Guitars

Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 4860 Location: Pennsylvania

looking for opinions on what you guys use/recommend.

I've always used heavier gauge strings. Usually 11-50ish for standard tuning. recently with my band we play in dropped C.. I've had my guitar tuned to drop D with 11's and using my morpheus drop tune to drop it down a step.

Right now I dropped my actual strings down and am not sure how I like it. Left hand feels great.. right hand feels like things are sloppy.

I know it's just whatever I'm comfortable with.. but a lot of times it takes a little while playing with something to find out if its actually better or not. and i don't have that time.

so what do you guys use?

Joined: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 466

For a 24 3/4 scale guitar I love the Ernie ball skinny top/fat bottom 10-52 strings. Its a little stiff on a 25.5 scale guitar and you could probably get away with using regular 10's on that scale, but I have never tried it.

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 13399 Location: Earth

On my 24 3/4" Gibson I use 12-56 and on my 25 1/2" scale I use 11-54. Any lighter and the guitar doesn't stay in tune when I play rhythm because the strings go sharp when I dig in. Also it's harder to intonate the guitar because of the lack of tension on the strings so you have to use a super light touch to set it up. I have tried 10-52 in Drop C but it feels like sloppy spaghetti in that tuning. It's easier to solo but you just need to build up proper hand strength to play thicker strings. It takes time. If you like the really, really light tension of the 10s you can get a 10-58 or 10-60 set that will work.

One of my best buds who is a super shredder and uses 9s on his Ibanezs said my Esoterik which is 25.5" scale with Ernie Ball 11-54 feels like a standard guitar with 9s. So that's the closest relationship you'll get for feel.

Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:21 pm

I use 11's in standard as well, I luv da suspension bridge cables.

Joined: 11 Jan 2012 Posts: 24 Location: Morganville, NJ

DR DDT 11-54 for me is perfect, but as you use 11-50 in standard tuning i suggest 12-56 min.

Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 4860 Location: Pennsylvania

yeah i played for like 5 minutes dropped down with 11's. It felt like crap trying to play rhythm. I guess i'll stick with using the drop tune.. cuz i bought the DR neons and the heaviest they have is 11's.