Strings for guitar recording

[Berez]

I've got a question: is it true that I should put 11-60 or bigger guitar strings for recording?

 

[Metal Overload]

Depend on you tunning, the sound you want etc.

 

[ahjteam]

10 set for anything in Eb-E tuning, 11-13 set for downtuned lower than that

 

[Kazrog]

Here's the guages I use these days:

• 7-string in standard tuning with low B: 9,11,16,24,32,42,56
• 6-string in drop C tuning: 10,13,17,26,36,50

Sounds great and is easy to shred. Most important thing is to make sure your lowest string has enough tension. The other strings aren't as critical and lighter strings will sound brighter and cut through the mix more. Almost any amp worth speaking of will get you more than enough lows regardless of your guage.

 

[outoftune]

I go for the Earnie Balls

either the purple ones if you stay in an E/open D tuning

if you go lower than that I'd get the not even slinky's

those strings don't last very long, but sound great
OOT

 

[Berez]

Thankyou guy's. Now I will tell you a story. I come from Poland, and recently I was paricipating in free school of mixing and recording with famous polish mixing engineer. When it was over ,me and my friend, we went to ask him some questions. During the conversation he asked my friend what kind of strings he uses for recording. My friend plays guitar for 15 years, and I belive he does it very good. And uses 10-52. And what happened? Our mixing celebrity said that those are strings good for little girls and he started to lough. My frend said: why are you loughing if you don't know how I tune? For next ten minutes the guy was doing everithing to humiliate us. That's why I needed to ask you about that. Said story.

P.S. He said he uses 13-70 on his guitar tuning to 440 (he thougt we don't know it's A)

 

[Kazrog]

I can promise you that this Polish engineer you refer to cannot play any Paul Gilbert solos. Except for, perhaps the "To Be With You" solo, but that's about it...

As for tone - Eddie Van Halen uses .09's in E standard tuning. Enough said...

 

[Ronixis]

The sound and the playability depends more on the string tension rather than the gauge. The tension balances differently on different guitars. Just choose something tight enough to fit your style.