DR DDT Heavy guage question

Rykashu · #1 02-02-2011, 10:16 AM

I've currently been using ML Blue Steel (.045 -.105) on my 34" scale Ibanez GSR. My girlfriend overheard me mention to a friend that I might like to try a little thicker guage strings, so for Christmas she bought me a pack of DR DDT Heavy guage (.055 -.115). I must say that I am not liking the navigation on the DR web page, but I am unable to find a unit mass rating on these strings so I don't know what kind of tension they are going to pack. Does anyone know where I could get a tension chart for these? Or what kind of tuning I could achieve without too much tension on the neck or snapping the strings? I normally play in standard tuning, but I'm willing to play around with something lower for a while if these won't handle that, which I have the feeling they won't.

Burlington · #2 02-02-2011, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rykashu

I've currently been using ML Blue Steel (.045 -.105) on my 34" scale Ibanez GSR. My girlfriend overheard me mention to a friend that I might like to try a little thicker guage strings, so for Christmas she bought me a pack of DR DDT Heavy guage (.055 -.115). I must say that I am not liking the navigation on the DR web page, but I am unable to find a unit mass rating on these strings so I don't know what kind of tension they are going to pack. Does anyone know where I could get a tension chart for these? Or what kind of tuning I could achieve without too much tension on the neck or snapping the strings? I normally play in standard tuning, but I'm willing to play around with something lower for a while if these won't handle that, which I have the feeling they won't.

I played in drop C with those strings and they were great. I think they'd be too high tension for E standard, but I think 110 is even too large for that IMHO.

Essen · #3 02-02-2011, 10:31 AM

I put the 115's on my jaguar. Had it in E/ drop D, and it sounded great, really tight, focused tone. But it was a bit scary tuning back up to E, felt like it would snap, but it never did.

Rykashu · #4 02-02-2011, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burlington

I played in drop C with those strings and they were great. I think they'd be too high tension for E standard, but I think 110 is even too large for that IMHO.

Drop C as in C-G-C-F (sorry like I said I'm normally in standard)? But good to know ether way. Might want to see if I can get to D-G-C-F just to keep it in fourths. Glad you got yours up to E Essen, but given my luck something would happen to my neck or the strings would snap. Without getting at least a close estimate of how much tension that is, I'm not sure I want to risk it.

Burlington · #5 02-02-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rykashu

Drop C as in C-G-C-F (sorry like I said I'm normally in standard)? But good to know ether way. Might want to see if I can get to D-G-C-F just to keep it in fourths. Glad you got yours up to E Essen, but given my luck something would happen to my neck or the strings would snap. Without getting at least a close estimate of how much tension that is, I'm not sure I want to risk it.

Correct. They should be fine for DGCF

knuckle_head · #6 02-02-2011, 11:01 AM

Best guesses for the .115;

@C - 31.7 pounds
@D - 40 pounds
@E - 50.2 pounds

Rykashu · #7 02-02-2011, 11:58 AM

If I'm not mistaken about 50 lbs shouldn't be too bad for the E maybe a little on the high side (I probably still won't take it out of D or C), but it seems to me that the .055, .075, and the .095 are the ones I would be more worried about taking too much tension. When I was trying to figure about what the tension would be myself I compared to the tension chart for circle K strings, and the tension for approximately each of those string gauges at standard tuning was uncharted, but looked like it was going to be far too high. I'm sure since they're different strings the tension would be a bit different, but still...

rockstarbassist · #8 02-02-2011, 12:28 PM

I had my only set of them in drop C and they were still too tight...

FunkMetalBass · #9 02-02-2011, 12:53 PM

Not many manufacturers publish specs, so your guess is as good as mine.

I suspect that will be a bit too heavy for Standard or Drop D though.

ixlramp · #10 02-02-2011, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rykashu

If I'm not mistaken about 50 lbs shouldn't be too bad for the E maybe a little on the high side (I probably still won't take it out of D or C), but it seems to me that the .055, .075, and the .095 are the ones I would be more worried about taking too much tension.

Yes, and yes. 55-115 is more of a top-heavy set than the more balanced 45-105, so the higher strings will be extremely tight at EADG.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rykashu

I'm sure since they're different strings the tension would be a bit different, but still...

The differences between brands are not huge, so you can use the Circle K and D'Addario tension charts to approximate other brands.

Looking at the charts, I estimate that C#F#BE will be the closest match to 45-105 EADG in terms of total tension.