Hello all!

I have a little issue. I can't decide on a good string gauge to use for my tuning. Our band plays in drop D a half step down, so my guitars are all low to high: Db, Ab, Db, Gb, Bb, Eb (I used flats here to make it easier to follow). I play two short scale guitars which are a Dean Evo Premium and a Les Paul Standard and we play a modern metal/rock style. I would say my picking style is not light nor heavy, but in between and it really depends on the song. I hate that most, if not all straight (standard) string sets are not designed for drop tuning where the low E or EB, Eb, and so on.....can be floppier than the next heaviest string. I don't want to have to rely on custom gauges if possible. I like the strings to have an even feel, fairly even tension from one to the next and not to floppy with the lower strings. I have settled on 11-14-18 for the higher gauges though. Any thoughts??

I see one set, the Dea nMarkley 11-52, but it seems the Ab using the .42 would be very tight while the low Db using the .52 would be disproportionately(sp) floppy?

Thanks!

i'd say to go with 10s or 11s, 9s would sound to floppy and 12s might get to tight feeling.

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Thanks, but I've tried standard 11s and so on till I was blue in the face. I am trying to see if anyone knows of any special gauge sets or any other advice. Maybe I'll go back to custom sets.....why not my dealer can get any gauge set I design for the same price as a regular GHS set.

I am thinking 11 14 18 30 40 52.

I tune D,G,C,F,A,D and use D'addario 10's. Perfect combination

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for drop-db, 10-52 would be fine, any standard light top heavy bottom, or thick-n-thin set would be fine, if you want more tension on the high end, i would use dean markely mediums, 11-13-18/20-30-40-52, or medium top, heavy bottom, 11-14-18/20-32-42-52, the latter of the two would be my pick.

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That would be great if I could find that Dean Markley 11-13-18/20-30-40-52 set because I think the 40 to 52 is a better balance because the 52 will be much lower tension in Db. The 42 would be stiff in comparison. But, I have yet to see Markley make this set. Where have you seen it?
I have only seen 11-13-18/20-30-42-52

actually i think it is a 42 in there, not a 40, but the 42 isnt that much tighter, i used that set for drop c, and it was pretty well balanced, but i went back and forth from drop c to standard, and everything in between, and while in the higher tunings, they were tighter, they were still balanced.

but you can always go with the ghs 11's, 11-15-18-26-36-50, or the lo-tune 11's, 11-15-19-33-43-53

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Just get the zakk wylde set. Even though i dont see why you need such think strings for dropped d???

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MoonRaven, I tried the 11-50 GHS set and found the lower strings too light. I like lots of resistance from the strings like jazz polayers prefer, I think it allows for faster chugging. The low tune set looks interesting but I guess a set like that and the Dean Markleys to me seem designed for standard tuning not having the low E (Eb) dropped. That's why I always went custom, but it's a pain.

The DM sets are as follows:

11 13 18 30 42 52
11 14 18 32 42 52

Rich

dude, the 52 will be perfect for Db, and the 42 wont be at all unbalanced for the set, it would work perfectly, you should also check out the new ernie ball sets:

Beefy Slinky®
11-15-22p-30-42-54
Not Even Slinky®
12-16-24p-32-44-56

the first would work quite well for drop-Db, the second i am prolly gonna get for drop-C, but im thinking that you might like the first set, the tension will be a bit more even, and less floppy.

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The 11-54 looks nice but I'd be worried about the .22 Gb string!........would a Les Paul handle a .54 okay?

APparently D'Addario has a new set....DAD_EXL145 - heavy 12s and I wonder about that GHS low tune set.

I was told GHS are the best for low tuning, but my bud has great luck with his Dean Markleys.

the .22 would be perfect for a Gb, i have a .17 for a F, im down a whole step, but a 22 would work fine, and im sure a lespaul could handle a 54, you might need to get the truss rod adjusted, but i doubt any nut adjustments would be needed. d'addario's are ok strings, but they dont seem to last long, tone wise, to me, ernie balls have been my favorite, they are cheap, and are damn good strings, i just made a custom set, 13-18-28-40-50-60, for my baritone, and they play great, i am just gonna beef it up a bit, 13-18-30-40-52-64, but i would defintely check out those new earnie ball sets, they are designed for downtuning, it says so on the label.

ps-i checked for that exl145 set you were talking about, i have found nothing on it, not even on the d'addario website.

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For everything tuned at D to Standard E, I use D'Addario 10's on my Ibanez Rg120. On the Ibanez EX series guitar, I'm tuned at a B with D'addario 12's...

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Moonraven,

I really like the feel of 11 14 18 for my higher strings so maybe I'll have to make a custom set like you. Do you order your sets custom?? I see the Ernie Balls say for drop sets but I believe they mean Standard dropped down as in every string rather than a dropped D, etc. Maybe I am not making sense.

I have heard EB strings are not that great but I'll try. I was told for the price to look at GHS, Dean Markley, DR, D'Addario and some others. The Dean Markleys some in the 11 14 18 32 42 52 set.

I think with a .54, I'll have to have the nut slot widened.

11's would give you a good ballsey sound and it would sustain better than 10's. but thats just my preference. i mean c'mon, i have a friend who likes to tune down to drop g (yes, drop G!!!) with 10's.

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i get my custom sets from the local guitar shop, and any set of strings can be made for a drop tuning, it really doesnt matter, but the ernie ball sets that i was talking about are specifically designed for downtuning, you might also wanna try a regular old set of dean markley MTHB 11's, 11-14-18/20-32-42-52, they would do just fine, trust me, i drop tune all of my guitars, even my acoustic. i know what im talking about

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MoonRaven, thanks man.....I set up my guitar with the Dean Markley 11-52 set (11 13 18 30 42 52), but they only make the set with the 13 B string which is odd because it feels like the only string in the set that came right out of a 10 pack. Strange. Other than that.....the Blue Steels feel real tight. They call it cryogenically freezing to get a tighter molecular structure and I think I am buying into ot because these feel tighter and more responsive than the GHS Boomers which I have used for years. The low .52 could still stand to be beefed up to a .54. Maybe I'll loo at the Ernie Ball set.

I have heard from more than one shop owener that EB strings have poor tolerances, meaning inacurate gauges. Wasn't sure I wanted to chance Ernie Balls.

Another cool looking string is that GHS low tune set.

For now I may just go with the Dean Markleys because I can avoid having to get custom sets. Actually my local shop can also get custom sets of any brand and I know this guy so he gives me a great deal every time.

Another cool brand is DR. Their tite-fit strings I used for a few years....great feel and warmth.

try ordering the MTHB set online, at musiciansfriend, they are a little hard to come by, but they are a little beefier it the middle strings.

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MTHB seems fine but they are not the Blue Steel so I wonder how they'd feel.

Others I am checking...

011 015 019 DY33 DY43 DY53 GHS low tune

011 014 019 N28 N40 N52 Eric johnson

What's the quality on Ernie Balls?

there isnt much difference, in my opinion, in the feel of Blue Steel and NickelSteel strings, i havent used GHS very much, i have used maybe one set, but i didnt like them that much, i prefer ernie ball over most brands, i ususally use ernie ball for my baritone, dean markley nickelsteel or ernie Light top, heavy bottoms on my telecaster, and either ernie ball or d'addario 7-string 10's for my seven string, but i am about to go ernie ball with everything, especially since they introduced those 2 new sets.

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Cool, if you haven't noticed any issues with the NickelSteels...maybe I'll try them.....I really need that 14...the 13 is too floppy. The 14 tightens it up nicely. I thought maybe they felt so good from the freezing method. Says it makes them tighter.

What about the GHS low tune set?

Anyway......I really want to try that EB set but the .22 Gb would scare me because it could be a pain to play and bend.....plus I hear bad things about their strings but I guess they are popular for a reason. Thanks bro.

I also have to worry about the .54 on my Les Paul beaing a problem with the new Kluson tuners, etc.

Rich

I use DR 12-52's and I tune to C and they feel tighter that Power Slinky's tuned to D