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12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

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  • 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

    Hi,

    I'm a bit of a beginner when it comes to guitars (I'd say advanced beginner?)

    I ordered 12-56 Strings in order to have a go at playing some Cannible corpse (with A# tuning) and as I like to play songs ina variety of tunings, mostly being D# Standard and E standard. Its kind brutal ik to tune down to A# for a bit then go back up to E.

    Is it possible to tune 12-56s in Standard E? (6 string guitar)

    This is what i ordered:
    Click image for larger version

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  • #2
    Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

    Yes. But what guitar?

    You will want something you know is built well. My comment here is the bigger issue that going from C# to E will play havoc with the truss. Thus again, you want a well made guitar. Not a task for a Jackson JS32 or a cheap Schecter - well made as they are. Long term compression/flexing of the neck might cause fret issues and who knows what else.

    My suggestion here, purely for convenience: Digitech Drop, EHX Pitchfork, or Mooer Pitchbox. Set the guitar up for say D, and you should be able to do C# no problem. But if you want D# or E, just hit the pedal.

    Guitars these days are kinda built for 9/10's with E tuning as a max. Not saying they can't and don't endure 11's or even 12's. Just saying that's a lot of tension, and a lot of change. Just not the greatest idea. YMMV.

    Easier on the guitar, and way faster for you.
    Originally posted by Bad City
    He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...

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    • #3
      Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

      12s in standard E? I’d only try that on a short 3/4 scale guitar. Just keep it tuned down and use a capo for E.

      That’s huge leap to try and get out of one guitar though. I would just get a cheap second and upgrade the pickups for whichever key you won’t use very often.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

        I play 12-56s in E standard on my acoustics. I've also used them on a semi-hollow, but find that they're a little hard on the fingers so switched back to 11s. Never had an issue with .11s even on my Floyd equipped guitars.
        Join me in the fight against muscular atrophy!

        Originally posted by Douglas Adams
        This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

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        • #5
          Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

          Originally posted by beaubrummels View Post
          12s in standard E? I’d only try that on a short 3/4 scale guitar. Just keep it tuned down and use a capo for E.
          Fender's rounds that they installed on guitars from the mid '60s through the '70s were 12s. They were considered mediums back then. Before they started installing rounds in the factory, they used flat wound 12s, which were even higher in tension. Back then, flatwound 13s were considered the standard professional string set. And like I said, flats are higher tension than rounds, so they feel like 14s or 15s in rounds.

          When I first learned to play guitar, I idolized Dick Dale. I strung my '85 MIJ Strat up 15–58 to try to emulate him, and left it that way for over 10 years (my only guitar too). No problems at all (other than needing a fret job from using the heavy strings).

          Point being, no trouble at all putting those strings on a full scale guitar. And no problem at all tuning them to E standard. That is exactly what they were designed for, originally. They work well for drop tunings with a more modern string feel, but sets like that used to be the norm in standard tuning.
          Originally posted by LesStrat
          Yogi Berra was correct.
          Originally posted by JOLLY
          I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

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          • #6
            Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

            Originally posted by ItsaBass View Post
            Fender's rounds that they installed on guitars from the mid '60s through the '70s were 12s. They were considered mediums back then. Before they started installing rounds in the factory, they used flat wound 12s, which were even higher in tension. Back then, flatwound 13s were considered the standard professional string set. And like I said, flats are higher tension than rounds, so they feel like 14s or 15s in rounds.

            When I first learned to play guitar, I idolized Dick Dale. I strung my '85 MIJ Strat up 15–58 to try to emulate him, and left it that way for over 10 years (my only guitar too). No problems at all (other than needing a fret job from using the heavy strings).

            Point being, no trouble at all putting those strings on a full scale guitar. And no problem at all tuning them to E standard. That is exactly what they were designed for, originally. They work well for drop tunings with a more modern string feel, but sets like that used to be the norm in standard tuning.
            Wasn’t saying you can’t. Just saying what I would do based on my experience.

            I have a set of old NOS 1960s Fender 12-52 that the wound strings are actually some kind of nylon core. Interesting kind of dead sound. Tried them on my 66 Strat and they sounded like a couple Hendrix tracks (definitely not all) and some other odd 60’s songs, then I tried them on my Rickenbacker 320 and they sounded like early early Beatles recordings. They were easier to play on the Rick. But for me I couldn’t really use 12s for a variety of everyday playing on anything.

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            • #7
              Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

              I'm with Ace
              the action will be all over the place

              I have tens on my Martin
              I put 12s on by mistake
              the guitar was almost unplayable
              until I tweaked the truss rod

              switching back and forth
              will surely require truss rod adjustments each time
              possibly intonation adjustments

              I second the idea of a second guitar
              set up just for the different tuning
              EHD
              Just here surfing Guitar Pron
              RG2EX1 w/ SD hot-rodded pickups / RG4EXFM1 w/ Carvin S22j/b + FVN middle
              SR500 / Martin 000CE-1/Epiphone Hummingbird
              Epiphone Florentine with OEM Probuckers
              Ehdwuld branded Blue semi hollow custom with JB/Jazz
              Reptile Green Gibson Custom Studio / Aqua Dean Shire semi hollow with piezo
              Carvin Belair / Laney GC80A Acoustic Amp (a gift from Guitar Player Mag)
              GNX3000 (yea I'm a modeler)

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              • #8
                12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

                I wouldn’t enjoy playing on 12s in standard tuning. I had 11s on a guitar tuned down to C#.

                I grew up playing 9s mostly (actually before EB Slinky’s were common, on some awful Black Diamond strings lol 50 years ago!)

                Heavier strings to me lose all the snap, and when you hear people doing bends and vibrato on heavy strings they have to push their whole arm, so they lose all finesse and never quite make it up to the pitch they are aiming for.

                Like BB King said to Billy Gibbons; “why work so hard?”

                I just switched to 8s with super low action on my Parker. Good enough for Page, Iommi, Gibbons, Kath, etc. [emoji16]

                The shift in technique was minimal. I actually went from a 1.14mm pick to 1.5mm. I break less strings because they aren’t at the top of their tension and being stretched too far. Not that ever broke many strings.


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                • #9
                  Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

                  If you don't mind adjusting neck relief and the action each time you want to tune down and back up.

                  It's one reason to have multiple guitars is for each to have a different setup.

                  But sure, you can play 12's in E standard maybe for rhythm applications. I think Malcom Young played 12's or 13's

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                  • #10
                    Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

                    Originally posted by The_Junior View Post
                    If you don't mind adjusting neck relief and the action each time you want to tune down and back up.
                    This. Also plan on changing strings when tuning back down at the very least; once the strings are streched in at standard tuning, they won't hold tune when tuned back down to A#, C#, or whichever.
                    Originally posted by crusty philtrum
                    And that's probably because most people with electric guitars seem more interested in their own performance rather than the effect on the listener ... in fact i don't think many people who own electric guitars even give a poop about the effect on a listener. Which is why many people play electric guitars but very very few of them are actually musicians.

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                    • #11
                      Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

                      Something else... your current nut isn’t cut for that gauge, I almost guarantee it. What strings are you used to now? If a new guitar isn’t in the cards, maybe try 11-52 first?

                      I think it’s a good excuse for a new guitar. One whole step is about the max I’d want to go up/down before a full setup.
                      Oh no.....


                      Oh Yeah!

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                      • #12
                        Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

                        Oooh - nut cut. Yep. That too...
                        Originally posted by Bad City
                        He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

                          I have a cheap Ibanez hollowbody with an obstinate Bigsby that nearly *requires* 12s to keep its trem spring in check. Have never had any problems with the tension being so high as to cause things to fly apart.

                          But I'm also not changing tunings. Standard E pretty much all the way on that one.
                          ---------------------------
                          The most popular thread I've ever made was 1) a joke and 2) based around literally the most inane/mundane question I could think of. That says something about me, or all of you, or both.

                          https://forum.seymourduncan.com/show...or-for-a-Strat

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                          • #14
                            Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

                            Originally posted by beaubrummels View Post
                            12s in standard E? I’d only try that on a short 3/4 scale guitar. Just keep it tuned down and use a capo for E.

                            That’s huge leap to try and get out of one guitar though. I would just get a cheap second and upgrade the pickups for whichever key you won’t use very often.
                            i agree. If you want to go cheap, Ebay has some Charvel Desolation guitars that were made in China and no one ever liked them. They come loaded with SD blackouts and Active EMGs. I bought one that had to have some work, frets crowned and leveled and its great guitar. I keep it tuned at Drop C'. If you want different turnings get another guitar. Its hard enough to keep a guitar accurate in the same tuning.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: 12-56 Strings in Standard E tuning?

                              Originally posted by DavidRavenMoon View Post
                              I wouldn’t enjoy playing on 12s in standard tuning. I had 11s on a guitar tuned down to C#.

                              I grew up playing 9s mostly (actually before EB Slinky’s were common, on some awful Black Diamond strings lol 50 years ago!)

                              Heavier strings to me lose all the snap, and when you hear people doing bends and vibrato on heavy strings they have to push their whole arm, so they lose all finesse and never quite make it up to the pitch they are aiming for.

                              Like BB King said to Billy Gibbons; “why work so hard?”

                              I just switched to 8s with super low action on my Parker. Good enough for Page, Iommi, Gibbons, Kath, etc. [emoji16]

                              The shift in technique was minimal. I actually went from a 1.14mm pick to 1.5mm. I break less strings because they aren’t at the top of their tension and being stretched too far. Not that ever broke many strings.


                              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                              One of my guitars has 9 - 42 and tuned to E flat. I don't play many bar chords on it anyway but if I do I just don't press the strings down as hard

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