# 26.5 scale length, drop Ab tuning



## Schivosa (Jan 18, 2013)

What string gauge do you recommend?


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## Swyse (Jan 18, 2013)

I'd use something like
len 26.5"

Eb .011" PL == 18.88#
B,b .014" PL == 17.16#
G,b .018" PL == 17.87#
D,b .026" nw == 17.71#
A,,b .036" nw == 18.8#
E,,b .049" nw == 18.94#
A,,,b .073" nw == 18.92#

Depends what kind of tension you prefer. I like lighter sets.


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## Schivosa (Jan 18, 2013)

What about drop A?


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## Krucifixtion (Jan 18, 2013)

That's a little heavy for drop Ab...just my opinion

I'd go like 10-46 set and 64


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## MikeH (Jan 18, 2013)

73-11? No way. I'd buy a standard 59-10 set, honestly.


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## ZEBOV (Jan 18, 2013)

Here's the string tension thread. You could have searched the forum before starting a thread to ask a question that has been asked hundreds or maybe even thousands of times before.
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/be...per-thread-got-string-question-post-here.html


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## knuckle_head (Jan 18, 2013)

10-45 set and a 67


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## Robby the Robot (Jan 18, 2013)

Circle K Strings - 7 String Guitar Sets | Page 2 of 5

I'd go for the .010-.061 set.


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## Winspear (Jan 18, 2013)

59 will be ridiculously floppy - that's loose even in B if you are comparing to the standard preference of 46 E. 

The tensions laid out above are pretty much perfect, also based around a 46 E translating to 49 Eb.

I recommend Circle K's too (they sound great and are tighter so you can go slightly smaller, say 69) - but they don't do drop sets so you'd have to get a 6 string set (I suggest 10-45 as they are tighter like I said) and a 69. The 10-61 set linked is likely the one designed for Bb standard, so just swap the 61 for 69.
If standard strings from D'addario etc, Swyse suggestion is perfect. I was quite happy with 11-49+70 from D'addario on 25.5", aside from the fact the thick basses sound like shit compared to Circle K's.


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## Riger (Jan 18, 2013)

ive used on 25,5 scale for drop A# 62-46-36-26-16-11-9
and tension was great, tight enough.


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## Tango616 (Jan 18, 2013)

I have a .59 on a 25.5" tuned to Drop Ab, it works fine, it's really not that floppy at all, with a 26.5" scale it should be perfectly fine, if you're in the .70's that seems overkill to me.


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## Jason_Clement (Jan 18, 2013)

For drop Ab I use a 10-46 + 70 set. La Bella has one, I think it's HRS 73. It's perfect and will do you good  also feels good in drop A, just a little tight cuz of the 26.5 scale  that is progressive tension, btw, so the 70 will feel proper tension relative to the 46. A 59 or something will be a huge drop off in tension between the 46 and 59, it feels weird.


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## Winspear (Jan 19, 2013)

Tango616 said:


> it's really not that floppy at all



Trust me, I completely understand where these comments are coming from.
People are used to picking up those regular string sets and just rolling with it. 
I used to be the same and would've laughed at anything over 60, but then I saw a comment like Swyses some time ago with some math involved and got curious. Now I could never go back to those unbalanced sets that don't make sense even in 4ths tuning, let alone drop tuned. 

A 59 Ab has roughly equivalent tension to a 39 E. I'll let you decide if that's too floppy or not, but either way it makes absolutely no sense next to the string it is generally found with in sets.


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## no_dice (Jan 19, 2013)

When I was younger, I used to play in drop C on .009s because it was the only gauges my dad had around the house. After owning an RG7321 and trying to get a good feel and sound in a low tuning, I realized how much of a difference tension makes. You CAN use whatever gauge you want but a balance between a string thin enough for a bright sound, and with enough tension to hold up to your playing and control the vibrations properly, is only going to make your guitar feel and sound better.

Tl;dr

I use a CK .073 in Ab/G# at 27.7" and it feels and sounds great. Far from 'bridge cable.'


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## will_shred (Jan 19, 2013)

just buy a standard set... My 26.5 inch 7 is tuned a half step down and it just feels like a normal guitar.


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## Chuck (Jan 19, 2013)

I use LaBella 11-70 sets for my 7 with a 25.5 scale in drop A, works great


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## karjim (Jan 19, 2013)

We don't know nothing about you, how can we put strings at yourself?
9-42 and a 60 if you're a smooth criminel
10-49 and a 66 if you like solos and big riffs of curse
10-52 and 70 if you're a butcher 
13-56 and 74 if you're a maniac
50-145 if you're a bass player with some murder envies


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## JPhoenix19 (Jan 19, 2013)

I've got my RGD7421 in A standard (whole step down), and I'm using the following D'Addario gauges:

D - .0105
A - .0135
F - .018
C - .030
G - .039
D - .052
A - .064

For drop Ab, I'd try

Eb - .010
Bb - .013
Gb - .017
Db - .026
Ab - .038
Eb - .050
Ab - .066

For drop A I'd try

E - .009
B - .011
G - .016
D - .024
A - .034
E - .046
A - .064


These recommendations are coming from someone who likes moderate string tension with a low action. Those people recommending .070+ gauge strings for a low A blow my mind- but to each their own I guess. I recommend piecing together your own set from a site like juststrings.com. I get all my strings from there now for a little less than I'd be looking at spending at one of the local music stores around me.


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## noUser01 (Jan 19, 2013)

A 10-60 set would be more than sufficient. But it's more about taste than anything.


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## TStudiosNR (Aug 5, 2015)

Well i'm happy with 11-74 in Ab on my 25.5 scale seven with a good amount of tension. It's not floppy, and not overly tight. I suggest a 10 - 66/70 setup for a 26.5 scale. But as mentioned before you also have to take into account how larger string gauges will affect your tone. I'd rather sacrifice a little more tension than what i'm comfortable with if it gives my instrument a small touch of clarity in the low end.

.010
.013
.017
.026
.038
.050
.066-70


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## nicktao (Aug 5, 2015)

That's way too much tension. A super light top and medium or heavy bottom would be ideal. Something like:

E - 9 
B - 11-12 
G - 16-17 
D - 24-26 
A - 36-38 
E - 46-50 
B - 60-64 

That would be good because you perceive tension differently as you go from the high E to the low E, so you should increase tension as you go down.


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## noUser01 (Aug 8, 2015)

TStudiosNR said:


> Well i'm happy with 11-74 in Ab on my 25.5 scale seven with a good amount of tension. It's not floppy, and not overly tight. I suggest a 10 - 66/70 setup for a 26.5 scale. But as mentioned before you also have to take into account how larger string gauges will affect your tone. I'd rather sacrifice a little more tension than what i'm comfortable with if it gives my instrument a small touch of clarity in the low end.
> 
> .010
> .013
> ...



This thread is 7 months old...


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## Alex Kenivel (Aug 8, 2015)

ConnorGilks said:


> This thread is 7 months old...


And that post was three days old
And much hasn't changed.


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## Justin L Franks (Aug 8, 2015)

nicktao said:


> That's way too much tension. A super light top and medium or heavy bottom would be ideal. Something like:
> 
> E - 9
> B - 11-12
> ...



Those gauges don't increase tension as you go down. For Drop Ab on a 26.5" scale, tension in pounds is:

9 - 11 - 16 - 24 - 36 - 46 - 60 = 12.6 - 10.6 - 14.1 - 15.1 - 18.3 - 16.3 - 12.6
9 - 12 - 17 - 26 - 38 - 50 - 64 = 12.6 - 12.6 - 16.0 - 17.7 - 20.1 - 18.9 - 14.1

You need something like 9 - 13 - 17 - 25 - 36 - 50 - 78 to have increasing tension on each string.


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## TStudiosNR (Aug 9, 2015)

ConnorGilks said:


> This thread is 7 months old...



Lol and i brought it back.


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