Going up a string gauge

[DeadandBuried]

I currently have my Les Paul standard set up with 10-52's (Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom set), which is normally used in standard/drop d (and drop c sometimes).

Recently though I've been using it in drop b however I find the 52 a bit too flappy (as well as the other two lower strings) so I'm wondering if I can put 11-54's (EB Beefy Slinky set) without having to file the slots on the nut and the saddles. When I first bought it the nuts and saddles were widened to accommodate the 52/42/30 so a 54 should just about fit? I may put a 44/32 on the other two which were filed for the next ones. I don't know if a 12-56 gauge would fit so would want to test it with 11-54's first. If it fits at least it'd give it a bit more fight-back in drop b.

Would it be the same as switching to 11's from 10's on a regular tuned guitar, say?

 

[daenius]

Re: Going up a string gauge

No, most normal 11 gauge strings are not 54 gauge in the low E. If you do 54 it'll kind of fit since your nut is already widened but you can run into tuning anomalies if you whack that bottom string too hard. Gibson's nut and head stock design is already very very prone to string binding inside the nut slot, running extra thick strings will worsen the problem.

You might get away with it if you make sure the nut is nicely lubriated, and having a TUSQ nut helps.

Have you also checked your neck relief? An easy way to give your 52 gauge string more tension would be to make sure your neck is nearly completely straight with very little forward concavity. If you have a tune-o-matic bridge you can also slightly raise the action on the bridge piece while lowering the tail piece to give even more tension. These are super easy to do and really saves you the trouble of widening the nut and re-setup the guitar with a new string gauge.

Hope it helps!

 

[DeadandBuried]

Re: Going up a string gauge

Yeah the guitar wasn't set up for 11-48's so that's why I'm hoping to get away with a 54 on the 6th string if there's already a 52 in there. I have a Earvana nut and do own the Big Bends nut suace.

I haven't checked the relief lately, but it sounds like a cost-effective way to increase the tension with the current set of strings. I already use 10-46's, 12-56's and 10-52's on my electrics. Adding a 11-54 gauge means more packs of strings!

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Going up a string gauge

I don't think it would hurt to try a .056 in there to see if you like it, then have the nut slot opened up if you do.

According to D'Addario, a .052 is at 22.0 lbs (E), 17.4 lbs (D) and 13.9 lbs (C). In order to keep that 17 lbs of tension, you're looking at a .059 or .060 gauge string.

The Zakk Wylde set uses a .060 for the droppped B on a Les Paul, so .056 really isn't anything ridiculous.

 

[DeadandBuried]

Re: Going up a string gauge

Yeah on my other LP I have 12-56's on there, but I'm actually lending it to a friend who likes the sound and feel of this LP in particular. Just that its not set up for drop b. If I find a 54 fits ok then I could see if a 56/44/32 will go in the slots. I'd prefer not to mess around with the slots if possible as I use this guitar for standard and drop d mostly. Obvs if I had a dedicated drop b guitar I would use something like .60 or higher.

 

[daenius]

Re: Going up a string gauge

Don't mean to hijack the thread nor trolling, but... you know what might be hilarious?

DROP E tuning

But wait, isn't it already E?

Yes, E but OCTAVE LOWER!

Seriously though, could totally be fun I'm gonna try it some time haha

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Going up a string gauge

Don't mean to hijack the thread nor trolling, but... you know what might be hilarious?

DROP E tuning

But wait, isn't it already E?

Yes, E but OCTAVE LOWER!

Seriously though, could totally be fun I'm gonna try it some time haha

I think you just invented the 6-string electric bass guitar. Oh, wait...

 

[ChAoZ]

Re: Going up a string gauge

Have you also checked your neck relief? An easy way to give your 52 gauge string more tension would be to make sure your neck is nearly completely straight with very little forward concavity. If you have a tune-o-matic bridge you can also slightly raise the action on the bridge piece while lowering the tail piece to give even more tension. These are super easy to do and really saves you the trouble of widening the nut and re-setup the guitar with a new string gauge.

Less neck relief will give more string tension? and adjusting the action higher :dunno:

 

[daenius]

Re: Going up a string gauge

Less neck relief will give more string tension? and adjusting the action higher :dunno:

I think I was not being clear enough.

Last time I had trouble with a guitar feeling really stiff to bend. I gave it just a hair more neck relief and changed the break angle of the tune o matic bridge (by doing a top wrap) and it felt slinkier to bend. I know it's mostly due to how it changed the distance at which I have to deflect the string to reach the same pitch, but that certainly did change how it felt.

Physically speaking it didn't "change the tension" so much as the string gauge and the tuning remained the same (I'm sure if you measured the actual tension in terms of physics it'd be the same), but the touch and feel was certainly changed, so that's what I'm getting at, since OP mentioned that it felt floppy.

That's just how I setup my guitars so they feel the best to me, of course in terms of guitar building/repairing technique I could be dead wrong, since I just go by how it feels to the hand as opposed to physically measuring it with equipment.

 

[DeadandBuried]

Re: Going up a string gauge

I got hold of a 54 gauge and swapped out the 52, it fits easily so I'm wondering if a 56 will go in there, also as the rest of the lower strings are the same gauge as the 10-52's I'm hopeful I can get a 44 and a 32 in the slots too as they are quite wide, even for a 42/30.

 

[DeadandBuried]

Re: Going up a string gauge

This is a photo taken of the nut slots with the 10-52's in there:



(excuse the foam as its just there to tame some harmonics due to high output pickups)

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Going up a string gauge

Don't mean to hijack the thread nor trolling, but... you know what might be hilarious?

DROP E tuning

But wait, isn't it already E?

Yes, E but OCTAVE LOWER!

Seriously though, could totally be fun I'm gonna try it some time haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AODbK4Mq73o

Chappers and friends review 7, 8, and 9 string guitars and he drops the F# 8th string down to E at 12 minutes in the video and plays in drop E.