" a more woody, mellow sound"??Well let's try to get this "highjacked" thread back on track I just put some Martin MM11 Retro strings on my D28, just to see if I would like them. They are monel (nickel alloy) and touted by Martin to give the guitar a more woody mellow sound.
When I first put them on, I didn't like them; mainly because they sound a lot different than phosphor/bronze and the sound was foreign to me. But after several days, I have to say that I like them a lot. There is definitely a more woody, mellow tone. Also they are much easier to fret than the phosphor/bronze strings. They bend easily. I can bend D# to E on the 2nd string using only my pinky finger; usually I'd have to use 2 fingers to do that bend. One drawback: if you press hard on the strings they will go sharp easily (that's probably one of the reasons I didn't like them at first as I tend to press harder than I need to).
The sustain is great and I hear a moderate amount of overtones. I've heard they don't go well with Taylor guitars; probably because Taylors have a brighter tone.
Anyway, if you're looking to experiment, I'd suggest you give them a try. Approximately $7.50 USD.
Bill
I always wonder why searching for a sound,, can you tell? How are the vocals with your new sound?
Willem