Anti-baritone - String suggestions for 24.75" scale / B-standard

[Fathand]

This forum needs new threads, so:

I've got a Dean Z (Explorer) which I want to put in B standard. Anyone who uses this tuning and scale, any suggestion for string gauges. I don't want super crazy thick strings, and some looseness is ok. I'm not going for a super tight / modern sound anyways, just going to jam on some Coffins/Carcass(Old)/Brutal Truth type riffs at home.

And disclaimer: Getting a 7/8/9 string is out of the question and I don't want nor need a longer scale. Just a low tuned six string.

 

[Rynphos]

Something like 13-62, which would give you ~15 lbs. of tension per string on average, which is light, but not too much

 

[budda]

12-60 daddario xl.

 

[Harry]

Never felt the need for a baritone scale for B either (I like 25.5" for that) so I can dig that sentiment.
If you're doing mucho stoner rawk string bending , starting off with a .011 for the 1st string is a good idea.
Anywhere from 0.056 to 0.060 for the lowest string would work well I think.
Going much bigger than 0.060 may or may not be a PITA to intonate properly, plus I think beyond a certain point bigger strings sound worse anyway.
From memory, Bill Steer liked a 0.056 back in the day and of course he typically likes playing 24.75" scale instruments too

 

[777timesgod]

http://www.goddamnbastard.org/carcass/interviews/gwinter.html

According to Carcass themselves, from a 1994 interview, 12 gauge is what they used for the B tuning. My suggestions is to go 12 and thicker, there is no law of course for using 11 but I would not go there.
I wonder what Nile use for their songs, they seemed to rely on B tuning a lot in the past. Unsure if they changed it for the more recent offerings.

 

[Ebony]

I wonder what Nile use

25.5" 6-strings tuned AEADF#B (drop A), mostly. Sanders also uses various 27", 27.5" and 7-strings.

Gauges used on the 25.5" 6-strings are as follows:

Sanders: 0.70, 0.50, 0.38, 0.17p, 0.12p, 0.10p.
Toler-Wade: 0.70, 0.48, 0.38, 0.26, 0.17p, 0.13p.

 

[vilk]

Daddario Baritone Light string pack!!

 

[777timesgod]

25.5" 6-strings tuned AEADF#B (drop A), mostly. Sanders also uses various 27", 27.5" and 7-strings.

Gauges used on the 25.5" 6-strings are as follows:

Sanders: 0.70, 0.50, 0.38, 0.17p, 0.12p, 0.10p.
Toler-Wade: 0.70, 0.48, 0.38, 0.26, 0.17p, 0.13p.

You are right on the A tuning, just checked some old tabs from Annihilation of the wicked and Black seeds, there are not official tabs though and I have it lodged in my head that I played B tuned songs of them.

 

[Flappydoodle]

Michael Amott has a signature set of Rotosound strings, which are a hybrid 11, 15, 18, 32, 44, 59

He plays in B or C with a 24.75 scale length

http://www.rotosound.com/michael-amott-signature-set/

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Steer and Amott didn't switch to 24.75" guitars till after Heartwork. They were rocking 25.5" Ibanez RG (Steer) and Saber (Amott) models from at least SoS onwards.

That said, you can still cop their tones on 24.75", just be sure to keep your lowest strings relatively light, between .054" and .060" at the thickest. Neither player went heavier, even when Steer switched to Les Pauls around 94'/95'. He also did all rhythm guitar parts on Heartwork and SS.

I keep an LP in B at all times. Get ready for some fun.

 

[Alex79]

IME you can just use a 7 string set, get rid of the high E string and that's it. The low B should be around a .060.
However, I feel LP scale guitars loose too much definition and punch once you go lower than C. C definitely sounds better and this might be why many bands opt for that tuning over B.

Of course I am spoiled , since I have an actual baritone tuned to B standard. The comparison is just always there in my ears.

 

[Andromalia]

13-60 is a good middle ground to start testing the waters.

 

[budda]

12-60 d'addario XL Im tellin ya.

 

[Andromalia]

Oh, while I'm at it do NOT buy EBs "Not Even Slinky", that 24p is unplayable.

 

[NeglectedField]

I'd say a good way to find out what's good, in lieu of being able to waste a lot of money trying different gauges is to go, okay, since the standard on a 7-string 25.5" guitar is a 56 for a low B, which is a bit flimsy but passable, you'll want to at least go up a bit from that for your low B on a 24.75".

Or, think of it this way. 24.75" guitars tend to come with 10-46 out of the factory. If you like how that feels, since you're going down a 4th from E to B, and the B-string on 10-46 is a 13, then go for 13-something set. 13-60 should in theory feel the closest to 10-46 as standard.

That said, the whole gauge equivalence thing isn't quite as linear as I'm making it out to be, so you might have to experiment. But when you find what you enjoy, you'll be fine. Carcass are using Gibsons at the moment and they still sound killer.

 

[Fathand]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think I'll go with the 12-60 set. Better get my nut files ready

 

[USMarine75]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think I'll go with the 12-60 set. Better get my nut files ready

Remember to go wound G. Much better if you are mainly playing rhythm. If you play a lot of lead with bends you might consider unwound G and thinner upper 3 strings overall.

I have one 24.75" that is mainly a rhythm guitar and NYXL 12-60 wound G, but another I play a lot of leads with and in C-Std and it's 11-56, with custom 10 high E and a steel G.

 

[ThunderMoose]

Amon Amarth approves of your choiced! 13-62 strings on a short scale guitar.
Get that third string wound. I agree with Andromalia - 24p feels bad, man.

 

[Bobo]

For a quick, easy fix, I like the Daddario XL 7 string set that is 10-59.

If you can buy single strings, I'd do that. Try everything from 56 to say 62 on the low B...that is if you want to get all the nuance of each gauge like a weirdo... like me lol. Of course getting the low B to sound ok is the hardest part, but playing around with other gauges is something you may want to try at some point to. For example, you may the other round strings to be a bit thicker than normal to kinda have that thicker tone that will come closer to matching a thick low B. Can be a fairly deep rabbit hole here...

 

[777timesgod]

I do not agree that Carcass are sounding their best lately, the videos I checked make me think that they could use some gear more directed to metal than what they use. Yes, you can make a 24.75 scaled guitar handle the Carcass material but I do not think that they succeeded in doing that.
I remember that Steer stopped playing metal and joined a rock band (I think its named Firebird or something). He probably grabbed the same gear and continued with Carcass.