Crazy String Gauge Idea

[Kent S.]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

I don't know about that, but a thrash friend of mine came up with a contra tuning ...standard intervals (guitar tuned normally) but *B* to *B* instead of *E* to *E* ...a perfect fourth lower. I've got the string guages written down somewhere, it used a wound third string of course, but sounded really heavy and was still *light touched* to play ... it was on a 25.5" scale, so might have to go a bit heavier with a 24.75" scale though. Even sounded great clean.

 

[some_dude]

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.

My action is still pretty low;

(capo on first fret, measured at 12th, 0.010in neck relief)

Strat (Drop C, 13-70 strings) Low E = 1.2mm, High E = 1.0mm
LP (Standard, 11-56 strings) Low E = 1mm, High E = 0.8mm
Strat (Standard, 11-54 Strings) Low E = 1.2mm, High E = 1.0mm

I could get the two Strats lower, but I like the way they feel there, so why mess with it.

I found moving to heavier strings gave me less buzz. Sure, I still get buzz if I wail on open strings, but when played normally, I rarely get buzz, and I never hear it through the amp.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Crazy String Gauge Idea

I don't know about that, but a thrash friend of mine came up with a contra tuning ...standard intervals (guitar tuned normally) but *B* to *B* instead of *E* to *E* ...a perfect fourth lower. I've got the string guages written down somewhere, it used a wound third string of course, but sounded really heavy and was still *light touched* to play ... it was on a 25.5" scale, so might have to go a bit heavier with a 24.75" scale though. Even sounded great clean.

In response to my own post ... Here are the string gauges ...
High to low ... 12, 17, W26, W36, W50, W66 ... Worked great. :cool3: