String guages and lower tunings - any experience?

[lwi]

if I wanted to tune my guitar two steps lower, what would be the ideal string guage? *If I do it win 9's *there is evidently not enough tension and the strings become way too slinky, and the trem and truss rod would need a major adjustement.

So what would be the ideal string guage (for a guitar that is set up for 9's w/ regular tuning) to minimize the slinkiness and the amount of ajustements needed to tune the guitar in D? 10's? 11's?

thanx in advance,

Lwi

[dacmo]

I'm currently using 10's for my guitar with Db dropped tuning. My high E is just dropped half a semitone and it feels nice and punchy. But if you wanted to drop a full semitone, it might still work with 10's and would almost feel like 9's when tuning is dropped. My $0.02 *

[ChrisReedSmith]

It all depends on playing style and what your going for. If your playing Jazz or something which requires a lot of single notes and complex fretwork your going to want to use lighter gauges while starting out. its not untill playing for years that the greats like SRV used such heavy strings but that comes to another aspect...Not only does gauge effect tension and feel but does alter the sound. For example...I use Drop-C. which is 2 steps lower then your standard E. Most I know of that also use drop C usually use either a .56 or some even .52's for their low C. Neither work for me. I have to use at least a .58 for it to sound good to me. It has much better tension but thats because of my very hard picking style. Some might say its to tight. But besides tension, I also find that using a .58 makes it sound much fuller. Overall that one string wont make much of a difference, but because I bumped up all my strings (58-46-36; C-G-C) I can get some really full sounds out of them.

So in answer to your question...No one here could tell you what your "ideal" string gauge is. You have to find that out for yourself. Expensive, maybe, depends on what brand you use (which also makes a HUGE difference IMO) but if you want to know then it needs to be done....Otherwise there ARE "standards" for which we could give you suggestions to try. And like dacmo said, if you want to drop any lower the E, try 10's and they should work fine. Especially at D. But I'd use 10's for E too...but thats ME.

[lwi]

well that wasn't really my concern.. the sound that is... *I just wanted to know what guage will have the same tension when tuned in D as 9's tuned in E (for playability).

I'm used to be tuned in E with 9's, that's what i've always prefered, that's what I'm confortable with. *I just want to recreate that same feel *(string tension) when tuned it D.

I guess I'll try 10s..

[Noodles]

Try a LTHB gauge, they feel awsome but they take a little getting use to(20min tops) but once you do you will love them. Just in case thats to light then try a set of 11's. They have the same bottom end(30,42,52) but the top 3 strings are different(11,13,18 instead of 10,13,17). Good luck.


P.S. I was going by Dean Markly's gauges and some brands may very.


(Edited by Noodles at 8:07 am on April 22, 2001)

[ShredHead42]

Dimebag Darrel plays in C# with 9s!!! * I'd make a crack about how loose they are, but I'm afraid I'll get in trouble with the mods... * :biggrin: *

but actually that makes them waaaay easier to bend, even if they do feel incredibly wobbley.

[dacmo]

C# with 9's would have almost the same feel as rubber bands :biggrin: