Tuning Down and String Guages

[slugman]

I've been looking through the search results on string guages and detuning and haven't yet found a 'definitive' thread on what guage strings to use for what tuning. I started out playing in E using 9s, then went to Eb. I liked the looser feel of the strings. Then I went down to D and they felt like rubber bands. So I went up to 10s, and after a while that felt slightly too loose too-- I couldn't get my bends and vibrato to be as good as with regular tuning and 9s. So I went to 11s but then it felt too stiff, so I tuned down another half step to C#. Now it feels too loose again but I'm too cheap to buy newer string until these wear out.

Then I started singing and found that anything near standard tuning just seems to kill my voice after a few songs. If I can even hit the notes...

So I also have an RG550 that I then tuned to B and threw 13s on. Too stiff. Buzzes all over the place. It has a hard tail btw.

So using standard tuning with 9s on a 25.5" scale guitar as a base-line, here is my summary:

E: 9s
Slightly loose feeling:
Eb: 9s
D: 10s
C#: 11s

Too stiff:
B: 13s

The bass player has been unable to keep up with the changing tunings (whatever guage he has is just barely playable at C#).

Anyone care to add more observations, etc?

[guitardevil2005]

man, its all personal preference, i can can get alota tunings on my daddario 115s, of course if i wanna tune to like b i use a thinker gauge, but like i sed, personal preference.

[felipe82]

have you tried to adjust the truss rod to eliminate the buzz with the .013s?

I have to agree that with 0.010s the strings felt too slopy tuned down to D.

I know petrucci uses ernie ball not even slinkys on his C tuned guitars.

Hope it helps.

[slugman]

I didn't even think about brands-- I've been using D'addario string because, uh, that's what I got the first time around. Does it make much of a difference?

In terms of the buzzing, its not so much like too low an action, but rather that I don't press hard enough or accurately enough to keep it from buzzing. You know if you play right at the top of the fret the buzzing goes away? I also pick too hard on the bass side I think. Anyhow, when playing chords I just don't press very hard on the strings and also a lot of times you've got to press towards the bottom of the fret because of the fingering for the chord. I'm going to try adjusting the bridge height right now as its too high... I think the truss rod is fine (the buzzing is pretty much the same everywhere).

If this RG had a floyd I'd wonder about messing with the springs too...

[guitarshredder7]

try a thicker ernie ball 11s with the 56 i think is.

[Tsorovan]

For such big jumps in gauge, you will almost certainly need to adjust the truss rod.

[Courjan]

First of all my thanks to Slugman for starting this thread. I was gonna post a very similar thread on what gauge to use for down tuning to C.

To tune down two whole notes and to keep the tension close to what I get with .009s at standard tuning, should I use .011s or .012s or higher?
This is my question.

...And in reply to Slugman:
Few hours ago I was checking out D'Addario site for available string gauges.
I've always used XL series but I noticed the EJ series today.
EJ20 10-49 jazz extra light
EJ21 12-52 jazz light
EJ22 13-56 jazz medium

It will take a lot of experimentation but maybe these ones, especially the EJ21 might be what you're looking for.

[guitarshredder7]

personal preference. its what you like, you should just try a bunch of different ways