what is your tuning & strings gauge ?

[Zerochance]

Over time, I've really begun to dislike drop tunings and super-low tunings. All my guitars are in D standard, which suits me just fine. It's got some natural heaviness from the slightly lower tuning, but enough string tension to retain note clarity. It's the same reason my action is on the high side as well. I prefer having to dig into my guitar if it means a cleaner overall sound. I don't have the patience to constantly be setting up my guitars, so I'd rather keep them fairly close to E standard tuning. I also play very power metal-influenced stuff, so it just works better.

In any case, even with a standard tuning, you can fret barre chords just like you're in a drop tuning and get some beastly, growling chords. Theory buffs, feel free to correct me, but I believe this is just playing fourths. You can be in E standard and still sound like you're in drop A or something, just by barring with one finger.

I use skinny top heavy bottom strings as well. I don't know the gauges off the top of my head, but they work really well with my tuning and playing style.

 

[Clockwork]

Well I use 10-46 for C and 8-38 for E at 25.5 scale.

 

[JeffTD]

Well I use 10-46 for C and 8-38 for E at 25.5 scale.

Do you pick literally every note out of tune? I don't think I could track with those gauges, even with an Evertune.

 

[Clockwork]

Do you pick literally every note out of tune? I don't think I could track with those gauges, even with an Evertune.

It can be a very fine line but I don't think it's too terrible, maybe I'm just use to it. Mostly I find these gauges comfortable so I use them for my own noodling/writing rather than tracking though.

 

[Fagulhakc]

Do you really notice a significant improvement of your guitar tones when using thicker string gauges?

My guitars:

Tagima TLP Flamed: 11-49 Ernie Balls
Jackson JDR: 10-46 Daddario NY

Both tuned to Eb.

I guess I am the only one using this tuning on this forum kkkk

 

[MrBongo]

strings get too heavy very quickly IMO. they start sounding muddy and boring
also, heavy plain strings (.20 and above) are more difficult to keep in tune, since they are a lot more rigid than the other strings. it´s already more difficult to fit them properly over nut and bridge.

 

[guy in latvia]

For guitar I use 11 - 49 in D + 64 on the low A if its 7 string. I tried a 70 before and I did not like the response, too much lows, no high end sparkle.

For bass it gets really complicated, I like Kalium strings 45- 150 for my 5 string 1 full step down, but they are super expensive to buy in Europe, so I'm working with the best I can, which is the D'addario 45-135 set.

 

[varobinson]

Drop c, 10-52 in 25.5 scale guitars exclusively.

was using 11-54, but I've not noticed any negative in going lighter only benefits -- string bends a little easier during solos, etc.

 

[JeffTD]

Do you really notice a significant improvement of your guitar tones when using thicker string gauges?

Yes and no - you get to a point of diminishing returns. There are two things to juggle here:

1. If the strings are too thin, they'll be more easily picked out of tune and will sound worse as a result

2. If the strings are too thick, you end up losing definition, pick attack, 'character' in the guitar tone.

Within the range of gauges defined by those two parameters, thicker strings generally get bigger, softer tones while thinner strings will be a bit snappier and have more pick/string definition. It's also good to keep in mind that this is getting into guitar tone minutia; choosing a different pickup, guitar, amp, cab, and mic would make a greater difference than adjusting string gauge.

also, heavy plain strings (.20 and above) are more difficult to keep in tune, since they are a lot more rigid than the other strings.

This - plain strings thicker than 20 are plinky and banjo-y as fuck. I'd much rather use a wound G of comparable tension (and wound Gs rule for tracking rhythms, anyway).

 

[FIXXXER]

10-46 standard
10-50/54 drop D
10-60 drop C

now, having an EVERTUNE equipped guitar drop C is also
possible with a 10-46 set, lol.

sure, it feels a bit strange and fast tremolo picking is quite hard as the
lowest string is pretty loose, tuning is perfect though.

it also sounds very interesting as the thinner strings do sound significantly brighter. combined with the lower tuning it's pretty rad

 

[LeSedna]

I am in the process of learning iOs and swift programming so I can create an ios app to calculate your string tensions, and/or the string gauges to achieve a tension goal. Say you like 10-46 on standard, it would tell you exactly what gauges would give you the same tension in a B standard setup, or a different scale. The reffinery would be that I could direct the user to the string set that matches his expectation the most, display a visual graph, make the user record his guitars and string sets, or allow fanboying by storing a database of famous guitarists and their usual setup, give extra options like to automatically tell you to change the low string when it's too far off the tension (it's visually obvious than most setups have an unbalanced tension across the strings) if you're not using a fanned fretboard, avoid wired strings on the G string when possible, etc.

I have had a few contacts with string companies to have access to their string data, although they rarely differ more than a few % from the famous d'addario tables.

But I need to actually understand XCode and iOs programming first, the algorithm and calculations already work in my Numbers (Excel) tablesheets and basic algorithm, and the swift code is easy enough, but the implementation in an iOs program takes time for someone who hasn't coded in 10 years or more ! The mathematics are actually the easy part, I am still trying to figure out all the visual programming, database, and stuff.

 

[anotherpaul]

Well google gave me this:
http://stringtensionpro.com

It works, but has page update for every click meaning the logic is on the server side and that is way too complicated for a simple tool like that.
If I had the math, I think I could make a single-page web app for it.

 

[Fagulhakc]

Yes and no - you get to a point of diminishing returns. There are two things to juggle here:

1. If the strings are too thin, they'll be more easily picked out of tune and will sound worse as a result

2. If the strings are too thick, you end up losing definition, pick attack, 'character' in the guitar tone.

Within the range of gauges defined by those two parameters, thicker strings generally get bigger, softer tones while thinner strings will be a bit snappier and have more pick/string definition. It's also good to keep in mind that this is getting into guitar tone minutia; choosing a different pickup, guitar, amp, cab, and mic would make a greater difference than adjusting string gauge.

Very interesting. Actually, the excess of pick attack bothers me a lot. I am gonna try a thicker gauge to see what happens!

 

[ArsMemoria]

10-46 EB Cobalts in Eb. Thinking of checking out Cleartone's Monster series in the same gauge.

 

[Terminus]

12-60 on my Ibanez S drop Bb
11-54 on my Ibanez RG standard B/drop C#

D'addarios

 

[Fluffbot]

C Standard - 25.5 scale 64, 48, 36, 24, 17, 12
Drop A# - 24.75 scale 68, 49, 38, 24, 17, 12

I likes me my tension.

 

[yava]

i tend to use thinner strings atm. i'm now playing 10-46 even in drop c. it brings some character back to my git, which got lost due to the thick strings. (played 12-60 the last few years for tracking rythm and 11-54 for solos and stuff / the thicker ones on stage) but in the end it's a matter of taste

 

[greyskull]

Drop c#
11-50.
Can't stand floppy strings