# String Gauge for Drop C tuning on a 6 string???



## Hendog (Jul 5, 2013)

I want to make my customized Yamaha Pacifica into a Drop C powerhouse (I absolutely love drop C).

I like 10's with standard tuning (E to e) but I can used 9's too.

Are we looking at 11's?


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## Hendog (Jul 5, 2013)

By the way, I tuned a 6 string guitar to Drop C and 10's are unplayable.


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## Adrian-XI (Jul 5, 2013)

I like the d'addario EXL117 set. 11-56.


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## makesexnotwar (Jul 5, 2013)

Elixir 10-52 works fine to me in drop C on Gibson Les Paul


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## MetalMike04 (Jul 5, 2013)

I used to use Ernie Ball 10-56 for both D standard and drop C

for B standard/Open B i use D'adarrio 12-60, which is labeled as perfect for drop C.


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## Heroin (Jul 5, 2013)

I feel that the 11-56 daddario set was made for drop C. I had that set and it was pretty comfortable with a good amount of tension, I hated the unwound 18 though


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## Jonathan20022 (Jul 5, 2013)

I use Elixir's 11-49 in D Standard, it works fine in Drop C. But if I need the extra tension I just order a few Daddario 52's and slap those on for a tighter Low C.


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## Abolyshed (Jul 5, 2013)

I play in C standard and use 12-56 ernie ball, not too floppy and not overly thick. I think a 60 would be a bit much (that's just me). I'd say a 11-54 or 11-56 or even the 12-56 set I use would be good for drop C.


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## MetalBuddah (Jul 5, 2013)

10-52 Ernie Ball Cobalts here. Tight enough to be able to beat on the strings a bit, loose enough for good bending


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## Hendog (Jul 5, 2013)

Can I use a set of 7 string 10's and just ditch the 10 high e?

So it would be:

13, 17, 26, 36, 46, 59

tuned to D with the low string dropped to a C


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## lucasreis (Jul 5, 2013)

MetalBuddah said:


> 10-52 Ernie Ball Cobalts here. Tight enough to be able to beat on the strings a bit, loose enough for good bending



Exactly the same strings I used on my 6 tuned to drop C a while ago. Perfect tension.


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## Jonathan20022 (Jul 5, 2013)

Hendog said:


> Can I use a set of 7 string 10's and just ditch the 10 high e?
> 
> So it would be:
> 
> ...



That's very high tension for Drop C, it might be your thing. For reference, you could tune a guitar in E Standard with 10's up to F# Standard, or a whole step up and see how you feel about the tension of those strings. 

.13p in D4 = 21.7lbs of Tension.
.17p in A3 = 20.9lbs of Tension.
.26w in F3 = 26lbs of Tension.
.36 in C3 = 27.6lbs of Tension.
.46 in G2 = 24.7lbs of Tension.
.59 in C2 = 18.5lbs of Tension.

The Low C is slightly above the feel of 46 in E2, ie Standard Tuning using 10-46's

That set is pretty imbalanced and will feel pretty awkward to play, I'd recommend just buying a set of 11's or 12's and upping the Low C gauge if it doesn't cut it for you.


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## Hendog (Jul 5, 2013)

Kenji20022 said:


> That's very high tension for Drop C, it might be your thing. For reference, you could tune a guitar in E Standard with 10's up to F# Standard, or a whole step up and see how you feel about the tension of those strings.
> 
> .13p in D4 = 21.7lbs of Tension.
> .17p in A3 = 20.9lbs of Tension.
> ...



Thanks for the great info!


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## RevelGTR (Jul 5, 2013)

Try the Ernie Ball beefy slinkies, they sound and feel great for drop C


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## Jake (Jul 5, 2013)

D'adario 10-52 light top heavy bottoms do the job perfectly for me and have for the past 4 years.


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## rockskate4x (Jul 5, 2013)

First two sets are for reference. Here are your 10's and 9's from E-E
E4 .010 dapl == 16.21#
B3 .013 dapl == 15.38#
G3 .017 dapl == 16.57#
D3 .026 danw == 18.41#
A2 .036 danw == 19.54#
E2 .046 danw == 17.48#

E4 .009 dapl == 13.13#
B3 .011 dapl == 11.01#
G3 .016 dapl == 14.68#
D3 .024 danw == 15.77#
A2 .032 danw == 15.77#
E2 .042 danw == 14.77#

... and these are the stock d'addario sets which I think fit your criteria best in drop C

11-52

D4 .011 dapl == 15.57#
A3 .014 dapl == 14.16#
F3 .018 dapl == 14.74#
C3 .030 danw == 19.87#
G2 .042 danw == 20.89#
C2 .052 danw == 13.87#

11-56

D4 .011 dapl == 15.57#
A3 .014 dapl == 14.16#
F3 .019 dapl == 16.43#
C3 .032 danw == 22.31#
G2 .044 danw == 22.76#
C2 .056 danw == 16.6#

To make the tensions more balanced, we would need a custom set made of individually selected strings. This is what I think works best:

with d'addario:
D4 .011 dapl == 15.57#
A3 .015 dapl == 16.25#
F3 .019 dapl == 16.43#
C3 .028 danw == 16.91#
G2 .038 danw == 17.13#
C2 .059 danw == 18.5#

and if you are willing to try circle k:
D4 .011 ckplg == 15.64#
A3 .015 ckplg == 16.32#
F3 .019 ckplg == 16.51#
C3 .027 ckwng == 17.66#
G2 .037 ckwng == 17.87#
C2 .057 ckwng == 18.03#


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## Nag (Jul 5, 2013)

I'd use 11's with a low 60, cause I'm a man.


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## Suitable (Jul 5, 2013)

Its honestly trial and error. I don't mean to state the obvious but what works for someone else won't necessarily work for you. Also scale length has a massive role in what feels best. If you think 10's are too light then go heavier, if you think those are to heavy go lighter. 11-56 for some people work well, for others it doesn't. You have to find your own personal preference of string tensions then use that to work out different tunings. Rockskate4x is on the money as well as many others here. But it really comes down to you. Keep in mind different brands that have the same size strings as others have different tensions to each other. Its all trial and error. Good luck


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## Curt (Jul 5, 2013)

Nagash said:


> I'd use 11's with a low 60, cause I'm a man.


 I use the d'addario 12-60 set for Drop C. I find the 60 to be too loose for the set. Maybe the 11-56 replacing the 56 with a 60 would be more suitable.


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## Xibuque (Jul 5, 2013)

I use 12-60 for drop C on 24.75" scale lenght guitars(i'm using a 13-60 set currently)
For 25.5" guitars i use 11-56 or 12-60. SIT has a 11-58 set (Wayne Lozinak(Hatebreed) Signature) that should be interesting.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Jul 5, 2013)

Nagash said:


> I'd use 11's with a low 60, cause I'm a man.



I use the D'Addario 11-56 set with a 60 on the bottom. Feelsgoodman. 

The set by itself is good for D standard though.


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## Mprinsje (Jul 5, 2013)

i'm not even gonna read the thread, d'addario 10-52 is what you need. it's what everyone needs.


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## TRENCHLORD (Jul 5, 2013)

Boomers or D'Addario xl

56, 40, 30, 20w, 14, 10.5


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## Randyrhoads123 (Jul 5, 2013)

Adrian-XI said:


> I like the d'addario EXL117 set. 11-56.



For a 25.5" scale, this set is perfect for me in Drop-C. If it's a 24.5" scale then I'd probably do a 12-60 set.


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## madrigal77 (Jul 6, 2013)

I used d'addario EJ22, but I like thicker strings. I love the wound 3rd for chords.

.013, .017, .026w, .036, .046, .056


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## xCaptainx (Jul 6, 2013)

717ctsjz said:


> D'adario 10-52 light top heavy bottoms do the job perfectly for me and have for the past 4 years.





These! 52 is the perfect gauge for the low C, and light top 10s works really well for lead. I light a light gauge on the high strings for vibrato and bends. Anything higher than this just feels odd and way too stiff.


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## DTFreak7 (Jul 6, 2013)

I use DR's...the EH-11's (11, 14, 18, 28, 38, 50) on my guitar. Its alright in drop C, but i change between standard and drop tunings a lot.

I'll use Drop C, D standard, Drop Db, Eb standard, Drop D, and maybe standard tuning in one show (not for any reason other than where the song sits in the vocal range of our singer.) 

I find those DR's to be a versatile string set if your into that.


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## HighGain510 (Jul 6, 2013)

I use the D'Addario EXL110 set .010-.046's on my guitars tuned to E standard all the way through Dropped-Db (the ones tuned to Db have a little more "wobble" to the low Db, but if you keep your touch light enough it's not an issue), so on my 6'ers tuned to Drop-C I used the D'Addario EXL116 set (.011-.052) to keep the same feel. Tension feels about the same, you can still play heavy on the low C without it pulling itself out of tune like it would with an .049. At the same time, it's not so heavy that you can't bend easily either.  I find that's a pretty ideal set for stability and tone in Drop-C without sacrificing pick attack.


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## Curt (Jul 6, 2013)

Mprinsje said:


> i'm not even gonna read the thread, d'addario 10-52 is what you need. it's what everyone needs.


 
I don't need any of those spaghetti strings. Ain't nobody got time for that! 

I will say they are great for bedroom noodlers with one guitar getting used for multiple tunings, or those with feather light touch. 

I play heavy handed heavy music with my heavy strings.


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## Chasethebreather (Jul 7, 2013)

A 60 for drop C is way overkill. 54 tops. Anything bigger will kill your high end and attack.


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## nicktao (Jul 8, 2013)

Chasethebreather said:


> A 60 for drop C is way overkill. 54 tops. Anything bigger will kill your high end and attack.




 I use the 7 string elixir and d'addario pack for drop c on my LP.


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## mulgreaux (Jul 8, 2013)

Chasethebreather said:


> A 60 for drop C is way overkill. 54 tops. Anything bigger will kill your high end and attack.



I think 60 feels great for low C on 25.5. It doesn't feel anywhere near unwiedly and you can dig in pretty hard. Sounds drillin' too.


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## chassless (Jul 9, 2013)

Chasethebreather said:


> A 60 for drop C is way overkill. 54 tops. Anything bigger will kill your high end and attack.


 
that depends ! on my 25.5" guitar, tuned to C, anything lower than 56 will sound clear but weak and spongey. I have a 68 on that I switch between C and B and it's great, however tight enough to be a little boomy. the perfect balance for me is 62 however. I found that extra tightness was more responsive to my pick attack.

it either depends on the player, or the guitar, or maybe even the string brand, but 60 is not always an overkill ^^


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## ridner (Jul 9, 2013)

been a fan of the Dunlop Heavy Core 11-50 lately for Drop C


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## Curt (Jul 9, 2013)

Chasethebreather said:


> A 60 for drop C is way overkill. 54 tops. Anything bigger will kill your high end and attack.


 It does take a bit off the attack, but I never personally find it lacking attack. I just beat anything looser so relentlessly that it often sounds tinny, and twangy.
In terms of tension, a 54 on the C is maybe around the same tension as a 46 in E, which is a bit loose for my liking. an 11-52 in E standard feels perfect to me on a 25.5" guitar, and I usually put on a 54 for drop C#, and that extra half step down to C makes it flub a bit much for my 2mm picks and heavy handedness. 
12-60 is on the stiffer side, and a 11.5-58 would likely be more ideal.

10-52 clearly works for you, I listen to you band a fair bit, and hear no flub at all. It just doesn't for me.


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## Mike (Jul 9, 2013)

Ernie ball not even slinky.


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## MetalBuddah (Jul 9, 2013)

I have gone through many different gauges but I think I am finally settled back on 10-52 as my drop C string gauge. The top is light enough for making leads a breeze and the bottom is tight but not overbearing.


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## the_heretic_divine (Jul 9, 2013)

I agree with the Ernie Ball Heavy Bottoms(10-52). I've been using them for drop C tuning for 8 years. Definitely the best of both worlds.


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## Curt (Jul 9, 2013)

Okay, I just restrung my LP copy(25" scale) with the remaining set of 10-52 pro-steels that d'addario sent me, tuned to Drop C.

I don't know if it's the all steel winding, but these seem more tense than the EB's 10-52 I was used to, and they are noticeably brighter and crunchier. The unwound strings are a touch loose for my tastes, still, but these are not near as bad as I remember.


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## MetalBuddah (Jul 9, 2013)

^ I wonder how these would compare to the 10-52 cobalts I have on my main 6 right now.


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## 7stringDemon (Jul 9, 2013)

Know those Ernie Ball Piwer Slinky 7 string sets?

Grab one of those and get rid of the E2 (yes, the .48). 
It feels slightly odd but the tension is awesome!

That's if you don't feel like being picky though. If you do, then you can do better.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jul 9, 2013)

I dig the D'addario 11 - 56 set.


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## Curt (Jul 9, 2013)

MetalBuddah said:


> ^ I wonder how these would compare to the 10-52 cobalts I have on my main 6 right now.


 Never tried the cobalts, so I don't know. But these do not die out as quickly as the nps ones I was using, much longer life.


Pros: Long life, bright/crunchiness added to high gain stuff, great for SS frets.

Cons: daddario does not carry guages over 70 on these 8 stringers are S.O.L., wears nickel-silver frets quicker than nps strings.


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## WarMachine (Jul 9, 2013)

mracz said:


> Ernie ball not even slinky.


^This. Btw dude, who do you jam with? My bassist and rhythm guitarist (greg simons and mj gibbons) live up there and went to WVU.


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## s_k_mullins (Jul 9, 2013)

Man, some of you guys use heavy ass strings. 

For drop C on my Ibanez, I used a 10-52 Cobalt set. And now on my Gibson Explorer I use an 11-56 set for drop C.


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