What strings for drop tuning?

[FunkMetalBass]

OP, the tuning you're going for is just tuned down to C-standard. A Circle K Balanced 124/Balanced 130 set would be ideal.

Also, the strings rock.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

Well my neck is 37" long, trust me I measured it. I picked up the bass at a small guitar shop a while back without any knowledge of the instrument. Only that it sounded amazing and played really smooth. It could be one of their signature basses, I'm not real sure. I have not seen it on their website though.

The length of the neck has nothing to do with the necessity for heavier string gauges. What you're thinking of is the scale length, and that is measured from the bridge to the nut.

 

[rockstarbassist]

DDTs were the worst set of strings I've ever played.

Get some CK's and never look back.

Also C-standard is about my favorite tuning out there. We only go down to drop C but I encourage trying to write songs full 2 steps down. :thu:

 

[seungkoo]

Buy a 5 string or play an octave higher

 

[knuckle_head]

Buy a 5 string or play an octave higher

Why, when hen can do it the way he wants to?

 

[seungkoo]

Obviously he's having issues with it so he came to ask for suggestions. Just my suggestion for him

 

[knuckle_head]

Your suggestion doesn't answer his question - where in your response does it tell the OP which strings he should use for drop tuning?

 

[rockstarbassist]

Obviously he's having issues with it so he came to ask for suggestions. Just my suggestion for him

Buy a 5 string or play an octave higher

/bandt for stupid

 

[hartke20g]

i've been having trouble deciding what strings to pick up as well since i now play in D standard and some songs in drop C. i see plenty of responses saying to go with DDTs, or to go with CKs. honestly saying that you like a certain string isn't too much help. i'm sure the OP (as well as i) would like to know why you do/don't like a certain string set. were they floppy? dull? too bright? etc.

now, as for me, i still have 'normal' gauge DR Hi Beams on my jazz and drop C doesn't sound too bad. i still have a bit of bottom as long as i stay on the low C string, but anything above that just seems to die out live, not to mention the low C is too floppy to "play with gusto".
not to hijack (i feel this may be relevant for the OP), but is there a set of strings out there that have 'cojones' in drop C and can still be tuned to EADG for other gigs?

 

[knuckle_head]

If you can find a set with a .115 bottom, that'll serve D and drop C best IMO.

Asking a string to drop from E to C is asking too much IMO. Intonation shift and an 18 pound sway from loose to tight is pretty extreme.

 

[hartke20g]

If you can find a set with a .115 bottom, that'll serve D and drop C best IMO.

Asking a string to drop from E to C is asking too much IMO. Intonation shift and an 18 pound sway from loose to tight is pretty extreme.

in that case, what about a set that will have even(ish) tension and enough guts when tuned to D standard and can handle low C? i figure if i need to play in standard i'll just use a capo like i have been lately (we use a lot of open E based riffs).
i figure there's gotta be a somewhat-popular set out there that a lot of the big acts use (System of a Down, A Day To Remember, etc).

 

[Eugene Festus]

DDTs are not for drop tuning - they are for traditional intervals.

A C string ought to be in the .125 range to be as tight as a .095 is at E.

Drop C set suggestion; .124 .082 .061 .045 .031

Invalid Link Removed
It kind of says they are on the package dude. They are actually designed specifically for drop tuning.

 

[knuckle_head]

in that case, what about a set that will have even(ish) tension and enough guts when tuned to D standard and can handle low C? i figure if i need to play in standard i'll just use a capo like i have been lately (we use a lot of open E based riffs).
i figure there's gotta be a somewhat-popular set out there that a lot of the big acts use (System of a Down, A Day To Remember, etc).

A set with a .120 on bottom will be reasonably close to a median gauge for either C or D standard tunings - you should set the bass up for intonation tuning it to C# so that you split the difference on intonation points. You'll have 34 pounds of tension at C, and 43 pounds of tension at D.

My sets would look like either;

.118 .090 .067 .049 .035 - Balanced
or
.118 .090 .067 .051 .037 - Traditional

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It kind of says they are on the package dude. They are actually designed specifically for drop tuning.

The package says drop DOWN tuning - the difference being these sets are tension balanced for maintaining traditional intervals. In drop tunings there is an additional whole step lower that these sets do not address.

Check their gauges against the D'Addarrio tension chart and see if what I am saying is true or not.

 

[Josh Pelican]

Listen to knuckle_head!!

When it comes to strings, there is no one else.

I stand by Circle K strings.

 

[Eugene Festus]

The DDTs ARE made for drop tuning. By simply going to the DR website and looking up the DDTs you'll see for your self. I have used them before and when tuned to standard they hold way too much tension... So I find it hard to believe that these strings are designed to be tuned in standard tuning... as you say they are. I have been wrong before, but i don't think so in this case. And me being right or wrong doesn't change the fact that they, weather they were designed for it or not, are suitable for drop tuning.

 

[knuckle_head]

The DDTs ARE made for drop tuning. By simply going to the DR website and looking up the DDTs you'll see for your self. I have used them before and when tuned to standard they hold way too much tension... So I find it hard to believe that these strings are designed to be tuned in standard tuning... as you say they are. I have been wrong before, but i don't think so in this case. And me being right or wrong doesn't change the fact that they, weather they were designed for it or not, are suitable for drop tuning.

I'm sorry but they are - IMO - not even right for standard intervals. That is standard intervals, not standard tuning - very distinct and HUGE difference. You can use them any way you like, but this is the math and the numbers don't lie;

125 - 31.4 - B; if dropped to A (drop A) 24.9
105 - 40.3 - E
85 - 48.4 - A
65 - 51.3 - D
45 - 42.8 - G

135 - 28.6 - A; if dropped to G (drop G) 24.2
115 - 38.5 - D
95 - 48.7 - G
75 - 53.7 - C
55 - 50.0 - F

Weights are based on D'Addario's tension data.

A drop of 10 pounds from one string to the next does wicked things to setup, tonality, and pitch and sustain - and when these sets are put in drop tunings you end up with 15 pounds difference or more, making things worse.

As I said - feel free to use these for drop tunings but there are far better ways to do it that work an awful lot better.

 

[Thunder Pulse]

The DDTs ARE made for drop tuning.

You're wrong. There's a difference between 'drop tuning' & 'drop-down tuning.'

'Drop tuning' is an established term used to describe tuning the 6th string down a full step relative to the other strings, regardless of what 'standard' tuning they're in.

'Standard' E: E-A-D-G-B-E --> 'Dropped' to D: D-A-D-G-B-E

'Standard' B: B-E-A-D-F#-B --> 'Dropped' to A: A-E-A-D-F#-B

I find it hard to believe that these strings are designed to be tuned in standard tuning... as you say they are.

They *are* designed to be tuned in standard tuning, but not E standard.

'Drop-down tuning™' (notice the trademark symbol) is just a marketing expression used by DR Strings to promote heavier gauge strings for tuning to a standard tuning LOWER than E standard.

'Standard' D: D-G-C-F-A-D
'Standard' C#: C#-F#-B-E-G#-C#
'Standard' B: B-E-A-D-F#-B

Their idea is good, but the name causes a lot of confusion.

 

[ixlramp]

in that case, what about a set that will have even(ish) tension and enough guts when tuned to D standard and can handle low C?

Almost all mainstream sets do not have even(ish) tension. For switching between D standard (DGCF) and Drop C (CGCF) the method is to build a custom set from singles that has equal tension on each string when tuned to the average tuning of C#GCF. This way in D the lowest string is slightly tighter than the others, and in drop C the lowest string is slightly looser than the others. Therefore the tension imbalance is minimised in each tuning.

You can choose gauges by using the http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf, you can use the tension charts to approximate other brands. Unfortunately these tension charts do not show tensions for sharp or flat notes, such as C#, so just split the tension difference between the surrounding notes (C and D) as an approximation.

The Circle K Strings tension chart is fully chromatic: Link Removed

What gauges do you like for EADG? and which of those strings feels to be at the right tension? I can then suggest a set for you.

 

[ixlramp]

I'm sorry but they are - IMO - not even right for standard intervals. That is standard intervals, not standard tuning - very distinct and HUGE difference. You can use them any way you like, but this is the math and the numbers don't lie;

125 - 31.4 - B; if dropped to A (drop A) 24.9
105 - 40.3 - E
85 - 48.4 - A
65 - 51.3 - D
45 - 42.8 - G

135 - 28.6 - A; if dropped to G (drop G) 24.2
115 - 38.5 - D
95 - 48.7 - G
75 - 53.7 - C
55 - 50.0 - F

Weights are based on D'Addario's tension data.

A drop of 10 pounds from one string to the next does wicked things to setup, tonality, and pitch and sustain - and when these sets are put in drop tunings you end up with 15 pounds difference or more, making things worse.

As I said - feel free to use these for drop tunings but there are far better ways to do it that work an awful lot better.

^Yes.

There's a difference between 'drop tuning' & 'drop-down tuning.'

'Drop tuning' is an established term used to describe tuning the 6th string down a full step relative to the other strings, regardless of what 'standard' tuning they're in.

'Drop-down tuning™' (notice the trademark symbol) is just a marketing expression used by DR Strings to promote heavier gauge strings for tuning to a standard tuning LOWER than E standard.

^Yes.

 

[Eugene Festus]

You're wrong. There's a difference between 'drop tuning' & 'drop-down tuning.'

Yeah, I was always confused on the terminology of it. That makes more sense.