String tension question:

[Roland]

I'm wondering what gauge I should use if I want to have the same tension as a .060 tuned to B, but tuned to A. .064? .068?
And further on, do you have to file the nut and drill the tuner for the gauge you suggest?

[Drew]

I can't answer your first question, Roland, but your second, it depends on your tuning machine. Gotoh tuners (stock for most Ibanez gitars) take an .68 without problems and I suspect could go up to .70, while the Schallers, I believe, I my hellraiser took a little bit of persuasion to get the .68 through the tuning peg - I used the string I'd just pulled out as a sort of file to give me a little more space to work with, which was either enough to open up the hole a little, or alternately maybe there was just a burr in there that it was able to round off. I'd say a .65 or smaller should be fine though.

Doesn't D'Addario have a tension calculator on their site? It varies company by companty, but it should get you ballpark...

[felipe82]

depends on the length of the scale too, check this doc from d'addario it explains everything including how to calculate everything to answer your first question

http://www.daddario.com/Resources/JD...ion%20guide%22

[Roland]

Thanks Felipe - that chart helped out a lot. Now, onto a second question - examining those charts, I found out that my preferred set would be progressively heavier on the neck. This wouldn't cause any warping to the neck, I presume?
010 - D - 12.9lbs
013 - A - 12.2lbs
017 - F - 13.1lbs
026 - C - 14.6lbs
036 - G - 15.5lbs
052 - D - 17.4lbs
068 - A - 17.1lbs

[Dee]

I'd put a custom set together where the strings get progressively higher in tension as they get thicker -- this is how it should be in an ideal world, but manufacturers are still selling stupidly mis-matched sets that don't make sense. In a regular set of 9-42's, the B string is ALWAYS too light, as is the bottom E. Replace the .11 with a .12 and the .42 with a .44, and the feel is loads better.

I use Zachary Optimized Gauge strings or put together my own set based on a 9-42 but with those two strings replaced. Everyone who plays my guitar instantly feels the difference, they switch to a custom set made up of singles right away because it's more evenly balanced across the whole neck.

Zachary Guitars (basically a guy named Alex) is offering 7-string sets now. See the link above.

Strings available are:

Guitar 7-string roundwound sets -starting on .010 for low B and low A tuning

You can read my testimonial on his strings page.

Alex, Just received the strings today. Had to do some minor adjusting to the spring claw but man, my guitar feels so much better now!!! Awesome. Vibrato is more even, chords feel great to play, and fast picking from string to string is way more "precise" feeling. You won me over with this optimized set, and I cannot go back to a regular 9-42 set ever again. I will order more in the near future without a doubt, plus I'll mention these strings to everyone I know because I can't recommend them enough. I've spent literally 5 minutes playing and I came to the conclusion that you have the right answer to a very overlooked problem, and this is no minor thing, it totally improved the feel of my guitar and now it's more enjoyable. Thanks man! Regards, Dee. (UK)

[Laionel]

Interesting read.
I have already try 9/12/16/24/34/44 some time ago.

I want to follow advices given at zacharie website.
I would like to try (after some read at d'addario.com)
8.5/12/16/24/34/49 or 48.
But it 's hard to find place where I can buy 8.5.
does somebody a place on the web where I would be able to buy custom set of strings?

EDIT i've find a place http://www.juststrings.com/
EDIT bis , i can't find a way to buy single string on this site despite what the forum where I saw this link they it's ok..

[Roland]

Single strings on the menu to the left.

[Laionel]

thank you a lot roland§.
I'll give them try now ;

[sepsis311]

Personally, without getting flammed, i think you guys read too much into it...

I've had plenty luck with my uv777bk and rg7ct in drop A,
using D'Addario's .09-.46 and a .59 for the low A.
for Standard B tuning i change the .59 to a .56

The thicker you get the more your guitar will sound like a bass and loose it's... whatever differentiates the sound between a A 5th on guitar and A 5th on bass (same octave).

[fettouhi]

I personally use 09 - 54 D'addarrio on my 7 string and think thaty work really nice. Then again I don't play that heavy stuff.

Regards

André