differences !

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mee, 

Paul Statman

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## Roger Moss

> Just ordered both gauges so I will see/hear any differences !


All I can find are the 74's. Where did you get the other gauge?

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## Mandolin Cafe

> All I can find are the 74's. Where did you get the other gauge?


https://themandolinstore.com/?s=mone...t_type=product
https://www.elderly.com/catalogsearc...ndolin+strings
http://daddario.com/DADProductDetail...f-5efea8f77973
http://search.juststrings.com/search...trings&x=0&y=0
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ndolin+strings

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mee, 

yankees1

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## yankees1

Also gimmesomestrings.com   No shipping charges so I went with this company as I only wanted two sets of strings to try out before purchasing more !

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## William Smith

Are monel strings close to say what they had in the early days, like 20's-30's??? I don't believe I've ever tried them. I pry will.

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## Pete Martin

A number of us won't use anything but Monels. So GREAT to see this many companies making them now after Gibson dropped the ball.

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Glassweb, 

lflngpicker, 

Mark Seale, 

Paul Statman, 

yankees1

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## Matt Bowe

Bought a 75C set at Grey Fox. Put them on at friend's campsite. Went back and bought 3 more sets.

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## Mandobar

The problem was really not Gibson’s, but with the company that made the filament these strings were made out of.  The company just decided to cease operations, leaving no source for the material.  I got this information from Curt Mangan himself when I asked if he would consider making Monel strings.  That was several years back.  Obviously there is a new source of the filament material, which is why we are seeing these strings now on the market.  I bought a few sets from Just Strings to give them a try.  Haven’t put them on yet though.  I like the Mangan ones a lot. It will be interesting to compare the two.

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Paul Statman

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## Skip Kelley

I've always used D'Addario strings. They are my go to for strings. I like monels on my oval hole but, the Martin monels are good at half the price.

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## Scott Rucker

I bought a set last week but haven't tried them yet.  I recently switched to nickel bronze over regular J74s on my oval hole mandolins (but not my F hole ones), so I'm anxious to try them out.  It may be a while because the NBs aren't wearing out very fast.

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## Phil Goodson

What's the deal with the 2 choices for gauges?

*11-15-26-40* or *11-14-25-41*

Do most people who want a 41 G string want smaller D & A strings????  (They don't do that for J75s.) :Confused:

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## thistle3585

I just put some on yesterday but haven't played them much.  Still stretching them but they sounded as good as the Bush Monels that I had used for years.  I think they were lighter than the Bushes because I had to push the bridge back about 1/8".

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## pheffernan

> What's the deal with the 2 choices for gauges?
> 
> *11-15-26-40* or *11-14-25-41*
> 
> Do most people who want a 41 G string want smaller D & A strings????  (They don't do that for J75s.)


The former are the monel replacement for the standard EJ74's. The latter are to mimic the gauges of the traditional Gibson Sam Bush set of monels that are no longer being produced.

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lflngpicker, 

Phil Goodson

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## Rush Burkhardt

After decades of bronze wrapped strings (from the standard J74s to the coated EXP74s and EXP75s)I was given the opportunity to try the monels during the Beta period (I believe they are 11-15-26-40). I loved them from the moment I put them on till now...they're still on, and though, as you might expect from months of use, they've lost a little of their snap...they are great strings! I've got many sets of EXPs, and will go back to them, for a while, as kind of a strange A-B test. I think I'll try monels, again, as well!

But...I'm not a performing musician any more. I play about 15-60 minutes a day for my own pleasure. That might rule me out as a judge; I'd unhesitatingly recommend trying them! I doubt you'd be disappointed!
 :Popcorn:

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lflngpicker

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## David Lewis

> The former are the monel replacement for the standard EJ74's. The latter are to mimic the gauges of the traditional Gibson Sam Bush set of monels that are no longer being produced.


I guess it was inevitable that they'd stop one day, but I found a supplier - so I stocked up a bit. I'm glad d'Addario have continued them. They sound great on my oval hole. (This seems to be a theme here. Sam makes them sound great on Hoss with F-holes.)

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## Kevin K

Anyone tried a set yet ?

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## yankees1

I will this weekend and report back !

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## Ivan Kelsall

I put a set of D'Addario monels on my Weber 'Fern' several years ago,bought from Janet Davis Co. They were the same gauges as the J74's that i used. I didn't like them at all. Tonally, they didn't suit MY mandolin,& for some reason felt very rough under my fingers. I went back to J74's,
                         Ivan

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## MediumMando5722

> I put a set of D'Addario monels on my Weber 'Fern' several years ago,bought from Janet Davis Co. They were the same gauges as the J74's that i used. I didn't like them at all. Tonally, they didn't suit MY mandolin,& for some reason felt very rough under my fingers. I went back to J74's,
>                          Ivan


How many years ago? I was under the impression that D’Addario just released the monel strings in the last month or so.

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## Michael Neverisky

I received a set last week from JustStrings and put them on my MTO. They produced a softer sound while offering a rougher feel than my favorite EXP74CM set. I thought the G string lacked the clarity I'm used to and my general impression was that they were not right for this mandolin. In my hands, with my pick, on my mandolin, the 74CM set is warm and clear, the monel set is soft and fuzzy.

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Lou Giordano

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## yankees1

> I received a set last week from JustStrings and put them on my MTO. They produced a softer sound while offering a rougher feel than my favorite EXP74CM set. I thought the G string lacked the clarity I'm used to and my general impression was that they were not right for this mandolin. In my hands, with my pick, on my mandolin, the 74CM set is warm and clear, the monel set is soft and fuzzy.


Same on my Ellis F as I installed them a couple of days ago but I will go back to GHS A270's. I do like monels on my Girouard oval though ( Mangan).

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Lou Giordano

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## Ivan Kelsall

Hi Chris - It must have been at least 5 years ago. Maybe i'm mistaken & they weren't D'Addarios,but they _were_ monel. Around the same time,i tried a set of Black Diamond Strings with disastrous results re. tone - were they Black Diamond Monels ??,
                                                                                                                                                                  Ivan :Redface:

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## Kevin K

Any more new D'addario Monel users and your thoughts?  I just put a set on my Northfield last night and curious how they are gonna do.

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## Drew Streip

I have a total of about 30 minutes on a set, but so far I enjoy them. They seem to add a bit of dryness to the tone of my Eastman. There's a clip on my Instagram (@dhstreip) right now, although it doesn't really emphasize the lower strings.

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## Kevin K

I put a set on my Northfield this past Sunday night, after couple days of home practice and then practice with the group I have to say I like them.  The band liked the sound difference last night as well.  I plan to keep them on awhile and play thru couple gigs this weekend and see how they do thru those.  So far, two thumbs up.

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Paul Statman

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## Paul Statman

> A number of us won't use anything but Monels. So GREAT to see this many companies making them now after Gibson dropped the ball.



I can't help but wonder what Sam Bush has been using since the Gibson SB set's demise? Stockpiled or some other string set?

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## june39

D'Addario monel

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Paul Statman

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## MediumMando5722

> I can't help but wonder what Sam Bush has been using since the Gibson SB set's demise? Stockpiled or some other string set?


Sam's album Storyman from 2 years ago says he uses D'Addario strings.

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MissingString, 

Paul Statman

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## Charles E.

I just put a set on my Girouard F-5 today. First impression is that they are fairly "punchy", perhaps a bit bright. I have a couple of friends coming over today to play some tunes so I can get their feedback too. It will be interesting to see how they last in the salt air here at the beach in St. Augustine.

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Paul Statman

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## Paul Statman

> Sam's album Storyman from 2 years ago says he uses D'Addario strings.


Two years ago? Could they have been Monels that far back if they've only just been announced recently?

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## MediumMando5722

> Two years ago? Could they have been Monels that far back if they've only just been announced recently?


Good question. Last summer, I met Adam Steffey. He told me he used their Nickel Bronze strings, and made it sound like he’d been using them prior to the beta test offered to the rest of us.

It’s also possible Sam’s Gibson strings were made by D’Addario.

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Paul Statman

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## Paul Statman

> Good question. Last summer, I met Adam Steffey. He told me he used their Nickel Bronze strings, and made it sound like hed been using them prior to the beta test offered to the rest of us.
> 
> Its also possible Sams Gibson strings were made by DAddario.


I think that there was a NB giveaway here on the 'cafe toward the end of 2016. I got a set at winter NAMM 2017.
I'd be curious to know who did manufacture those Gibson SB strings, now that you mention it..

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## Jim Nollman

Had to try the Monel's after Pete martin's recommendation. Just strung them up on my Altman to replace 74’s. The difference was startling. Love the clarity and jingle jangle of the monels. I'm sold for the f hole mandolin. I wouldn’t put them on my oval hole where I still favor flat wounds.

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## Paul Statman

> I'm sold for the f hole mandolin. I wouldnt put them on my oval hole where I still favor flat wounds.


You can't know for sure until you try them, surely? Didn't you have to put them on the Altman to be sold on them?

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## Jim Nollman

Hi Mandopixie. What I learned by stringing up the Altman is that the Monel's display great projection and an uncanny amount of brightness with sustain. Great for the old time music I favor on it.  My oval hole sounds best with dark sounding flatwound strings. It was built  for jazz and chorro, with a notable pop when playing long lines of single notes.

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## Paul Statman

Alrighty, then!

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## Jesse Kinman

I installed the Monels on my Kentucky KM900 the other day, having never used Monels before.  I tried Elixir 80/20 Bronze in the past and they were way too bright and jangly for my taste on the Kentucky, then I tried J74s and they sounded really good.  Tried the Monels on Saturday and they sound in between the 80/20 and the Phosphor Bronze to me, which if this was my only mandolin would be a hair too bright for me, but I might end up using these with alternate tunings once I get my Tyler White, the White will be on the opposite end of the tonal spectrum as the Kentucky, much more mellower, so the contrast will be just fine for me I think. Overall they were not what I was expecting, but I kinda like them.

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Paul Statman

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## Paul Statman

> Tried the Monels on Saturday and they sound in between the 80/20 and the Phosphor Bronze to me, which if this was my only mandolin would be a hair too bright for me..Overall they were not what I was expecting, but I kinda like them.


If you re-strung only Saturday, they'll have a little settling-in time coming. You may find them to be less bright after playing them some more.

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## John Flynn

@Pete Martin (or anyone else here): Have you  tried the Martin Monels? They are the same gauges as the 74's but they are less than half the price.

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Paul Statman

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## Paul Statman

> @Pete Martin (or anyone else here): Have you  tried the Martin Monels? They are the same gauges as the 74's but they are less than half the price.


I bought a bunch of the Martins before D'Addario came out with theirs. Still pounding on them before trying the D'Addario sets that I now have waiting in the wings (*fridge wings)!
* I'm not sure if it's a good idea, and may be a question for another thread, but do many other players refrigerate their strings, and why, or why not?

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## Jim Nollman

Why or why not? I always keep a lot of homegrown produce in the refrigerator.  I had decide between the strings or the blueberries. Guess which one is now cold. Sorry, just joking.

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Paul Statman

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## Marty Jacobson

> i tried a set of Black Diamond Strings with disastrous results re. tone - were they Black Diamond Monels ??,
>                                                                                                                                                                   Ivan


Black Diamond Strings are like corn flour and grits...
you use Black Diamond Strings when they're all you can get.

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Paul Statman

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## soliver

What makes Monel strings different from others?... I've heard of them, but know nothing about them.

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## Ivan Kelsall

Hi Marty - A Cafe member who doesn't post that often these days,mentioned that Black Diamond strings of the same gauge as EJ74s,sounded great on his own Weber "Fern" mandolin,so i tried a set on mine with disastrous results - however,i do believe that his own Weber had a Red Spruce top. Whether that would make any difference i don't know - presumably it would. I do know that the GHS A270's that sound so superb on my Ellis "A" style,do NOT suit my Weber either. The stronger toned DR MD11's also sounded excellent on my Ellis when i put them on - the DRs were my 'new discovery' at the time - EJ74's don't sound very good on the Ellis,so after i've run out of A270 strings,i'll try another set of DR MD11's on my Ellis,& if the sound ok,i'll stick with those. I have to import A270's from Germany which of course pushes up the cost via postal charges,

  I'll 'standardise' on EJ74's for my Weber & DR MD11's for my Ellis & Lebeda - both of which i can easily get in the UK, along with next day delivery (mostly),
                                    Ivan

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Lou Giordano

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## Marty Jacobson

> Hi Marty....


I wasn't trying to disparage Black Diamond strings, I'm sure they're a fine product these days. 
The reference is to a song by Guy Clark, who was world-renowned for his precision cigarette rolling skills, among other things.

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Paul Statman

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## Charles E.

Guy Clark, "Black Diamond Strings"......





I am about three weeks into the D'Addario monel strings and like them a lot.

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Paul Statman

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## Pete Martin

> @Pete Martin (or anyone else here): Have you  tried the Martin Monels? They are the same gauges as the 74's but they are less than half the price.


I like both the Martins and DA.  Will buy the Martins due to price.

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Paul Statman

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## Mandobart

> I just put a set on my Girouard F-5 today. First impression is that they are fairly "punchy", perhaps a bit bright. I have a couple of friends coming over today to play some tunes so I can get their feedback too. It will be interesting to see how they last in the salt air here at the beach in St. Augustine.


They should do great.  A lot of the seawater piping systems on my submarine were made of monel.

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Charles E., 

Paul Statman

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## Paul Statman

> I like both the Martins and DA.  Will buy the Martins due to price.


Pete, if I had your last name, I'd likely be using Martins, too, just 'cause it would be so cool to use strings with _my name on the package_! All personalized, like..  :Whistling:

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yankees1

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## Ivan Kelsall

From mandobart - _"....on my submarine.... "_ What ??? - Explain yourself sir !. :Disbelief: 

   I've looked to see if the D'Addario monels are available over here in the UK - the answer is as usual for us - NO !,
                  Ivan :Frown:

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Paul Statman

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## seankeegan

I just tried a couple of sets on 2 of my instruments; Girouard and Ellis ovals. I didn't like them at all on the Girouard; instrument is quieter, less bass and kinda 'dull' sounding. On the Ellis they are amazing! Sounded broken in from the get go, really nice under the fingers, louder than the GHS a270s I normally use, much more bass, plus (most importantly) the wound strings don't seem to react to my body chemistry anywhere near as much. Phos bronze are usually marked up within about 10 minutes. The monels don't seem to be marking up at all, even after a long weekend of playing them. I'm really impressed. I can get about 2 weeks out of a set of GHS at home if I wipe them after playing; 1 or maybe 2 gigs/sessions if I'm sweating in a hot venue. I'd be very interested to see how long these last.

I wonder has anyone else noticed a difference in the life of the wound monel strings vs phos bronze, especially if you have 'toxic' sweat like me.

As Ivan said, really difficult to get them on this side of the pond. I got mine from thomann in Germany as part of a bigger order, thus free shipping. Otherwise it's €15p&p, which pushes up the cost of the strings quite a bit. Strings.ie in Ireland has the martin monels for €10, so I've ordered a couple of sets to see what they're like as well.

But yeah, very impressed. I've tried lots of sets on the Ellis since getting it - this is pretty much the only set I like as much, and in some ways more, than the GHS a270s. 

Just my 2 cents  :Smile:

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Paul Statman, 

prairieschooner

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## Mandobart

> From mandobart - _"....on my submarine.... "_ What ??? - Explain yourself sir !.
> 
>    I've looked to see if the D'Addario monels are available over here in the UK - the answer is as usual for us - NO !,
>                   Ivan


I misspent my youth as a reactor operator on a nuclear submarine in the USN.  The reactor generates heat that boils water into steam.  The steam turns turbines to propel the sub and generate electricity.  The exhaust steam goes to a condenser to change state back to liquid.  This is accomplished by pumping seawater through tubes in the condenser.  Seawater can be highly corrosive to most steel alloys.  Our seawater pipes were made of monel, which is more corrosion resistant than straight carbon or other steel alloys.  Incidentally the seawater pipes must be able to withstand the high pressure of deep submergence as well.

That's how you make a long story even longer.

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GrooverMcTube, 

Paul Statman, 

seankeegan

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## Astro

> I misspent my youth as a reactor operator on a nuclear submarine in the USN.  The reactor generates heat that boils water into steam.  The steam turns turbines to propel the sub and generate electricity.  The exhaust steam goes to a condenser to change state back to liquid.  This is accomplished by pumping seawater through tubes in the condenser.  Seawater can be highly corrosive to most steel alloys.  Our seawater pipes were made of monel, which is more corrosion resistant than straight carbon or other steel alloys.  Incidentally the seawater pipes must be able to withstand the high pressure of deep submergence as well.
> 
> That's how you make a long story even longer.


But what did the pipes sound like?

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GrooverMcTube, 

Paul Statman

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## pheffernan

> But what did the pipes sound like?


Woody

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Paul Statman

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## Mandobart

> But what did the pipes sound like?


As quiet as possible.  They are sized to deliver the required seawater flow (accounting for worst case temperature, dissolved gas content, etc.) with a minimum amount of flow noise.  Every noise you make gives away your position.  It would not be possible to exaggerate the importance of silent running.

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## Paul Statman

> I've looked to see if the D'Addario monels are available over here in the UK - the answer is as usual for us - NO !,
>                   Ivan


I remember how that was for me over there, and can't believe it's still this way.. I feel your pain, Ivan. I fixed the problem by moving to the US. I know..but it was worth it just for the strings!

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## Paul Statman

> But what did the pipes sound like?


Priceless! Thanks for that chuckle, Astro!

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## onassis

> I just tried a couple of sets on 2 of my instruments; Girouard and Ellis ovals. I didn't like them at all on the Girouard; instrument is quieter, less bass and kinda 'dull' sounding. On the Ellis they are amazing! Sounded broken in from the get go, really nice under the fingers, louder than the GHS a270s I normally use, much more bass, plus (most importantly) the wound strings don't seem to react to my body chemistry anywhere near as much. Phos bronze are usually marked up within about 10 minutes. The monels don't seem to be marking up at all, even after a long weekend of playing them. I'm really impressed. I can get about 2 weeks out of a set of GHS at home if I wipe them after playing; 1 or maybe 2 gigs/sessions if I'm sweating in a hot venue. I'd be very interested to see how long these last.
> 
> I wonder has anyone else noticed a difference in the life of the wound monel strings vs phos bronze, especially if you have 'toxic' sweat like me.
> 
> As Ivan said, really difficult to get them on this side of the pond. I got mine from thomann in Germany as part of a bigger order, thus free shipping. Otherwise it's €15p&p, which pushes up the cost of the strings quite a bit. Strings.ie in Ireland has the martin monels for €10, so I've ordered a couple of sets to see what they're like as well.
> 
> But yeah, very impressed. I've tried lots of sets on the Ellis since getting it - this is pretty much the only set I like as much, and in some ways more, than the GHS a270s. 
> 
> Just my 2 cents


I too just switched from a set of GHS a270's to the D'Addario Monels.  So far I'm impressed.  I'm in the process of settling in with a new mando (a gorgeous Bryce A, which I'll post pics of when I can), so I've been experimenting with different strings.  Tried D'Addario NB's and Mangan Monels, but this is my first go-round with the D'Addario Monels.  I had enjoyed the GHS (my first expeience with those also), but these Monels are ready to go right out of the gate.  Given my past experience with Mangan Monels, I think you'll be pleased with the lifespan of these.  I've had a set of Martin Monels on my guitar for close to a year now, and they still look as good as when they went on.  I can't comment on whether or not they still sound the same after a year (who can remember that far back?), but they still sound plenty good enough for me.  Looking forward to playing these for the next little bit.

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Paul Statman

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## Paul Statman

> I too just switched from a set of GHS a270's to the D'Addario Monels.  So far I'm impressed.  I'm in the process of settling in with a new mando (a gorgeous Bryce A, which I'll post pics of when I can), so I've been experimenting with different strings.  Tried D'Addario NB's and Mangan Monels, but this is my first go-round with the D'Addario Monels.  I had enjoyed the GHS (my first expeience with those also), but these Monels are ready to go right out of the gate.  Given my past experience with Mangan Monels, I think you'll be pleased with the lifespan of these.  I've had a set of Martin Monels on my guitar for close to a year now, and they still look as good as when they went on.  I can't comment on whether or not they still sound the same after a year (who can remember that far back?), but they still sound plenty good enough for me.  Looking forward to playing these for the next little bit.


These are not Mangan Monel, and neither are the Martin version. As far as the monel sets comparison goes, here are the results of my experience (2 cents-worth: Martin are okay, D'Addario are superior. Mangan is a cut above both of the others, in tone, longevity and (for want of a better word) 'springy-ness'. That said; I am currently using D'Addario monels on all my mandos..
 :Redface:  :Mandosmiley:

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## William Smith

I've been wanting to try these from D'Addario since they came out so I got me a few sets and I only put them on my 24 Loar F-5 and WoW what great strings, they are so much better than the J-75's I had on my Loar! They have the it factor for strings, I gave my Dad a few sets to try on his F-5 build he did from a kit and he loves them also. I haven't tried them on my other vintage Gibson F-5's and such but I think they'll perform the same? I have had them on about 3 weeks and they still are very crisp, still sound about new-that I can hardly believe since I play quite a bit! They seem to bring out all the little things that add up in your mandolin to make it sound GREAT? For now they be my strings I will use from now on. I never used any other Monel's that were around but all I knew of were the Gibson Bush string sets? Are the Monels what was used back in the day, say in the 20's and 30's? Just history curious I guess!

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Paul Statman

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## Andy B

I have tried the Mangan monels as well as the Martin monels and the D’Addario monels 74s. I prefer the D’Addarios. To my ear they are a little louder and have slightly more old school tone than the Mangans, and I like both of them much better than the Martins. In my opinion, the Martins lacked volume and punch compared to the other two, especially in the plain strings. The D’Addarios also wear very well-my last set was on for over five months and still sounded good, although that was probably a little too long. I use them on both my f hole and oval hole mandolins.

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Paul Statman

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## pops1

> ? Are the Monels what was used back in the day, say in the 20's and 30's? Just history curious I guess!


According to Jon at GHS they decided to make the pure nickel instead of Monel because it was what was used back then. I like the nickel, they last and keep their sound for a long time. Phosphor bronze seems to go dead much too soon.

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lflngpicker, 

Paul Statman

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## Eclectic1

I just put them on my Collings MT and I am absolutely stunned at thr difference this has made.     I love them so far.  (Just on for one day).  I was struggling with the brightness. I like a dryer woody dark tone and the EJ 74s were screaming bright to me.  So far I’m hearing way more mids and a very fundamental sound. The volume seems about the same.  Overall it’s a far more pleasing tone and they also feel different but I can’t put my finger on (pun intended) what that different feel is.   The true test will be at a rehearsal. I am the only one not plugged in, 2 guitars, a uke and bass.  I had no issues cutting right through all of it.  With a little less highs it may be different. I hope it still works.     It was interesting that 2 friends who are not musicians noticed the difference right away.  Also I am finding these strings work really nicely with my blue chip pick while with the J74 I preferred the wegen.   I’m very happy to have found these strings.

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Paul Statman

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## V70416

thank you,daddario,for the monels. great strings imho. 

my capital letter shifter is broke...

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## seankeegan

Ok, so I used monels for a month on my oval Ellis. I switched back to GHS a270s and really missed the added bass of the monels on the G string, so I think the move to monels will be permanent (or at the very least semi permanent!)

Tried the Martin monels; they were ok but not as good as the D'addario. Mangan strings are VERY expensive in Europe, so gave them a miss as I go through strings almost as quick as underwear...

These strings are pretty tricky to get hold off in Europe, but I contacted 2 suppliers, Thomann and Schneider in Germany who both stock D'addario but didn't have the monel strings - Thomann had them but only in the Same Bush gauges. Both companies replied to my enquiry within a day and provided links to the new inventory item.

https://schneidermusik.de/shop1/prod...ucts_id/195423

https://m.thomann.de/ie/daddario_ejm...rch=1551598878

Both companies are excellent to deal with, 1st rate customer service, but Schneider will do free postage in Europe on orders over 100; Thomann it's over 150. Hope this helps anyone else in Europe looking to try this excellent product. Judging by the posts, it seems they're especially worth trying if you play an oval hole mandolin.

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Paul Statman

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## William Smith

I've used Nickel and very bright well too bright for my mandolins, but I've had the D'Add..Monels on my Loar for about a month and yeah man love them.

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## V70416

my '04 gibson/derrington f5 and '93 gibson monroe model both like the daddario monels. the derrington's tone is quite loar-ish,generally-speaking
while the monroe is more flatiron/modern sounding. but i like these same strings on both of them. my apologies if i have posted this before. 

installed the daddario monels on both of these mandos about 4 months ago. i play everyday for about an hour on one or both of them.
still like the tone and feel of these strings. will leave them on until,i guess,they break or get ugly. great longevity. will order more anyway. 

there is something nice-er about the tactile,feel of the monels as well as the tone vs. phos. brnz. imho.

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Paul Statman

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## Eric Hanson

I too have tried them on my MT2V. I am in love.  They seem to have a cetain “POP”, followed by a complex tone that I seem to like VERY much. 
I will be trying them out on my Afanti soon when I take it in to have a cracked Bridge replaced. I look forward to seeing how they work on it also.

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Paul Statman

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## Drew Egerton

I've been pretty happy with the Martin Monels I have tried, but it sounds from this post that several folks like the D'Addario better. I am usually a big fan of D'Addario so I will have to try them out soon! I just put on a Nickel Bronze set last night and forgot how much I liked having the 16 and 11.5 high strings.

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Paul Statman

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## onassis

I just put on a set of the Martin Monels to try out.  I'm liking them so far, hard to say if that's more or less than the D'Addarios (I've had a set of PB on in between, so it's difficult to directly A/B them).  Got 2 more sets of the D'A Monels to try, though  - medium (11,15, 26,40) and medium+ (11, 14, 25, 41).  These are different groupings of gauges than I've seen before.  I'm interested to see how they work out.

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## CWRoyds

I tried the D’addario monels on my Northfield Artist 5 bar and really liked them.
They had a sort of steely core to the sound and had a clearer fundamental tone than the PB j74s I had been using.
The Northfield 5bar has a deep complex tone that is sort of fluffy with harmonics.
The monels delivered a more simple tone that rocks for bluegrass.
Kinda sounded more old school, like a monroesque Loar.

Eventually I went to Straight Up Strings PB as I like the more lush even tone of them for versatility.
If I was going to a bluegrass festival to jam, I might throw the Monels back on.
Great biting tone, and they seem to last a lot longer than PB.

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Gina Willis, 

Paul Statman

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## mcgroup53

Gee, Gibson dropping the ball. Man, THAT never happens ... LOL

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Paul Statman

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## Mark Seale

> I just put on a set of the Martin Monels to try out.  I'm liking them so far, hard to say if that's more or less than the D'Addarios (I've had a set of PB on in between, so it's difficult to directly A/B them).  Got 2 more sets of the D'A Monels to try, though  - medium (11,15, 26,40) and medium+ (11, 14, 25, 41).  These are different groupings of gauges than I've seen before.  I'm interested to see how they work out.


Does anyone know if the 11.5 E and 16 A will be available within these sets?

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Paulmazz

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## onassis

> Does anyone know if the 11.5 E and 16 A will be available within these sets?


The medium and medium+ are the only DA Monel sets that I've seen

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## Paul Statman

_"Does anyone know if the 11.5 E and 16 A will be available within these sets?
The medium and medium+ are the only DA Monel sets that I've seen"._

You may have started something with that question, onassis...

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## Drew Egerton

I sure hope so, that's my favorite gauge. The medium+ seems really odd to me but I guess some people must like it.

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## Kevin K

> _"Does anyone know if the 11.5 E and 16 A will be available within these sets?
> The medium and medium+ are the only DA Monel sets that I've seen"._
> 
> You may have started something with that question, onassis...


Glad I'm not the only one....I would like a custom medium set option, with the 11.5,16,26,40 and for the plain strings to be exp coated as well.

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## onassis

> The medium+ seems really odd to me


Seemed odd to me too, but then I read that it's the same gauges as the iconic Gibson Sam Bush set.

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## Mark Seale

> Seemed odd to me too, but then I read that it's the same gauges as the iconic Gibson Sam Bush set.


Which is the opposite of what I'm wanting.  My mandolins respond really well to the stouter E and A, but get overly "woofy" with the heavy D and G (particularly against the standard E and A)

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## pops1

> Which is the opposite of what I'm wanting.  My mandolins respond really well to the stouter E and A, but get overly "woofy" with the heavy D and G (particularly against the standard E and A)


Try the pure nickel from GHS 11 16 27 41 or 10.5 16 25 39. I like them a lot.

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## Bill Kammerzell

I purchased one set of the Martin Monel medium from Musicians Friend. They were on sale. Think I paid a couple of bucks. Come to find out they were back ordered and won't be shipped until the end of March. The gauge looks pretty good to me though I prefer something even heavier like the GHS 11 16 27 41 which pops1 wrote about. Love the stouter strings especially on the E/A. Never noticed any problem with heavier D/G. I'll need to listen for that.

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## onassis

I just put on a set of the Martin Monels, Strings and Beyond has them in stock if you want something sooner.  

I too usually like a thicker E and A course, but I'm gonna give them all a try.  I figure that Monels are different enough from PB that my old ideas of the gauges that I like might go out the window.

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Bill Kammerzell

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## Gabriel Wiseman

The gauge is the main thing for me as well... That's the primary reason I've been using the EXP74 CM's from DA.  11.5, 16, on the E and A makes a difference.

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## D'Addario Strings

Hello everyone! My name is Kyle and I work at D'Addario on the Fretted product development and management team. I drove the launch of our new monel mandolin sets in 2018. I'm glad to hear that a majority of you are enjoying the strings and I'm trying to catch all of the notes and requests I'm seeing in this thread. 

I hear you all loud and clear on creating an equivalent EJ75 and/or EXP74CM set for Monel and will add it to our running list of product extensions.

To add some clarity to the questions about the gauges: We've been making strings for Sam Bush for a number of years now, since Gibson discontinued their monel string line. We approached Sam with the idea of releasing these as a branded product and he was ecstatic about the idea. For the initial launch we put out an EJ74 equivalent as well as the signature Sam Bush set. We're always considering adding line extensions to existing products and conversations like this sometimes help to steer the ship, so to speak.

Also - for those unfamiliar with Monel as a wrap alloy. It is a nickel-copper based alloy that was widely popular in the 1930s and 1940s. You can expect a warm, vintage tone from these strings. Of course, every instrument is different so I recommend trying some different sets out on your mandolins to find out what you think sounds best.

I am going to set up another thread where you can ask any questions you might have about our mandolin strings or otherwise!

Thanks for your awesome comments and feedback - have a great weekend.

-Kyle

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David Lewis, 

Doug Brock, 

Drew Egerton, 

lflngpicker, 

Mandolin Cafe, 

Mark Seale, 

onassis, 

Paul Statman, 

Pete Martin, 

pops1, 

Rick Jones

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## Drew Egerton

Well I finally got to try out some of these D'Addario monels. So far I really like them.
I still have a couple packs of the Martins that I might alternate between for comparison but so far I am impressed. Very clear sounding, good volume, good feel.

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## Shrtbull

I have been using Monel string for several months now. I like them, but they don't last very long. Plus I have gone back to plastic pick, instead of my Blue Chip pick.

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## yankees1

Tried them but did not like them ! I'm staying with my GHS A270's and Curt Mangan Bluegrass series strings.

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## Benski

I'm finding this thread very interesting and informative. I like hearing everyone's impressions and particularly appreciate the participation and input from D'Addario. One request: It would be more helpful, at least to me, if everyone would specify which D'Addario monel set they tried and are reporting on...the 74's or the 75's. Thanks and cheers.

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Paul Statman

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