# Drop D1?



## Brill (Sep 19, 2012)

Im trying to get guitar that i can tune to drop D1 easily. I was think of buying Agile Intrepid Pro Dual 72728 EB CA Oceanburst DOT - RondoMusic.com, the largest string i can get easy access to is a. 74. 
Opinions?


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## Winspear (Sep 19, 2012)

I would definitely go 30" if that's the largest gauge you can get. The tone and playability will be much nicer. A 28.6 74 D would be flop city imo.

I'm aware there are no longer fanned fret options on there. At least if it's only a 7 your high strings are quite low pitched and wont suffer too much tonally from the long scale of a straight 30"


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## Brill (Sep 19, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> I would definitely go 30" if that's the largest gauge you can get. The tone and playability will be much nicer. A 28.6 74 D would be flop city imo.
> 
> I'm aware there are no longer fanned fret options on there. At least if it's only a 7 your high strings are quite low pitched and wont suffer too much tonally from the long scale.



Well i might be able to order some thicker strings. What guage should do it on a 28.6"?


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## quattro19tdi (Sep 19, 2012)

Loxodrome said:


> Well i might be able to order some thicker strings. What guage should do it on a 28.6"?


.090 would be around 16lbs


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## Winspear (Sep 19, 2012)

Yeah 90 I'd say minimum. I'd prefer the 19lbs of a 100, but depends on your own preference


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## ZEBOV (Sep 20, 2012)

MFKitten is a member on here that tunes or has tuned his Agile Intrepid 830 to that. Ask him what he recommends.


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## LeAdEr (Sep 20, 2012)

I have ordered by thomann string with gauges 20-90 for a baritone guitar and tuned a bc rich baritone (30") to d1 some years ago. 

Ernie Ball Baritone Guitar Strings 20-90 - Online Music Store Australia - Kosmic Sound

You have just to add a high string


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## no_dice (Sep 20, 2012)

I personally don't agree with people saying you can compensate for shorter scale length with big ass strings and it sounds fine. The lower you want to go, longer is better for sure. I had an Intrepid 828, and my Hellraiser C-VI (30") handles the low E infinitely better, and I feel like I could tune it down to D1 if I really wanted to with no issue. 

I'm sure it's really a personal thing, but I prefer longer scales over fatter strings for really low tunings.


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## Shammas (Sep 20, 2012)

My band uses Agile Interceptor 828s and we use 74s on a 28.6 inch scale. You'd think it would be too floppy, but it's actually very comfy! I imagine a 30" might be a little tighter, but it's not absolutely necessary and with 28.6, leads are so much more comfy and smooth. Just my opinion!


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## Krucifixtion (Sep 21, 2012)

I have done drop d#/eb on my RG2228 27" scale with an .80, but it's still a bit loose. Tracked one song like that, but had to go a little easy on the picking for that low string. Next track we do that is that low I will probably order a .86 or at least like .84

Circle K Strings is the way to go for odd sizes and anything over .80 unless you want a GHS .90, but I don't like GHS strings. The Circle K's are awesome strings and also intonate well.


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## Sponge (Sep 21, 2012)

I tune to D as well and have tried on different scale lengths. A 30 inch scale is by far a less hassle option. .85-.90 strings work well, although I found .90 to be a bit muddy. .85 should do you well on 30 inch scale. Strongly recommend the extended scale length!


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## m3l-mrq3z (Sep 21, 2012)

Lower tunings==/== heaviness


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## axxessdenied (Sep 21, 2012)

Lower tunings make your guitar sound more like a piano I find... doesn't need to be about being heavy, fyi. Plus, kind of a random statement since he never said what kind of music he intends to play...


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 23, 2012)

ZEBOV said:


> MFKitten is a member on here that tunes or has tuned his Agile Intrepid 830 to that. Ask him what he recommends.



Tuning in!

I actually HAD an agile 830, 30" scale and all, and i used a .74 for the low E on that. I currently have an OLP MM5 30" scale baritone, and i use a set of Circle K Strings .86 for the low D on that. Works perfectly. D'addario would be a .80 for the same result. .85 sucks balls in that tuning. Don't use bass strings.


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## Brill (Sep 23, 2012)

MF_Kitten said:


> Tuning in!
> 
> I actually HAD an agile 830, 30" scale and all, and i used a .74 for the low E on that. I currently have an OLP MM5 30" scale baritone, and i use a set of Circle K Strings .86 for the low D on that. Works perfectly. D'addario would be a .80 for the same result. .85 sucks balls in that tuning. Don't use bass strings.



Im going 30" for drop B0. Its going to be. 115.
So. 80- .85? Non bass string.. If i was to use a bass string. What yould happen?


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## Go To Bed Jessica (Sep 23, 2012)

Bass strings sound different to guitar strings because they use thicker cores. 

Over simplified TL;DR: The thicker core of a bass string = not as much flexibility = less harmonic content = sound more like a bass (primarily an instrument of fundamentals) than a guitar (an instrument of harmonics).

Also the ball end might hang out the back of the guitar and the stiffer twisted end near the ball might make life a bit difficult for you when you're putting it on. You might need to unwrap some of the windings to fit it in a guitar tuner.

I tried a bass string as the low E on my Schecter 8 earlier this year and while I wasn't unhappy with the result, I ultimately got a much better sound using a full set of guitar strings.


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 23, 2012)

Loxodrome said:


> Im going 30" for drop B0. Its going to be. 115.
> So. 80- .85? Non bass string.. If i was to use a bass string. What yould happen?



It sounds dull as hell, and it's stiff yet floppy. It just doesn't work like a string. Guitar strings retain the deliciousness.

Circle K Strings are perfect, because they are basically a really guitar-like string (more guitar-like than most guitar strings!) that are available in gauges all the way up to bass sizes and then way beyond those as well.


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## Xplora (Sep 23, 2012)

I've used bass strings for the drop A on my RG7421 (just a 70) and I don't notice any major differences between the tension and say a 68 guitar string that could not be explained by the gauge change. Use what you can... if anything a thicker core is preferable to get a snappier, brighter tone because stiffer is the whole point of going longer scale/bigger string/tuning higher!

If the ferrules are bothering you, maybe you need to be glad you have the option (it's just too hard to do it differnetly where I live... cheaper to use a bass string).


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 23, 2012)

The difference gets larger exponentially as the string gauge increases. A .85 bass string VS a .85 guitar string is night and day. The thicker core doesn't make it snappier, unfortunately, and there is a difference between tightness and stiffness. You want tightness, but trust me when i say you do NOT want stiffness. Stiffness makes it feel horrible to play, and it sounds horrible as well. You want flexible strings.


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## Nykur_Myrkvi (Sep 23, 2012)

MF_Kitten said:


> Tuning in!
> 
> I actually HAD an agile 830, 30" scale and all, and i used a .74 for the low E on that. I currently have an OLP MM5 30" scale baritone, and i use a set of Circle K Strings .86 for the low D on that. Works perfectly. D'addario would be a .80 for the same result. .85 sucks balls in that tuning. Don't use bass strings.


I'm actually quite interested to hear how that baritone of yours sounds with the low D, do you have any recording of it?


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 23, 2012)

here's a clip:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3782113/Circle K Strings CHURG.mp3

That's a low Db. There's a bit too much low end in the mix, but what you're listening for is the "chaaaaaw" sound. That vocal midrange. With all the bass strings i've had on this thing, that has been missing. There's been a thin "tink" pick attack, and a dull "dunnnnnnn" under it. With these strings, i get a very bright and clear and PRESENT sounding "TCHAWK!", like it's played on a really clear sounding bass or something!


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## Winspear (Sep 23, 2012)

I'll have a clip of my 29.25" Eb this week also with Circle Ks  The tonality of notes down there done right is just sick! That clip is awesome MF


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## Nykur_Myrkvi (Sep 23, 2012)

That sounds brutal!

Nice job.


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## no_dice (Sep 24, 2012)

MF_Kitten said:


> here's a clip:
> 
> https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3782113/Circle K Strings CHURG.mp3
> 
> That's a low Db. There's a bit too much low end in the mix, but what you're listening for is the "chaaaaaw" sound. That vocal midrange. With all the bass strings i've had on this thing, that has been missing. There's been a thin "tink" pick attack, and a dull "dunnnnnnn" under it. With these strings, i get a very bright and clear and PRESENT sounding "TCHAWK!", like it's played on a really clear sounding bass or something!



Damn, that's awesome! What scale and gauge is that?


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## BIG ND SWEATY (Sep 24, 2012)

MF_Kitten said:


> here's a clip:
> 
> https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3782113/Circle K Strings CHURG.mp3


 i forgot how much i like CHURG!


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## Winspear (Sep 24, 2012)

He said 86 on that  86 is also what I am using for the D# on my 29.25


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## no_dice (Sep 24, 2012)

EtherealEntity said:


> He said 86 on that  86 is also what I am using for the D# on my 29.25



I saw he mentioned 86 for a low D, but he said that clip was Db so I didn't know if the setup was different. I'm still deciding whether to go E1 or D1, but either way I'm definitely going with Circle K.


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 24, 2012)

Same string for Db.


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## no_dice (Sep 24, 2012)

MF_Kitten said:


> Same string for Db.



Thanks a lot. I was just looking for a benchmark of what gauge to go for and your recording sounds great.


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 24, 2012)

no_dice said:


> Thanks a lot. I was just looking for a benchmark of what gauge to go for and your recording sounds great.



It feels PERFECT as well, just like a guitar should! No flop!


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