# Drop E Bass string gauges? Plz help



## Brohoodofsteel75 (Jan 18, 2012)

I want to buy a six string bass, but my band plays 8 string guitars and i want to be an octave lower and tune my bass to E B E A D G. What gauge should i use for my lower strings, and where can i find strings that size because my local guitar center is horrible for bass...?


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## in-pursuit (Jan 18, 2012)

what gauges of string do you use currently?


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## AcousticMinja (Jan 18, 2012)

I have two sites to suggest for where to buy them!

The first is Octave4plus. They'll make you a custom set of strings based on the gauges you want. You give them measurements, the gauges, etc and they'll do it. It does have a wait time, being a custom shop and all, but the results are pretty awesome. I've ordered a few strings from them and they turned out pretty awesome.

The next site is Circle K strings. There you can find full sets with all sorts of different gauges and whatnot for your bass. They also have a string tension chart where you can find the gauge you want based on the note and octave, etc. It's pretty cool. People here have purchased from them before and are happy so I'd give them a look into as well!

octave4plus.com

Circle K Strings


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## Brohoodofsteel75 (Jan 18, 2012)

in-pursuit said:


> what gauges of string do you use currently?


30-45-65-65-105-130 the stock gauges...


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## Brohoodofsteel75 (Jan 18, 2012)

AcousticMinja said:


> I have two sites to suggest for where to buy them!
> 
> The first is Octave4plus. They'll make you a custom set of strings based on the gauges you want. You give them measurements, the gauges, etc and they'll do it. It does have a wait time, being a custom shop and all, but the results are pretty awesome. I've ordered a few strings from them and they turned out pretty awesome.
> 
> ...



Thanks man, i'll check these out now!


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## Winspear (Jan 18, 2012)

Look for a 35" bass rather than 34". 
The largest string available from the bigger brands is D'addarios 145. Make sure to buy the SL (Super long) version if you have a 35". I find that suitable for Ab on a 35" but wouldn't go lower than G.
Longer basses like the Knuckle Quake are available and would help you greatly. 
Circle K Strings do a large variety of heavy gauges for this application. 200 to 210 should give you a pretty standard tension.


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## Ishan (Jan 18, 2012)

Ask the guys @ Circle K, they'll figure out the gages for you considering your bass, tuning and scale length. Beware you'll certainly have to have a nut cut specifically for large strings (very large  like .190 for that low E)


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## Varcolac (Jan 18, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> Look for a 35" bass rather than 34". *
> The largest string available from the bigger brands is D'addarios 145.* Make sure to buy the SL (Super long) version if you have a 35". I find that suitable for Ab on a 35" but wouldn't go lower than G.
> Longer basses like the Knuckle Quake are available and would help you greatly.
> Circle K Strings do a large variety of heavy gauges for this application. 200 to 210 should give you a pretty standard tension.



Actually, it's Rotosound's Drop Zone sets. Goes up to 175 for an F#.

ROTOSOUND DROP ZONE 66 BASS STRINGS


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## ixlramp (Jan 18, 2012)

Circle K Strings sell ultra-low 'drop-tune' 6 string sets here Circle K Strings - Standard Drop-tuned 6 Strings
Perhaps consider the .190 set .190 .130 .098 .073 .055 .039. This is an extra-light set but the advantage is that a CKS .190 has 3 layers of wrap wire making it more flexible, brighter and clearer than the .200 which has 4 layers, also the saddle will not need to go so far back to intonate.
If you want an equivalent tension to a standard set such as 30 45 65 85 105 130 then the .210 set .210 .142 .106 .079 .059 .043.
Make sure to buy a bass with a 35" scale and a top-loading bridge as CK strings don't work string-through-body.


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## Phalanx (Jan 19, 2012)

I'd be more worried about how your going to amplify a note that low. It's only 3 semitones above C# which is debatably the lowest note audible by humans.


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## Winspear (Jan 19, 2012)

Varcolac said:


> Actually, it's Rotosound's Drop Zone sets. Goes up to 175 for an F#.
> 
> ROTOSOUND DROP ZONE 66 BASS STRINGS



That's awesome. They don't seem to sell it as a single so it's no use to me personally..but awesome nonetheless!



Phalanx said:


> I'd be more worried about how your going to amplify a note that low. It's only 3 semitones above C# which is debatably the lowest note audible by humans.



I've never tried E, F# out of curiosity with a .145. It's floppy. But it sounds solid on my PC rig using guitar rig (out of tiny 5" cones). That said, my bass has some of the strongest low end I've ever found. I knew my old Ashdown Mag III cheap amp pretty well too and I know that would have handled it just fine. It's not the fundamental which makes up most of the sound to us.


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