Crazy String Gauge Idea

[darkshadow54321]

Considering that larger gauges = better tone (or so some people claim), how about these ideas?:

A 22 gauge set:

E: 22
B: 24
G: 26
D: 32
A: 44
E: 56

The little E is the D string from a 08 set, B is D from 9 set, G is D from 10 set and the last three are the standard ones in a 12 set.

That would give a super fat tone I suppose.... :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Would it be possible to have this? I mean, could a guitar neck stand the pressure and stress?

I actually put a 16 string on my guitar as the little e string, and managed to tune it to b. I was scared to go any further in fear of snapping the neck or the truss rod! It sounded ok to tell you the truth... and I didn't have too much trouble bending it. A 26 as the B string was quite amusing.... but also not too difficult... :saeek: :newangel:

 

[beandip]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

eh, it might work, might not. It's not really the bigger the gauges the better the tone, it's more of an evenly "spaced" set. You cant just slap any guage you want on your guitar and hope it'll sound good. And you'll be fine about tuning a little e 16 up to pitch. You wont snap the trussrod. the 22, 24, 26 wouldnt work out tonally, and they would match with the D, A and E strings either.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Considering that larger gauges = better tone (or so some people claim)

Never really subscribed to that theory. If Billy Gibbons can sound great with 8's, I should be doing okay with my 9.5's and 10's.

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Interesting idea but you may have problems with the nut (and saddle) of your guitar not being correctly cut for the strings and you would also suffer from tuning and intonation problems. If you have a spare (and worthless) guitar then you could do what you want to do and not worry too much about it. but on a guitar your neck would be out of shape pretty soon without some additional tweaks. If you down tuned to C tuning then you would have a really awseome tone!!

 

[darkshadow54321]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Yep, downtuning would sound amazing.

How are string sets determined... I've never actually sat down to figure out a pattern, but there must be one...

 

[Alvin Lee Fan]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Why don't you just get a baritone guitar?

 

[darkshadow54321]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Why don't you just get a baritone guitar?

Because this is so much more fun! :laugh2:

Imagine giving a guitar buddy a guitar strung with a 22 set.... that should stop him wanting to play your guitars! :newangel:

Anyway, if you accept that the 10-46 set is a tried and true formula, by taking the differences between the string sizes I surmise that the 22 set should be:

22, 25, 29, 38, 48, 58

Copyright Darkshadow54321! You saw it here first folks!

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Yep, downtuning would sound amazing.

How are string sets determined... I've never actually sat down to figure out a pattern, but there must be one...

Generally for every semi (half) -tone that you de-tune you can go up a gauge or evn two - so if you use 10's then 11's or even 12's on the first string and then carry on from there up to 52's or even a 56.

One very interesting thing that I was told about by a great musician friend of mine is to use a 76 gauge on the 6th string (as your bass) and then to use a regular set of strings but move them all up one -: 46 (5th), 36 (4th), 26 (3rd), 17(2nd) and 13 (1st string) and then down tune to C (6), G (5), C (4), G (3), C (2), E (1). This is in fact a tuning that is used for baritone guitars but creates an amazing tone and that deep 6th string is to be heard!!

 

[darkshadow54321]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

One very interesting thing that I was told about by a great musician friend of mine is to use a 76 gauge on the 6th string (as your bass) and then to use a regular set of strings but move them all up one -: 46 (5th), 36 (4th), 26 (3rd), 17(2nd) and 13 (1st string) and then down tune to C (6), G (5), C (4), G (3), C (2), E (1). This is in fact a tuning that is used for baritone guitars but creates an amazing tone and that deep 6th string is to be heard!!

You're giving me bad ideas!!!! Especially since I have all of those strings except the 76 one.... :32:

 

[Norman_T]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

You're giving me bad ideas!!!! Especially since I have all of those strings except the 76 one.... :32:

Remember where you read it first - its copyrighted by me!!:saeek:

 

[diggamark]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

just get a 6 string bass....

I'm not sure if the neck would cope with the tension of such thick strings trying to get such high notes as you'll have alot of tension on those high strings to reach those notes..

tuning a 22 to top E sounds like breakage to me, but I could be wrong...

 

[MattPete]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Wouldn't it cause the neck to twist?

 

[some_dude]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

22, 25, 29, 38, 48, 58

Copyright Darkshadow54321! You saw it here first folks!

I use,

13 17 26 36 54 70 in D & Drop C.

11 14 18 36 52 58 in E.

So, your low strings don't seem that off, but your high strings are a little thick. To me anyway.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Yeah, but I like the high notes better.

 

[joelap]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Because this is so much more fun! :laugh2:

If you didn't say that... I was gunna!

I second that entirely!

 

[Panzer]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

I have an Idea, try it out and send us some clips THEN ask for comments
that way youll be in for a surprise.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

Considering that larger gauges = better tone (or so some people claim), how about these ideas?:

A 22 gauge set:

E: 22
B: 24
G: 26
D: 32
A: 44
E: 56

The little E is the D string from a 08 set, B is D from 9 set, G is D from 10 set and the last three are the standard ones in a 12 set.

That would give a super fat tone I suppose.... :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Would it be possible to have this? I mean, could a guitar neck stand the pressure and stress?

I actually put a 16 string on my guitar as the little e string, and managed to tune it to b. I was scared to go any further in fear of snapping the neck or the truss rod! It sounded ok to tell you the truth... and I didn't have too much trouble bending it. A 26 as the B string was quite amusing.... but also not too difficult... :saeek: :newangel:

In theory, cool. Bigger strings = bigger tone

BUT:

E: 22 -> would snap before you got anywhere close
B: 24 -> might get lucky and make it, but don´t even think about bends

Other than that... :friday:

 

[Blue Calx]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

You guys with the huge strings... how do you keep them from fretting out? Right now I've got the bottom 6 strings from a 7-string set on my guitar, and it's tuned a step and a half down; after going through a normal setup adjusting the trussrod and saddles, I STILL get rattle and buzz.

 

[beandip]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

High action man. Ohter than that, you're gonna have to do with fretting out.

 

[B2D]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

I doubt that the top three strings would be able to be tuned that high and not warp the neck like a pretzel.

The highest gauge strings I've ever seen in standard tuning on a normal electric guitar was a .015-.060 set, on a Strat used by Bernard Allison at GC Hollywood