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Anyone Used the Martin Retro strings on an L-00?


BluesKing777

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I just put some on. I have put them on other guitars. I usually like VERY fresh strings, but with these they sound thin and terrible when new... but get better with age. I am still working on breaking them in on the L00

 

 

 

Keith

 

 

 

Thanks Keith!

 

 

Thin and terrible doesn't sound all that enticing, but I have heard that said before, then later more 'wood' supposedly comes through. Which is what I wanted to hear for myself.....

 

 

Do you have them on Penny?

 

 

My L-0 would be similar in sound, I guess I will dive in and try them.

 

I wonder if the Retro strings work better with D'Armond style sound hole pickups - might get a more even response than PB strings with the plain steel strings ringing out too much?

 

 

BluesKing777.

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I have been using the Martin Retro custom light (41MM11) strings for awhile with a vintage DeArmond soundhole pickup on my 2008 J-50 and like them. They are a big improvement over phosphor bronze with a magnetic pickup (my DeArmond doesn't have adjustable pole pieces). Unplugged, I agree that they don't sound great right out of the box, but they settle in pretty quickly. They seem to stabilize then, and as they age the sound changes less than phosphor bronze (to my ears), so I can go longer between string changes.

 

Before using the retro strings, I tried some electric guitar strings with a wound G on the J-50 and DeArmond. That also sounded good plugged in. But they sounded just terrible unplugged! The Martin Retro strings are much better unplugged.

 

Unplugged the retro strings are certainly different from phosphor bronze. Seems to work well for blues, maybe not so good for other styles (sort of a duller sound than bronze). Martin's webpage describes the sound as "woody". I never understood what that meant, IMO it's just marketing. [tongue]

 

No experience with those L series guitars though, don't know how that would affect the results.

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Thanks Boyd - I will pass that info on to my friend who is also using electric guitar strings with a D'Armond pick-upped acoustic - it is truly a horrid sound acoustically.

 

My D'Armond came with my LG3 - previous owner drilled a hole for the lead in the side instead of the end pin area and also let it flap around in the sound hole a bit and scraping the hole a bit - it has a volume control, adjustable poles, so I put it in my Hummingbird copy beater guitar and I am not going to waste my new Retro strings on that beast!

 

So I went to put the Retros on my L-0, but made the mistake of plucking a few tunes instead of getting straight into it, and of course I haven't done them.

 

BUT....

 

What I did was record a few test tracks with the old strings and after I put the Retros on, I will attempt to record the same tracks to compare......

 

 

BluesKing777.

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OK - here we go!

 

(I sure like making work for myself - change the strings to the Retros, recorded test tracks of old and new strings and a tune with vocal while I was at it....Phew!!!)

 

 

All tracks played on 1937 Gibson L-0....

 

 

(I deleted the test tracks that were here from Soundcloud, but kept the version of Crow Jane below....)

 

 

 

And then I recorded a full version of a traditional blues with vocal : Crow Jane

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Cool version of Crow Jane BK. It swings.Love that song.The jaunty melody belies the bleak lyrics.Guitar sound and playing top notch here.Thanks.

 

 

Thanks FB!

 

Did I do the thing too jaunty?

 

Maybe we were more happy Crow Jane is gone than we should be?

 

It is a bit like Skip James' version, but as I hit 'record', my brain may have mistook 'play' for 'run'.

 

 

And I really like the new Retros for blues picking - they didn't fib after all! Not like the 'easy open' cheese packet which took my skin and broke my nail, or the green frozen chip they don't put on the cover of the packet.

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Never have used a Martin string of any kind, but I may order up a pack of 12's to try on my new puppy, a '96 000-1. It's the first modern era acoustic I've ever bought since buying a new J-50 back in college. I think Roosevelt was president.

 

I stumbled on the Ebuy listing just a few minutes into the auction and scrambled to research the unfamiliar model as the watchers piled up. Long story short, I jumped on it and crossed my fingers. A-frame X brace??! Huh? Angled bridge plate? Huh? Bad reviews/good reviews...etc. I had been looking for a 50's 000 to get a little more strumming voice than my two 'woody' old L's, but had more or less put it to rest after realizing the financial ramifications. Up popped this listing... and my palms began to sweat while my pupils dilated. Buy it now...click.

 

Got the call yesterday from the PO and picked it up. The hard part was leaving it in the box to acclimate while I went off to work. As advertised, easy playing action is nice and low with no reset looming. VG condition and just freakin' beautiful to hear. Don't know if I overpaid, but it wouldn't matter. It's a keeper. It handles harder percussive strumming better than the Gibson lightweights, rounding out the small herd to give me more variety. Nevertheless, that Martin tone is back in the house. It appears to have a Braz r'wood bridge and slight (glue?) cloudiness around it on the spruce. Maybe swapped out from Indian RW at some time. I think the 20 years of daily playing was the perfect break-in period.

 

Martin string users...I'd like to try them out after these new Dunlop 80/20's die. Any suggestions?

 

Now I'll listen to BK's stuff and shrivel back into my flatpicker self-loathing.

http://www.ebay.com/...K%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

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Posted 16 February 2015 - 12:42 AM

 

I've always been searching for tone, playability, flexibility and durabiliy. I've been pleased with many brands but lately I've found that Martin Retros nickle/monel strings have all these qualities and since one of my acoustic (Martin) is equipped with a Roland GK-3 magnetic pickup running a Roland GR-33 and a Roland VG-88 these strings track better.

They above all make my Sidewinder sound wonderful.

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Never have used a Martin string of any kind, but I may order up a pack of 12's to try on my new puppy, a '96 000-1. It's the first modern era acoustic I've ever bought since buying a new J-50 back in college. I think Roosevelt was president.

 

I stumbled on the Ebuy listing just a few minutes into the auction and scrambled to research the unfamiliar model as the watchers piled up. Long story short, I jumped on it and crossed my fingers. A-frame X brace??! Huh? Angled bridge plate? Huh? Bad reviews/good reviews...etc. I had been looking for a 50's 000 to get a little more strumming voice than my two 'woody' old L's, but had more or less put it to rest after realizing the financial ramifications. Up popped this listing... and my palms began to sweat while my pupils dilated. Buy it now...click.

 

Got the call yesterday from the PO and picked it up. The hard part was leaving it in the box to acclimate while I went off to work. As advertised, easy playing action is nice and low with no reset looming. VG condition and just freakin' beautiful to hear. Don't know if I overpaid, but it wouldn't matter. It's a keeper. It handles harder percussive strumming better than the Gibson lightweights, rounding out the small herd to give me more variety. Nevertheless, that Martin tone is back in the house. It appears to have a Braz r'wood bridge and slight (glue?) cloudiness around it on the spruce. Maybe swapped out from Indian RW at some time. I think the 20 years of daily playing was the perfect break-in period.

 

Martin string users...I'd like to try them out after these new Dunlop 80/20's die. Any suggestions?

 

Now I'll listen to BK's stuff and shrivel back into my flatpicker self-loathing.

http://www.ebay.com/...K%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

 

 

NGD through the back way, in my string thread!

 

Congrats JZ - that arrived quick, so give up the name of the delivery driver please.

 

So, all works..tick, mahogany Martin...tick, Sitka top worn in but not worn out, cracked, broken...tick, 000 size with a splash more bottom end...tick....all good!

 

 

Strings?

 

My secret contrary ingredient to keep the girls on their toes is to use Gibson 12s on the Martins and Martin 12s on the Gibsons....keeps them guessing. :mellow:

 

True though - my Martin 15 series with similar A frame thingy as yours came to life with some Gibson MB PB12s...each to their own....

 

See the next reply as I may have a problem with the Martin Retros......

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Good news and bad news with the Martin Retros......

 

I absolutely love the sound/feel of these strings BUT I could be allergic/sensitive to the strings and possibly the Nickel coating. I noticed the back of my hands, not the fronts, were a touch itchy after I installed the strings, but thought it could have been anything at the time, but as the day/night wore on they got more so... I put some hand cleaner/cream on and it helped a little. Not knowing what it's was, and being slightly entranced by the sound of the new Retros, I played the guitar some more...real good, but after my hands were real itchy...not scratch them crazily excema type itchy, but underlying nuisance itchy...... Woke this morning absolutely fine, had coffee, toast and read the forums/news and thought I should have a practice, but I grabbed a different guitar and no sign of the itch so far, then grabbed another and all good, so........

 

I hadn't done anything else much all day, except walk the dog, take the Boss to the shops for supplies, watched some sport....no gardenizing, spider hunting....

 

 

Can someone take the rotten things off for me?

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Well, I have not touched the L -0 for a few days - lucky I got a few spare guitars, eh?

 

My hands have been fine and no itches playing some other guitars, so I guess the Martin Retros are a fizz for me, a shame cos I really like the sound, but not good enough to keep feeling like I have been bitten by a snake!

 

I like the Elixir Nano 12s on my LG3, so I may try them on the L-0...... hope I don't get the dreaded itch taking the Retros off.

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Update for those waiting with baited breath....

 

I left the old Gibson off the playing list all week because of the reaction I had to the strings/string composition, but could'nt help myself and played it for 15 minutes yesterday afternoon.

 

And my hands were itchy all afternoon!

 

So the strings ain't that good and I have never had a reaction to other strings like that - full bio suit later to cut the strings off and replace.......

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Weird...hope it ain't Eb-ola.

 

 

 

Amidst flashing lights and wailing sirens, the brave guitar player has gone in, retrieved the evil things and sent them to the tip.....

 

 

And replaced them with long living Elixir Nanos so they shouldn't need changing soon.

 

 

And we have our L-0 back in action, not with retro sounds, but PBs maybe a touch boring, but (hopefully) non-contagious.

 

 

 

I do love new strings though!

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Dog forbid you have to play in gloves, although it worked for Leslie West.

 

Have you tried the Dunlop 80/20's? They calm down fast and have staying power. Easy on the pocket, too.

 

I was looking over the specs on my 1 series Martin. I see mention of Tusq and Corian re: saddle and nut materials. I'm off and running shopping for bone. Corian is for countertops!

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Update for those waiting with baited breath....

 

I left the old Gibson off the playing list all week because of the reaction I had to the strings/string composition, but could'nt help myself and played it for 15 minutes yesterday afternoon.

 

And my hands were itchy all afternoon!

 

So the strings ain't that good and I have never had a reaction to other strings like that - full bio suit later to cut the strings off and replace.......

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Sounds like you've got a full-on allergic reaction to nickel. It's not that uncommon. I believe those may actually be monel, which is a nickel/copper alloy.

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Shame about the react. I've been using the Retros for about six months or so and like em alot. On the J35, I kinda miseed the extra sparkle but in echange get (to my ear) a bigger roudner note, which is what I was wanted anyhow. Really like on my National --very funky.

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Dog forbid you have to play in gloves, although it worked for Leslie West.

 

Have you tried the Dunlop 80/20's? They calm down fast and have staying power. Easy on the pocket, too.

 

I was looking over the specs on my 1 series Martin. I see mention of Tusq and Corian re: saddle and nut materials. I'm off and running shopping for bone. Corian is for countertops!

 

 

I was going to go in an d-for-destroy the effers with gloves, but it was all too hard and now my arms are itchy.....but now we have Elixirs!

 

 

Check the material on your nut/saddle closely before ruining, JZ - previous owner may have already changed to bone....

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Yeah thanks, Rambler and Nick - an allergic reaction to possibly the Monel alloy - I have nickel stuff everywhere and used to have nickel electric strings happily enough, nickel coated Shubb capo too.

 

 

 

Anyway, we have moved on and the Elixirs don't sound anywhere as earthy/bluesy as the Retros, but they may be a fair bit louder!

 

 

 

 

I did a couple of test tracks with the Elixirs on the Gibson - the first track for the blues fans is an 8 bar blues instrumental:

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/bluesking777/eights-777a

 

 

 

 

 

The next test track is a fingerpicking track of a tune that I imagine a certain famous boy band member may have came up with if he had gone to Spain instead of India and possibly went mad instead of getting calm...

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/bluesking777/weep-777z

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Almost forgot - my young sister turns 50 tomorrow and I was given an acoustic guitar by my father's boss's wife having dinner at their house while my mother was in hospital pre- birth - so I have been fiddling with guitar, and I can't call it playing, for 50 years!

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Yeah thanks, Rambler and Nick - an allergic reaction to possibly the Monel alloy - I have nickel stuff everywhere and used to have nickel electric strings happily enough, nickel coated Shubb capo too.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Allergic reactions like this can be the result of long-term exposure to irritants. Unfortunately, I've developed a number of them as I've gotten older. You work with something for a lifetime with no problem, and one day you wake up and discover you can't be in the same room with it without breaking out in a rash.

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