strings for downtuning

[dheim]

a couple of months ago i joined a new band, and tuned one of my guitars (an ibanez RGR with a set of alnico pigs) in D to match the rest of the band. of course i bought a set of heavier strings (ernie ball 11-52), and it went very well, except for the fact that, before i could even play with my new D tuning, the guys decided to go to standard E... :)

just to have fun i decided to go further, and lowered it to B (!)
but now the strings are too flabby and vibrate too much, so rhythms sound very loose and confused. now i've got the sound of those wonderful stockholm death metal demos of the last 80s, but it's fun for not more than 10 minutes...

i've got a set of 12-54s too, but i suspect that they won't solve the problem.

what gauge should i choose to keep the RGR in B? 13-56?

[Venemous]

Whatever feels comfortable. I myself use 11's in standard!

Also as a note, it may be hard to achieve the tension you want in low tunings without a baritone neck.

[dheim]

it may be hard to achieve the tension you want in low tunings without a baritone neck.

you're absolutely right, but bands like At The Gates played in B with killer tones before the mode of baritones, 7 and 8 stringed guitars... so it's not entirely impossible!

[James C]

have a look at 7 string sets, but take the thin e out, i think d'addario make 13's for baritones, may be worth raising the action a tad aswell. or google up other players string guages

[jibidy]

I use beefy slinkies on 24 3/4 scale necks for drop B.

Feels kinda slinky but i like it.

[MDV]

On the B you want to be in the vicinity of 60.

I use 12 15 20 34 48 60 for standard C (sometimes) and drop A# (mostly), and they have thicker cores than normal for higher tension than those guages normally have (except the plains, obviously).

The problem is you want to get thick strings for the tightness, but the thicker you get the more the low end overwhelms the high end. Its a tightness in the lows Vs clarity in the highs problem (the solution to which in increased scale length, if you cant find strings you like).

[nfe]

I have the thicker cored hex cored Newtones (like MDV) on my LP in B.

I'm using 14-18-26-36-50-70 on that. And, incidentally, 14-18-26-36-48-65 on my LP in C and 14-18-26-36-48-60 on my (25.5 scale) guitar in C.

[dheim]

thanks for replies! i checked the newtone website and couldn't find anything thicker than 12-52s... i suppose thy make custom gauged strings too...

[MDV]

Yeah, you gotta ring them up. They do any guage you want.

[MDV]

Or email them

[Jonny]

I have my RG on 13s in drop B, first time on 13s and I was like, $%&# these strings are HUGE! But I got really used to them but I would reccommend them, however since theres the custom route you should go with that if you want. I think 11 or 12s are best, 12s if you're going a step up and down a few times maybe.

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[HTH AMPS]

I've got 12s on my Explorer and it really only works with that gauge down to C.  I'd want 13s minimum for B tuning.

[HTH AMPS]

these would do you... http://www.thomann.de/gb/daddario_exl157.htm

[JDC]

I always find typical string sets are too loose in the wounds or too tight in the plain steels for bends, hence for C standard tuning I use daddario custom gauges of 11, 15, 18, 32w, 44w, 59w

been meaning to get some newtones

you can also find string tension calculators on google to work out which sizes to get to keep the tension similar to how you would in E

[psy]

I normally go 13-59 (or a 60 if I can get one) in B.  I tend to buy a set of 10's & extra low string & then chuck the 10 away.  I know it's a waste, but that tends to be the easiest way of buying strings.  D'addario also do a 13-56 set.  I think it's a jazz set or something, but I found the 56 a little loose.