Drop-A both .066 and .070 seem flappy

[setsuna7]

i use 64 Paradigm Ball on my ESP NT7.

 

[BillCosby]

I use Elixir 9-42 with a 56 on my PRS SVN tuned to A# standard (and sometimes drop G#). I just don't like the way heavier strings sound.

My Ibanez RG7421XL has Elixir 9-46 with a 66 tuned to drop F#.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I swear to God some of you guys make me feel like a bitch picker. I go above 9 - 54 in B and I'm in for a bad time.

 

[Obsidian Soul]

74 for G.Fight me.

 

[CovertSovietBear]

74 for G.Fight me.

I used a .80 for drop D on an 8 string once (drop G on the rest of the 7 strings)

Round 1...fight

 

[Masoo2]

I used a .80 for drop D on an 8 string once (drop G on the rest of the 7 strings)

Round 1...fight

74 for D and Eb are killer, try them sometime

Stupid funny to play yet sounds fantastic

 

[CovertSovietBear]

74 for D and Eb are killer, try them sometime

Stupid funny to play yet sounds fantastic

I'll give it a shot, I think thinner strings sound more clear but I have to avoid picking as hard.

 

[Noisy Humbucker]

I’m using 54 for B/drop A on a 26.5 scale. When I did have an 8 string I used 74 for drop E, sounded and felt great to me although I didn’t have to sweat stability with the double locking setup of the 2228.

Between my tonal preferences and the fact that I don’t play as much as I used to/have occasional nerve issues I’ve found a sweet spot right around the middle, leaning towards lighter gauges.

EDIT: I also use Jazz III’s, alternating between the carbon fiber “Max Grip” guys and a thinner 88 depending on what sort of snap I want in my attack.

EDIT:EDIT: All of that said, my buddy who’s always been primarily an acoustic guy uses 13-56 for D standard on his 25.5” Schecter and I always have a blast playing on that. It’s all terribly subjective.

 

[Emperoff]

Everything plays a role. If you're a light picker you can get away with lighter gauges or thinner picks. If you're a heavy picker you'll want thicker strings and heavier picks to go though them.

I'm in the latter camp, and found out that 25'5" scale in A is just not an option to me. I'd need a 068 and that's just uncomfortable to me, and don't like how it sounds. I use 064 in a 27" scale with a 0095 set and works perfectly for me.

 

[Vince Caruana]

I used to use a .070 on that scale for A and it was fairly tight. I'd bump up to a 26.5 or a 27

 

[lewis]

Im using around 70 for 25.5 scale tuned to G# (but at 432hz so lower) and sometimes i think it is too thick and sometimes i feel not tight enough.
Its weird.

 

[GXPO]

He said Huf

 

[Tenaba]

Hell I use a SUPER thick pick (Huf Mini Anvil XL) and still run 56s for A-G, it's all about understanding how to pick better and more controlling/precise while still being aggressive.

Maybe a dumb question, but how do you maintain "aggression" while picking lightly? I also want to use lighter gauges (I play a .68 for A-G) but I don't understand how to get an aggressive sound without picking hard.

 

[Masoo2]

Maybe a dumb question, but how do you maintain "aggression" while picking lightly? I also want to use lighter gauges (I play a .68 for A-G) but I don't understand how to get an aggressive sound without picking hard.

well no I still pick REALLY hard, but I angle my pick downward towards the strings (25-45 degrees or so) and as a result it sort of immediately cancels out the horizontal movement of the string that occurs when you pick hard from a normal 90 degree angle.

John Browne and his super hard picking + pinky locking is where I began to get my technique from, he still runs 10-59 down to Ab and 10-74 for all of his 8 string work, and iirc uses something like a 52 or 54 for C

 

[Vyn]

Maybe a dumb question, but how do you maintain "aggression" while picking lightly? I also want to use lighter gauges (I play a .68 for A-G) but I don't understand how to get an aggressive sound without picking hard.

I keep referring people to this. From the man who uses a 52 for B:

 

[MSS]

I use a dr strings ddt 65 for drop A 25.5 scale. It’s pretty stable.

 

[LegacyOfOddGod]

I use a dr strings ddt 65 for drop A 25.5 scale. It’s pretty stable.

I'm using a D'addario 064 for the drop A on my Mayones Regius & Setius with the 25.5 scale. I would say you can get away with it, but If I pick the harder open - as I sometimes like to for power - it's not tight enough and the note "rises" a bit too much. The tone is good though. I recently got a 26.5 scale Ibby exactly for this reason and put a 064 on that one and now the string is behaving as it should in my opinion. So maybe get a 26.5 or 27 inch scale guitar, haha

 

[MSS]

I'm using a D'addario 064 for the drop A on my Mayones Regius & Setius with the 25.5 scale. I would say you can get away with it, but If I pick the harder open - as I sometimes like to for power - it's not tight enough and the note "rises" a bit too much. The tone is good though. I recently got a 26.5 scale Ibby exactly for this reason and put a 064 on that one and now the string is behaving as it should in my opinion. So maybe get a 26.5 or 27 inch scale guitar, haha

Totally agree. The dr ddt .65 has more tension prob like a .68 I would guess.

 

[LegacyOfOddGod]

Totally agree. The dr ddt .65 has more tension prob like a .68 I would guess.

Oh, didn't know that about the tension. That would seem like the right fit for this application then!! Have to keep that in mind, thanks!

 

[Mike]

Not sure it's been exactly stated but different brands of the same gauge also feel different. So if you want a stiffer tighter feel, I've found GHS and DR strings feel much tighter for the same gauges than Kaliums, EB, or D'Addario's. All a factor of materials, contruction, and winding methods.