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Decent strings for DCFG tuning

jcburn

jcburn

Oct 11, 2003
2,628
1,674
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Tasmania, Australia.
everburn.com.au
#1
Hey all - did some searching and couldn't really find the answers I'm after. Lately my band has made the decision to tune DCGF (down a whole step). Usually use D'Addario XL's (100 to 45 I think), but for a little extra tension I tried some EB Power Slinkies (110 to 50). I'm not real keen on the tone of the EB's - what I'm after is a set of strings that are bright, can handle the tuning we are using and have the best tension.
 
#5
105 or 110 will be fine, 115 is pushing it and anything above that is gonna have too much tension imo.

I dont think stainless really wear down frets as much as they are reputed to do ... but i'm a nickel guy myself so i dunno.
 
#7
.110 , .090, .070, .050

Those gauges in the D'addario Pro Steels handle Eb tuning (1/2 step down on all strings) and should be able to handle another half step with no issue.

As for Stainless steel eating frets, well, maybe it does, but I honestly could care less. If the string sounds good, keep playing it!. I have always used stainless steel and I have not noticed anything bad on the frets of my basses.
 
#9
One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that for the odd 1 or 2 songs we drop D (making the lowest note C). This is why I thought the 5 string set might be in order. I currently am strung with 110 - 50 and would like a little more tension. Fender do a 115(7250-5L) and DR do a 120 B. The Fender set would be good I think - would feel very much like being concert pitch tension. They are nickels - I've never used stainless before and while I realise they will be nice and bright I dont like the idea of them being harsh on fingers and frets.
 
#10
I am digging this one out but I was learning songs for a female fronted pop metal band I am auditioning for tomorrow. Nightwish, The Gathering, Epica, etc... and all that stuff is DGCF.

I do a lot of drop D in my other band, a Godsmack/Nickelback cover band, and Drop D is absolutely different. These songs are totally written for drop D.

Anyway, I tried it on my basses, and my jazz has a .95 / .40 D'Addario XL 220 set and it works awkwardly well.

The Rotosound 66 on my Foundation works fine as well, but I was surprised to see the medium set do do well.

My theory is that since my Jazz was set up for the medium light strings, going down a full step does not change much proportionally.

I also happened to have just released the tension on the neck as the weather is getting rainy and humidity is going up and I was getting a bit of buzz.
 
#13
I see that a lot of people are suggesting .110 sets. If you are going to DGCF and no lower, you can use a .110 set with a round core, but wouldn't suggest a hex core set because then it would be too stiff; a full step down isn't really that low. Personally I prefer a regular D'Addario .105 set or a nickle Lo-Rider set so you have more tension from the hex core and the nickle helps keep down excess finger, pick, or fret noise. I'm actaully running a super long (35") scale set of D'Addario 105, 85, 70, 50 on my ESP TA-600 tuned to C#F#BE and I like the way it works. The extra mass of the .110 or .115 (GHS) just sounds like its eating up some of the attack of the string to me
 
#14
As a follow-up: initially I was happy with the Fender Jazz and it's 95-40 set, but I realized than I would have to reset my neck due to the lesser amount of tension.

Currently, I am trying a 105-45 Roto 66 set on a Foundation that was set with low action and it works quite a lot better.
 
#15
If you're like me and prefer to be able to dig in and not have notes dying because you're pushing the string into a pickup or clacking it against the fretboard, thicker gauges are the only way to go.

I'm using a .125 for C# and tune it up to Eb often without trouble. A .110 would be pretty good for D as others have suggested.

I also use .90 .70 and .50 for only half step down, but I like tension. A lot of it is up to the instrument and how it responds to string tension. I've used my prefered gauges on another bass and hated it. A little experimentation goes a long way. Expensive, sure, but worth it in the long run.

I was originally using D'addario pro steels but they discontinued several of the sizes. So I switched to SIT since they were the only others offering anything over .145 for my low G# :) I almost like the SIT's better and they stay zingy longer, and have a much nicer inherent growl down low.
 
#20
my band tunes CGCF and i use a set of 110's and they work great. I plan on going back to 105's though because i play at church in standard tuning, and the D string of the 110 set is too big for my nut. 105's work good for the downtuning, but if you plan to stay in D standard all the time, then just go with the 110's. They just feel powerful :)
 

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