Newtone strings - phosphor bronze, monel or nickel?

[tomgiemza]

I found a shop in EU with MM Newtone strings and I'm sure I will order a few sets and try them out.

Here's a video about strings from The Washboard Resonators:



There's a blind test between 4:50 and 7:15 - before he revealed which strings he was using, I decided that I liked all of them except strings "C" which sounded the worst - it turned out that strings "C" were D'Addarios, while other sets were Newtones

I think that Monel sound a little bit tighter and subdued, phosphor bronze produce the most robust sound of all and nickel is somewhere in the middle, maybe a little bit more old-timey that PB.

What's your choice and why?

[Pickers Ditch]

Monel every time including my acoustics and archtop.

After a couple of hours playing they warm up, feel right and gives me the sound I want.

I do not have acid sweat - my hands are very dry - and they last for yonks; only change them when tuning starts to go off.

Hope that is of interest...

[tomgiemza]

Yes, monel's longevity is outstanding. I use them on resonator (Martin, I haven't tried Newtone yet), but on flat top I prefer PB, because of more punch.

[Michael Messer]

We all have our preferences and personal taste in these things and that was the reason for having phosphor bronze and nickel MM strings when we launched them 32 years ago. The monel MM strings are a much more recent addition to the range.

For me, nothing compares to phosphor bronze strings on National and Dobro style guitars. It has a full clear sound that is exactly what I like. Of course I do accept that over a 32 year period I have fitted many thousands of sets of phos/bronze strings on my own and of course on MM guitars.

Just on my own guitars, if I average 150 sets per year (quite often it is more than that), that makes around 5000 sets in 32 years. Then add on a few thousand on MM guitars and I have fitted quite a few sets of Newtone MM strings on guitars!

On my electric guitars I tend to use the nickel sets gauged the same as my resonator guitars. I think I prefer using nickel to monel because it feels warmer and similar to the phos/bronze.

Having said all that, I do really like the monel MMs and I often fit them on to MM when shipping them to my customers. I have also used them on some of my own guitars and they are very nice. They are bright and do have similar qualities to phos/bronze. But...for my own playing I still keep coming back to phos/bronze.

I have played Pickers Ditch's MM Blues '28 and his MM Fiddle Edge with the monel strings on them, and I do agree that they sound and feel wonderful.

Maybe it is because after 32 years I am so used to the phos/bronze and nickel sets that nothing else feels as natural, who knows.

Shine On
Michael

[littlebobby]

I’ve used newtone monel for the last couple years but after reading this I’m going to try phosphor bronze next time.

[archtopeddy]

I finally broke down and bought a few sets of Newtone MM strings. They're harder to get here in the USA because I have to order them either from Canada or the UK. If someone knows something different (like a USA distributor), please let me know.

Anyway, I used the phsophor bronze 13s on my Triolian and love the way they sound. Due to fingering hand injuries, I've been working my way up to "heavier" strings. Next will come the 15s, then the 16s.  I just used them for fingerpicking and slide at a couple of gigs this weekend, and they sounded, played and felt great.

Looking forward to the adventure learning about these new strings. In time, I'm sure I will try the nickel and monels. I've trust you fellas judgement and all things resonator guitars, and again you haven't let me down!

BTW, I also plan to try them on my 34 Model 27 wood Dobro too.  Expect they will sound great.