Nailbomb goes to D

[Peter Antal]

I had used 11' strings for a long time when I thought why not try dropped tunings on my Strat... I got a Newtone 13-56 Dropped-D's set (the wound strings have a higher core-to-wrap ratio so that when you tune down they stay pretty tight) and tuned down to C (dropped B felt too loose). It was fun for some time but the Nailbomb didn't seem to like that, it felt and sounded strange somehow, as if it were fighting the bass frequencies. Then I got a 12-52 set and tuned it to D. WOW!!! What a difference!!! PERFECT!!! My Nailbomb has never sounded better!!! :D

It seems to me that there are several string gauge/tension combinations which simply feel perfectly balanced and make the guitar come to life. Many people believe that thicker strings give a better sound but that's not always true IMO. You have to find a gauge/tension that matches the guitar's tonal character - including pickups - well.

[fps_dean]

I agree with you.   I like fatter strings on single coils for that fat strat/SRV tone, but it doesn't really work on humbuckers the same way.  With Mules you can pull off 11s or 12s at standard tuning without a problem, but on say a Miracle Man, the lower frequencies will be overpowering.

I find I can pull off 9s with high powered pickups and they usually sound smoother, where with moderate or lower output, I will go no lower than 10s.

I have experience with this on my Jem (Evolutions, high powered ceramics)...  10s had more lows and highs and 9s were smoother, and on my Les Paul Classic when I had stock and Duncan Distortions in it for a while (went back to stock eventually, found them a lot better).  I tried some 12s and 13s and even 11s and they were just a mubucket but it was usable with 10s at least, and I can't stand how 9s feel on a Les Paul but they may have worked better.

[OD-Black_Fire]

I've found that if you find the perfect sound using strings, in standard tuning, you must keep the ratio between tension and gauge the same. I always like to have tight strings. The strings don't sway as much, making the sound more focused and the low end tighter.  The strings also have more volume, I get a lot bigger and dynamic sound. As for thickness, yeah, the low end sticks to the mid range more so it seems a bit thicker.

I also like the tighter strings because when I palm mute it feels better. I hate digging in or palm muting with loose strings, feels so..cheap. When the strings are nice and solid it feels great. Plus I can REALLY dig into the palm mutes with tight strings and it doesn't go out of tune. I can get this really tight palm muted sound.