MTR13 delivers heavy-gauge Retro Monel — the dry, mid-focused, pre-war character of the Retro line applied to a 13-gauge dreadnought-voiced set. Projects dramatically more than the lighter 12-54 Retro with significantly more body and sustained bloom. The heavy Monel voice favored by bluegrass flatpickers chasing vintage Martin dreadnought tone.

Best for

Bluegrass flatpickers on Martin D-18 or D-28 chasing pre-war heavy-gauge dreadnought tone. Traditional country rhythm players where heavy-gauge projection matters. Not recommended for small-body guitars or players unaccustomed to 13-56 tension.

Durability

Monel is harder than bronze alloys and oxidizes significantly slower — 5-7 weeks of satisfying tone is typical. Break rate at 13-gauge Monel is excellent. Martin Retro manufacturing is consistent.

Climate notes

Monel resists humidity substantially better than bronze alloys — tropical-climate players see real benefit. A top uncoated acoustic option for humid regions in heavy gauge.

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Pros

Pre-war Martin dreadnought projection — the heavy Monel classic
Better humidity resistance than Phosphor Bronze
Bluegrass flatpicking reference set in 13-gauge
Martin QC consistency

Cons

13-gauge tension demands strong hands and proper setup
Not for small-body guitars or vintage bracing
Dry mid-focused voice polarizing — not for modern bright sparkle chasers

Best for these guitars

Picked by community consensus

Martin

D-28

Medium-gauge Monel delivers pre-war Martin dreadnought projection — bluegrass flatpickers chasing vintage tone.

Gibson

J-45

Heavy Monel pulls maximum body from mahogany dreadnoughts with vintage-era character.

Martin

D-45

Heavy Monel for D-45 flatpickers seeking maximum dreadnought projection.

Guild

D-55

Heavy Monel for D-55 flatpickers — hand-built projection at maximum body.

Price history

Across retailers · last 6 months

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Top voter comments

AMAZING playing mate.....everyone talking about the strings...I'm talking about the playing, the natural quality in the recording and the great editing so everyone can hear the difference easily. Thanks for your effort mate and keep up the top work. Cheers
35
Please don't EVER stop making these strings. They sound amazing on my 2007 D-18 Authentic 1937.
32
Lifespan Phosphor Bronze: Picking 9:02 Chords 9:18 Retro Monel: Picking 9:10 Chords 9:29
27

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