Guitarists: string gauge/tuning?

[Mike Sickle]

What do you fellow guitar players prefer for string gauge and tuning?

Right now I have 12's on my guitar and play in B standard. I find its pretty good for some slow sludge-core type riffs and really doomy clean stuff.

For faster thrash type stuff I like 11's playing in D standard, I find it gives it more tension to pull off that faster stuff.

I think I might have to buy new strings soon tho since I bought Ernie Balls last week and they seem to have a 'tinny' sound to them. At first I thought it was just because they're new and it would go away but I was also reading on the Down forums that someone else found Ernie Balls had that same type sound (which would be great for blues rock type stuff, but not for what I want to play right now).

So what do you guys use/prefer?

 

[matt schrauben]

i usually get light gauge strings and generally play in standard tuning. You don't have to down tune to sound heavy. that is my theory.

 

[Aeonblade]

I have no idea what gauge my strings are, I'm still using the same strings that came with the guitar I bought last summer. I think they're 11 or 12, and I always play in standard, because tuning locks are a huge pain in the ass to deal with, and my tuner only does standard.

 

[chrisdoig24k]

I have 9s on my standard tuned Floyd Rose guitar. I have 13s on my Standard C# and Drop A guitars.

Tuning down for the sake of it is gay. But when you can get different voicings, different interesting places to play, I dig it. Hence I do it.

 

[sdmf2]

I use Ernie Balls or GHS Boomers 10-46 gauge. which reminds me, I should change my strings soon. and I tune to standard almost always.

 

[Space Cadet]

D'Adarrio, 11-49, C#. I may switch the lowest string to a .5-something, though, for some tighter riffing, even though I love the huge bends I can get on the low string. Every once in a while I think about switching up brands, too, but I love D'Addario's, especially compared to the Ernie Ball's I used to play.

 

[Mike Sickle]

Yeah D'Addario's are nice, the last set of strings I had on my guitar were D'Addario's. I think I might try the chrome strings they have, guy at the guitar store said they have a warmer sound to them, anybody here ever try them?

 

[Vex Loser]

Right now I'm using D'addarrio 12-52s for "dropped B" tuning, but I think I need to switch to a 56 to try to get more tension for palm muting and whatnot. The reason I tune down has more to do with expanded range than with trying to sound heavy.

 

[Dauden]

I have a strat with Ernie Ball 10s, (I don't take it out of standard much), and my SG which I put EB 11s. I used to have 10s cause I wanted lighter for shredding, but I don't care much now. I usually tune in it standard or down a half or full step, and sometimes go drop C or open C for Devin Townsend stuff

 

[Iced Guardian]

i use Dean Markley lites, and i normally keep one of my guitars in E or Eb, and then the other i use regular DM's and keep that in whatever tuning i feel like (right now it's in C standard)

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

La bella and Gibson make some of the best strings on the markey today. I use 10's from either of those on my guitars. DR's also are rather nice, although they can be inconsistent in size and arent quite as well crafted.

 

[From the Miasma]

I have 13s on my Standard C# and Drop A guitars.

.

Tuning down for the sake of it is gay. But when you can get different voicings, different interesting places to play, I dig it.

Same here. I find things sound a lot richer in C# standard. Plus, I'm a pretty big guy, so C# fits my vocal range a lot better than E.

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

Also, if you play almost exclusively in a lower tuning (as many here obviously do) it is advisable to use heavier gauge strings. Playing on more standard tunings usually would call for 9's or 10's mostly, possibly 11's depending on style and preference. I play in Eb/D# most of the time, occasionally I'll drop to C#.

 

[David Gold]

Currently, I use D'Addario XL: 12 - 52. All my guitars are in C# Standard, and sometimes tuned down to 'Drop B'. After trying strings a little lighter and a little heavier I came back to this gauge because I felt they were fast enough to thrash and still tight enough for slow sludge!!!

Mike Sickle - Right now I have 12's on my guitar and play in B standard. I find its pretty good for some slow sludge-core type riffs and really doomy clean stuff.

Holy frig Mike! B Standard = CROWBAR tuning!!!

"We can't tune dees guitars any lower." [\Swissgar]

 

[Iced Guardian]

Dethklok ftw.

one of my guitars is actually in C for playing "Go Into The Water". i love that song!

 

[chrisdoig24k]

B standard isnt that weird, is it?
I'm a dropped 6th string below that

 

[matt schrauben]

I use elixir strings. Can't beat'em. Yeah there expensive but god do they kick ass.

 

[Midnight In Winter]

I use Blue Steel strings, 10 gauge. I prefer the universal tuning of E (best for playing along with most songs) but drop to drop D or B standard to play my own songs. Still playing around trying to find a good tuning standard. Sometimes I prefer the clean sound of a higher tuning, but sometimes I prefer the deep booming of lower end tuning.

 

[Alec A. Head]

I use Thomastik Infeld power brights 10-45 on my guitar. They are a little bit on the expensive side, but ye gads are they excellent strings.

-Alec

 

[MentallyAbstract]

D'Addario XL lights, Eb tuning. Or dropped Db (or C#) if necessary. Mainly because a lot of bands I've listened to have that tuning and it makes standard-tuning stuff easier to sing.