Balanced tension string gauges?better results?

[vejichan]

been reading about having balanced tension on my guitars. Currently using 9-42 gauges but thinking about going to 10 gauges or 11 gauges .. but what adjustments are needed?
thinking about 10 gauges but changing out the b string and low e string and putting a 13.5 for the b and a 52 for the low e .. that way i would get the high tension from low e to high e.

 

[InHiding]

I've tried a lot of different things over the years. It's very much a personal preference also based on your skill level. I don't think balanced sets are needed and bending wound strings vs. plain strings feels somehow different anyway. The biggest lesson for me has been that standard tuning is just not for me. I think for a 25.5 scale length guitar (which I use) D standard is a just a better tuning. It allows for thicker strings that you can still bend and I like the lower notes all around (since you are still going to play the same patterns and neck positions most likely). I think the overall feel is also just better with thicker strings.

If you are planning on staying in standard tuning, an 11 set will be a bit tight and you need to adjust the neck bow most likely. You also need to fix the intonation by adjusting the bridge. It's all fairly easy to do, just takes time and patience. There are guides online. Make sure you are looking at the manuals/guides for your guitar manufacturer. Bow setup is a bit different for example for Ibanez and Schecter.

Right now I'm using the elixir 11 set (i think it's called medium) except I replace the sixth string with a 56 gauge. The same strings work for drop C too. The sixth string is obviously a bit looser but that might actually be good for a drop tuning. I haven't decided yet.

 

[MrBongo]

there is a slight difference in feel and sound between different string gauges, of course. I´m running custom sets on my guitars that are supposed to be "balanced" as much as possible, but it´s not like the guitar is an entirely different one. The strings A, D and G (when in standard tuning) are slightly smaller gauge than they would be in most common sets, making it 12-16-20-29-41-55 for standard C tuning.
The biggest improvement to me is the consistency in tension between the lower strings. Usually the lowest one is a tad loose compared to the others

 

[Pxz]

Going from a 42 to a 52 for a low E is a big change, i would try a 48 instead.

 

[newamerikangospel]

My experience has been positive. I make my sets out of single strings, to control gauges. A 52 sounds like a huge deal when you have been playing 42s, but it actually doesn't feel much different than a 10. You will need to setup your guitar since the neck relief will change. I feel like my guitars set up better since the neck is pulled evenly and I can get the action way down with minimal buzz since the neck is level, plus the tension is higher so the string isn't flopping around (I run 11-58s with a 74 for my 7th string).

 

[Megin]

I use daddario 10-52 for standard E on my Shecter Blackjack and I got low action without buzz. Thicker strings make it easier to stay in tune too.If you dont know how to set the neck relief, let a pro do it for you. But make sure the luthier do it the way you like it to be. Many luthiers have their own philosophy about how a neck should be adjusted but their philosophy might not be perfect for your playing style. There's a lot of bs that you should not do it yourself all over the internet. Well I teached myself doing it. I know how I want my necks to be set. But anyway a good set up will make the guitar sound like it's a new guitar.