String Tension Super Thread (Got a string question? Post it here!)

[heilarkyguitar]

the rose makes it harder to put thicker gauge strings on i use 11-48 on my 6 thats tuned aeadgb no e ha , anyway it works for me some would want more tension. i wouldnt go w/ less tension .

[Kamikaze7]

Originally Posted by Andromalia

Depends on taste, 10-56 is fine for some people, me included. I'm for now using Not Even sets but will likely switch back to Elixir when I'm done with the 10 packs I bought.
Note I use 52's for Eb on a 24.75 neck so it really depends on personal taste.

Yes, while the fact that your playing those guages on a 24 3/4" scale is also a major factor to consider also. And yes, personal taste IS the big thing when it comes to gauges and tensions.

Originally Posted by heilarkyguitar

the rose makes it harder to put thicker gauge strings on i use 11-48 on my 6 thats tuned aeadgb no e ha , anyway it works for me some would want more tension. i wouldnt go w/ less tension .

I'm surprised that your using that gauge and your not getting your low A to flop... I found that anything less than a 58 for that low A has way too much flop to it. But again, personal taste is everything. If it works for you, I don't and am not knockin' it.

[Kamikaze7]

Originally Posted by Wierdoom

Personally, I would use something like this:

D .012
A .016
F .020
C .032
G .042
D .054
G .080

I use a .072 in A, but I like having higher tension.

I agree with this, but I would use a 66 for the low G... I'm using a 70 for the F# on my 8 and find the tension/feel to be perfect, so something like a 66 I would find suitable. Again, all personal taste...

[welsh_7stinger]

i tune a 25.5" to drop G# nd i use a 68 on it and it feels brill in my opinion. so id say either 68 or a 70 would do the job fine. iits intoneted brill not a fret out of tune.

[vampiregenocide]

I tune open Cmaj (GCGCGCE) on my 2027x, with a 0.68 for the G and that sounds fine. A little rattley, but thats because the setup needs tweaking.

[rob_707]

hey i use a 7 string ibanez RG 7321 its 25.5 my tuneing is GDGCFAD and i use a 74 for the low g and its perfict! the last six are the earniball no even slinky its 56-13 i belive.

[6Christ6Denied6]

Hey guys, I have a new 7 on its way and I want to figure out which strings will benefit me the most. The scale length is 25-27 and it is going to be tuned to GDGCFAD, so drop G.

From experience, my ideal tension is about 18 pounds per string. I have been messing around with a tension calculator and to achieve this tension I would need to use a 12 for the high D and 74 for the low G... now I am pretty picky about strings and I like them to be balanced tension all the way through, I am not to sure how to figure out the scale length for each of the strings in between. I know I could measure each individual string but I cant obviously until I actually receive it. Id like to get some strings before it arrives so when it does i cant take it right to the shop and have it set up to my liking.

One concern I have is that a 74 seems like it would be a bit to dark sounding to my tastes, especially since the guitar is one piece mahogany.

Do you think I should try to get a stainless steel 74 to brighten it up a bit? I could always contact Gary Goodman from octave4plus and maybe make a set that complys with my tension but with reasonable gauges so it wont be mud.

How can I figure out the other scale lengths of the string in between?

I appreciate any help

Thanks

[All_¥our_Bass]

While on my search for a low F I found that 85 makes a great G.

You could obviously use anything in the 65+ area depending on your preferences for feel, tone and playing style.

On my RG7321 I have a 70 tune to B that I dropped to G and G# just to see how it would do. I found that G# was fine, just a bit on the loose side (I like my low strings really tight), the 70 in G wasn't usable for me, but I'm heavy handed in both picking and fretting.

I've tried using lighter strings, and even if I'm gentle with my picking (which feels unnatural) I'll bend the notes out of tune just from fretting alone.

[clopstyle]

I tune to drop G# and use Ernie Ball Super Slinky's on my Apex 2 and RG7621

[atticmike]

Hey folks,

What are your recommendations for a EB Tuning in terms of string gauge. I've been using the heavy bottom ones from ernie ball and felt like as if the whole-fret-sweeps got harder to conduct since the transition to the second and third string feels a bit abrupt.

Why have I recently wrecked my brain and agonized myself on that matter? I will get a JPS Ball Signature six-string.

Thanks in advance people!

[Andromalia]

I'm using 52-10 myself on a 24.75 neck and a TOM bridge, an elixir set. I like the tension although bends and pitch harmonics on the lower strings are made a bit more difficult. On a well setup guitar this has my preference, it enables me to get low action without having issues with strings vibrating too much. (I'm sort of a heavy strummer when chording)

[matisq]

I use D'Addario EXL158 Baritone Guitar Light 13-62 strings. I tune my 6 string guitar to drop A and it stays at tune all the time. You can also try D'Addario EXL148 Extra Heavy 12-60 strings. This is set created specially for lower tuning.

[EtherealEntity]

I use D'addario 49-11 for Eb, it's perfect.

[failshredder]

I personally like using 9s or 10s for Eb. Takes a while to get used to less tension, but fast lead lines and huge bends become much less unpleasant.

[budule]

For Eb tuning, I use 9/46 D'Addario strings, and for lower tunings the 9/50 DR strings.

That keeps a soft feel on the higher strings.

[GuitaristOfHell]

Anyone know what strings/ gauge Jeff Loomis uses?

[atticmike]

what works best for you especially when it comes to arpeggios, sweep-picking and dream-theater / protest the hero / the human abstract alike fast picking-music?

Thanks for all your input. Good to see that there is such a diversity in your choice of EB strings. Makes it easier for me to tackle a choice

[potatohead]

I make a custom set, 10-13-17-28-38-48

It's basically your hybrid 9-46 set, but bumped up a bit for the one semitone lower. I don't know why the big brands don't make this set, seems like a logical thing. Only DR do (with a 50) and Dunlop Heavy Cores are available as well.

[troyguitar]

9-46, I'm not a fan of massive tension.

[Miek]

I use 10-50 DRs, since I prefer a ton more tension on my lower strings than my high strings. Poor guitar.

[All_¥our_Bass]

Originally Posted by GuitaristOfHell

Anyone know what strings/ gauge Jeff Loomis uses?

He was using 52-13 with a 70 for the Bb and had 80 for his Bb on "Enemies."
He recently switched to a 60-10 set because he claims he was getting cramps/pains.

[GuitaristOfHell]

Originally Posted by All_¥our_Bass

He was using 52-13 with a 70 for the Bb and had 80 for his Bb on "Enemies."
He recently switched to a 60-10 set because he claims he was getting cramps/pains.

Thanks! I'm going to try that.

[Explorer]

atticmike, it would be easier to give you directions for your destination if I knew your starting point *and* your destination.

In other words, what tension would your normally be using for standard tuning, and at what scale length? Then, what tuning and scale length are you heading towards?

Sorry if it was coded in your posts and I just missed it. Still, I'll appreciate it if you're more explicit, and I'll give a very precise reply in return.

Cheers!

[atticmike]

Though it took me quite a while to answer your post, the system seemed to have foiled my plan of concluding it. Guessing it had to do with the relocation of my thread's content...

Anyways, a rather short attempt on my matter from here on:

I used to be a bluesy inspired player with my Gibson Standard and LPJ. Got to taste blood for the progressive rock genre with the mixing and recording of my best friend's band.

For the past three years I've endeavored to improve my sweep / arpeggio / legato-skills. Hard work and daily practice has gotten me there quite fast. Now, I feel that there is more potential in my precision if maybe the lower strings weren't so thick compared to the higher ones considering I've used the ernie ball heavy bottom strings.

Since I'll be playing with an Ernie Ball Music Man JP6, starting the next week, the EB tuning I have used for the past three years has to be set up on Scale Length:25-1/2".

Hope that'll provide you with the necessary information

PS: Previous guitar was an esp deluxe blackout loaded bitch.

[Lives Once Abstract]

Originally Posted by MoRioR

I think that it will work perfectly for Drop G#, but in standard B E A D G B E a 10 - 72 set seems too much to me, isn't it? Would a 26,5" scale guitar work with that?

Your going to either have to deal with it, or get something in between, i play in drop A ( well... kinda tuning from bottum to top: A E A D F# B E) and standard gauge is just fine, i and G# isnt but a half step from a so that should be a problem, but if you insist, go with some GHS Electric Boomers 7-string Mediums, Gauges: 10-13-17-26-36-46-60,