# String gauges - 25.5 scale Drop G# - Thinnest possible choice?



## lewis (May 7, 2018)

Im getting more and more disillusioned with thick strings. They just seem so un-musical to me and feel bad under the touch. I can play with them of course and Ive gotten good and use to doing it but I miss slinky, fast and musical strings.

now the interesting part... one of my main guitars is only 25.5 inch scale.
Ive been using a 72 on bottom and 13 on top and it works fine. I just wanted to try and get them even thinner and more musical.
I do play pretty hard (but not REALLY hard though). Anyone know what I could get away with absolute minimum?

Was thinking of grabbing a set with a 62 on bottom for the low G# to try?

tuning is:
G#,D#,G#,C#,G#,C#

Thanks


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## bostjan (May 7, 2018)

If you use a light enough pick attack and light enough left hand grip, you can get away with using pretty much anything.

For me, personally, I just use whatever feels best. No sense in trying to wrestle with your strings all of the time. For 27" scale in A, I'm using a .062", so taking that down to G (27" = one fret lower than 25.5"), it'd be a little floppy for me, but not unreasonable.


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## Beefmuffin (May 7, 2018)

Double Post, Sorry


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## Beefmuffin (May 7, 2018)

I use the ernie ball skinny top heavy bottom 7 string set and it's perfect for me. Starts out as .010 and hits the bottom string with a .062. Jason Richardson, as well as others, play a lot of their EBMM's with standard .010-.056 gauge sets, and that's for drop G, so really it's however you want to roll. I know some people on here would suggest nothing smaller than a .070 for drop G#, all preference.


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## lewis (May 7, 2018)

good to know guys!
Thought i was going mad as all the old threads/posts on here i researched, said 70+ gauges like you said @Beefmuffin 

i will grab a daddario light baritone set 13-62, and see whats what.


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## metallifan3091 (May 7, 2018)

For what it's worth, my seven is an older PRS SE with a 25" scale and I use the EB Cobalt 10-62 set and I usually keep it tuned down one whole step. I've never had any trouble with tension or intonation but YMMV depending on preference.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (May 8, 2018)

Open tunings are a little harder to find ideal strings for unless you build custom sets, especially for tuning low. 

However, you might also take a look at the D'addario super light 8 string set, but remove the 9 and 24. You'd end up with 11, 16, 32, 42, 54, 65  should be a good "step down" from the 13-72 you're used to


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## NateFalcon (May 8, 2018)

It’s whatever you’re comfortable with, in both sound and playability...it can feel like a compromise at times. I like lighter strings personally because my style is real bendy, I love piercing highs and I like working the whole fretboard...but when I tune below C# I up my string guage because I hate that “fret slap” feel of a bass when I’m playing guitar...I also pick REALLY hard and prefer 25.5” to multi or 27” or longer scales - so for diversity’s sake I usually keep a couple guitars tuned differently. For daily jamming I like C-ish and Slinky 9’s lol...it’s finding that balance between “ears” and “feel”. 25 years later I still change my mind on certain days


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## Flappydoodle (May 8, 2018)

Beefmuffin said:


> I use the ernie ball skinny top heavy bottom 7 string set and it's perfect for me. Starts out as .010 and hits the bottom string with a .062. Jason Richardson, as well as others, play a lot of their EBMM's with standard .010-.056 gauge sets, and that's for drop G, so really it's however you want to roll. I know some people on here would suggest nothing smaller than a .070 for drop G#, all preference.



Jesus. I use a 60 for C on a 27 inch scale guitar. Couldn't tolerate anything thinner than that  

A 56 for G? That's just a rubber band


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## Bearitone (May 8, 2018)

Good luck bro. I use an 85 for drop G on a 28.625" scale guitar and hate anything thinner (gets fretbuzz and flop too easily)


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## Mathemagician (May 8, 2018)

I think Jason Richardson uses something like 10-56 or something stupid for drop G on a seven in 25.5, so really as long as it stays in tune and you like the gauge go for it. 

I use a 56 for a low C# personally.


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## Lorcan Ward (May 8, 2018)

At the moment Jason uses Ernie Ball 9-42 M-Steel set with a 56 Cobalt for Drop A and a 10-46 M-Steel set with a 58 Cobalt for Drop G. I've no idea how you can get away with such spaghetti gauges for the low strings but it does allow you to tune lower and get a better tone on short scales.

Your best bet is just to buy a bunch of gauges between 60-70 to see what you like. Its also important to try different types of strings and also different manufacturers to find the right balance between tension and tone. With short scales you are going to have to sacrifice one for the other. I could never get it right so thats what pushed me towards multi-scales.


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## Lindmann (May 8, 2018)

I got two 25.5" guitars on drop G with different gauges and use them for different purposes as they sound vastly different.

First one: 14 - 74 - for slams, heavy chugging, chords, rhythm guitar play, stuff that needs perfect intonation

Second one 14 - 58 - for unsteady single notes (sound cool on the lower strings), lead stuff, and stuff that asks for agressive pick attack, bending and vibrato stuff, pinch harmonice

When recording I constantly switch between those two.
When playing live I always choose the guitar with the thicker strings at the cost of fancy vibratos and pinch harmonics.


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## Masoo2 (May 8, 2018)

I've been using 56 on a 27 inch all the way down to G with no problems, paired with 9.5-46 and a low 74 for F# through Eb

Once I got in the mindset of "tone over feel," I found that I could use basically any gauge without much problem as long as I had a decent setup. And I pick H A R D with a super thick pick (Hufschmid) with no real problems whatsoever.

I always see people on forums recommending such huge gauges, but I've never actually seen a touring/professional guitarist use anything more than like a 62-64 for tuning down to G. There's a few notable exceptions (Pat from FFAA, guys from TAIM, etc) but those seem to be, as I said, exceptions rather than the norm.

Someone else recommended ordering a few singles so I'm going to second that.


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## lewis (May 8, 2018)

Masoo2 said:


> I've been using 56 on a 27 inch all the way down to G with no problems, paired with 9.5-46 and a low 74 for F# through Eb
> 
> Once I got in the mindset of "tone over feel," I found that I could use basically any gauge without much problem as long as I had a decent setup. And I pick H A R D with a super thick pick (Hufschmid) with no real problems whatsoever.
> 
> ...


yeah I completely agree with this. I tried a high end Mayones recently that was tuned equally low to my band, but was using much thinner strings and it played better than anything else I own. There was no intonation issues either despite the strings being much slinkier than what I would use. Now granted its a longer scale than 25.5, but its all relative.
Im going to try some 62's first and see how I get on.


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## gujukal (May 9, 2018)

Try a set of d'addario 12-60, i use them for drop a# but they probably work for g# when getting used to the lower tension. I've also started using thinner strings I'm general, feels and sounds better.


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## angl2k (May 9, 2018)

I tune to drop A with 25.5" scale and use a 56, but only because it sounds much better than a higher gauge on that particular guitar and my rig, YMMV. For G# I'd probably use a 59 or 60 gauge. I haven't noticed any weird things but I don't pick very hard.


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## ZombieLloyd (May 9, 2018)

angl2k said:


> I tune to drop A with 25.5" scale and use a 56, but only because it sounds much better than a higher gauge on that particular guitar and my rig, YMMV. For G# I'd probably use a 59 or 60 gauge. I haven't noticed any weird things but I don't pick very hard.



How do you manage to get to drop A with a 56 gauge string? I can't go further than C standard with a 12-60 gauge set, whereas the other guitarist in my band uses 9s for that tuning, how do you guys do it?


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## angl2k (May 10, 2018)

ZombieLloyd said:


> How do you manage to get to drop A with a 56 gauge string? I can't go further than C standard with a 12-60 gauge set, whereas the other guitarist in my band uses 9s for that tuning, how do you guys do it?



I put on an EB cobalt 9-42 set and buy a 56 single. Tuned to AEADGBe. Tension on 7th string is 11.23 lbs. Big strings are overrated A good setup helps and also a properly cut nut.


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## ZombieLloyd (May 10, 2018)

angl2k said:


> I put on an EB cobalt 9-42 set and buy a 56 single. Tuned to AEADGBe. Tension on 7th string is 11.23 lbs. Big strings are overrated A good setup helps and also a properly cut nut.



Right, 7 string. I didn't see a mention of the seventh string in the message I was responding to and for some reason I thought you were using a 6 string haha. To make myself sound less like an idiot, I used to play drop A on my Jackson DK-2. I miss having a blocked Floyd Rose because I could get any tuning on any string gauge I wanted just by adjusting the spring tension. Now I'm playing that Washburn Solar V with the Evertune and I'm still getting used to it haha.


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## Lorcan Ward (May 10, 2018)

ZombieLloyd said:


> How do you manage to get to drop A with a 56 gauge string? I can't go further than C standard with a 12-60 gauge set, whereas the other guitarist in my band uses 9s for that tuning, how do you guys do it?



Picking lightly is the main thing along with low action and light fretting so you don't pull the string out of tune. I pick moderately hard so I need at least a 60 for B otherwise it goes out of tune when I pick. The majority of players don't pick very hard so they can get away with lighter strings. If I make myself pick the lowest string lightly I can get away a smaller gauge but I don't like the super loose feel even if the tone is better.

With guitar there is always a compromise wether its string gauge, scale length or your technique. When it comes to strings most people just say screw it and buy a 9-56 or 10-59 pack and just deal with the low tension 7th string adjusting their technique to pick lighter because buying separate strings is a chore.


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## gujukal (May 10, 2018)

Lorcan Ward said:


> Picking lightly is the main thing along with low action and light fretting so you don't pull the string out of tune. I pick moderately hard so I need at least a 60 for B otherwise it goes out of tune when I pick. The majority of players don't pick very hard so they can get away with lighter strings. If I make myself pick the lowest string lightly I can get away a smaller gauge but I don't like the super loose feel even if the tone is better.
> 
> With guitar there is always a compromise wether its string gauge, scale length or your technique. When it comes to strings most people just say screw it and buy a 9-56 or 10-59 pack and just deal with the low tension 7th string adjusting their technique to pick lighter because buying separate strings is a chore.


Or use a thinner pick works too.


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## Masoo2 (May 10, 2018)

ZombieLloyd said:


> How do you manage to get to drop A with a 56 gauge string? I can't go further than C standard with a 12-60 gauge set, whereas the other guitarist in my band uses 9s for that tuning, how do you guys do it?





Lorcan Ward said:


> Picking lightly is the main thing along with low action and light fretting so you don't pull the string out of tune. I pick moderately hard so I need at least a 60 for B otherwise it goes out of tune when I pick. The majority of players don't pick very hard so they can get away with lighter strings. If I make myself pick the lowest string lightly I can get away a smaller gauge but I don't like the super loose feel even if the tone is better.
> 
> With guitar there is always a compromise wether its string gauge, scale length or your technique. When it comes to strings most people just say screw it and buy a 9-56 or 10-59 pack and just deal with the low tension 7th string adjusting their technique to pick lighter because buying separate strings is a chore.





gujukal said:


> Or use a thinner pick works too.



See, I use super thin strings, pick super hard, AND use a super thick pick.

It all just banks on having a good setup, knowing how you pick, and understanding how to counter the inevitable tuning/stability problems that can arise when use that combination of gauge + hardness + thickness. My pick is probably at a 45+ degree angle (sometimes 55-65 degrees) towards the strings + I pick a certain way to ensure that string bowing doesn't happen (or if it does, it's minimized) + I lock my pinky under the highest string(s) so my picking is always consistent.

It's all possible, you just have to take some time developing your picking and understanding how minute differences (ie: how high/low the string is connecting on the pick, the very tip vs somewhere slightly higher) can make HUGE impacts on the resulting hit. Being very dynamic with your picking (knowing when to angle and how, knowing when to pick lighter vs harder and why) makes a huge impact as well.


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## jerm (May 10, 2018)

For Drop G# I'd use 64-9.5 or 66-10


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## ZombieLloyd (May 11, 2018)

Lorcan Ward said:


> Picking lightly is the main thing along with low action and light fretting so you don't pull the string out of tune. I pick moderately hard so I need at least a 60 for B otherwise it goes out of tune when I pick. The majority of players don't pick very hard so they can get away with lighter strings. If I make myself pick the lowest string lightly I can get away a smaller gauge but I don't like the super loose feel even if the tone is better.
> 
> With guitar there is always a compromise wether its string gauge, scale length or your technique. When it comes to strings most people just say screw it and buy a 9-56 or 10-59 pack and just deal with the low tension 7th string adjusting their technique to pick lighter because buying separate strings is a chore.



I pick moderately hard too. I also use a 3mm pick so that's not really good for lighter strings. I only really pick lightly when I'm on a slightly gritty clean sound and I need it to actually sound clean. Or sometimes I'll just lower my volume knob and just pick how I normally would.

I don't like the super loose feel either, I kind of like something that bounces back, rather than lets me go right through. Like the strings are fighting me, you know? I recently went back to my Floyd equipped guitar and I have a very tight feeling setup there, it feels good to play and I kind of regret not using it much after I got the Washburn Solar. I also realise how much I miss that Black Winter pickup haha. But that's a discussion for a different post, I guess.


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## angl2k (May 14, 2018)

ZombieLloyd said:


> Right, 7 string. I didn't see a mention of the seventh string in the message I was responding to and for some reason I thought you were using a 6 string haha. To make myself sound less like an idiot, I used to play drop A on my Jackson DK-2. I miss having a blocked Floyd Rose because I could get any tuning on any string gauge I wanted just by adjusting the spring tension. Now I'm playing that Washburn Solar V with the Evertune and I'm still getting used to it haha.



Well yeah but if I were tuning to drop A on a 6er I would also use a 56 for the 6th string. I have a 6er with 10-52 in drop C and sometimes drop the C to A for some Periphery songs and it's manageable.


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## Vyn (May 14, 2018)

I use EB Hybrid Slinky's (9-46) with a 58 on the bottom for Drop A and Skinny Top Heavy Bottom (10-52) with a 60 for Drop G. Seems just right. I have a light-ish picking technique that comes from years of playing Ibanez's with stock 9-42s on them though.


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## lewis (May 26, 2018)

just an update on this,
I tried the Ernie Ball "regular slinky" set which is:

10, 13, 17, 26, 36, 46

I bought a single ernie ball 66 gauge and went with this

10 - C#
13 - G#
26 - C#
36 - G#
46 - D#
66 - G#
and discarded the 17 from the set.

so far it seems awesome. Need a slight neck adjustment which I cant do until my hipshot headpiece comes in. (current headpiece is garbage and slightly blocks the truss rod)
but in general Im pleased with the feel. Much slinkier and easy to bend and vibrato. I probably need to do a fret job on the guitar which is no big deal to stop a little bit of buzz in a few places (nothing major at all)

so yeah its much thinner than what I was using which was the EB Baritone set of - 

13
18
30
44
56
72

and I defo prefer it. The guitar is easier to play and just sounds way more musical and "more like a guitar". Im defo going well off thick strings.


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