Will 10-62 Drop G 26.5 inch scale length stay in tune?

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I was rocking 10 - 59s in G# so I imagine it wouldn't be a problem to be honest. Then again I'm a wuss that recently went down to 9 - 42s in standard.

 

[xzacx]

I keep a 25.5” 7 in G# standard with 11-64, and that feels perfect to me, so I don’t see any issue with that you’re asking.

 

[27InchScale]

I use .11-.62 on my 27” scale 7s and its so comfortable.

 

[CanserDYI]

Man I don't know how all of you guys do G in such a low string guage. I have to use .068 for drop A for me, and could still probably use more tension lol I like the sound of 64s but just too floppy and pitch drifts because I'm heavy handed.

 

[Masoo2]

The eternal SSO question. It definitely will still in tune, just don’t pick super hard. There are definitely guitarists out there who insist on very heavy strings and hard picking - Misha’s Drop C set has a 58 on the low string - and then there are guys like Jason Richardson, Tosin Abasi, and Dino Cazares who play a much lighter string with a lighter touch. Allan Holdsworth was fond of 8s and said they were the only way you could get the ‘ping’; I suck at guitar but the wisdom is still true. Lighter gauges often give a brighter tone. If you’re going to chug the hell out of the low string and play normal on the others, you can also do the Aaron Marshall thing - 68 on the low string, and then basically a set of 9s for the rest.

It's not even that they necessarily have a light touch, they all absolutely "chug the hell out of the low string." It's just that they adjust their picking angle to best approach the comparatively lower tension of the string.

Jason is probably the best example of this, he absolutely hammer the strings yet exhibit no problems even though they use thin gauges (11-58 for Drop G on 25.5 inch scale).

(3:58)

(2:09)

(from the start)

 

[Ross82]

Man I don't know how all of you guys do G in such a low string guage. I have to use .068 for drop A for me, and could still probably use more tension lol I like the sound of 64s but just too floppy and pitch drifts because I'm heavy handed.

Yeah I'm surprised at what people are using too, I'm using a 10-72 set for drop G on a 25.4". I have been walking the size down with each string change lately to see what the lightest gauge I can use is while staying nicely tensioned but right now the 72 is just nice. I dont think there's any way i could go below a 68 on this scale though.

 

[Ataraxia2320]

IMO you should be using the thinnest strings you can comfortably pick with in the tuning you are in without the notes going out of tune.

It sounded better in any blind testing I've done.

 

[Backsnack]

Dont listen to the THICCC strings only crew tbh.

Depends on how hard you pick. Whatever you're using now, use a string tension calculator to get the gauge for the same tension at G

IMO you should be using the thinnest strings you can comfortably pick with in the tuning you are in without the notes going out of tune.

It sounded better in any blind testing I've done.

Agreed. I learned the hard way with my 8 that there is a functional limit to where thicc strings eventually sound like a bass.

Nowadays I go for the thinnest strings possible, using a tension calculator to create custom relatively balanced tension sets.

It’s actually ideal to have a slight tension roll off for the thickest string to avoid it being too loud or rounded compared to the rest of the strings. 14-15 lbs. of tension for a low string is totally fine.

 

[Backsnack]

IMO you should be using the thinnest strings you can comfortably pick with in the tuning you are in without the notes going out of tune.

It sounded better in any blind testing I've done.

Exactly

Thinner strings will always have a sharper attack.

 

[IbbyAddict]

bloody hell everyone over here talking about their gauges for drop G and here I am playing in Drop A with an 80 for the low string

 

[Muzz]

bloody hell everyone over here talking about their gauges for drop G and here I am playing in Drop A with an 80 for the low string

I agree with you haha, I use 10-52 + 74 for 7 string down half step (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Bb, Eb).

 

[Winspear]

It's the same tension as a 38 E string on 25.5
Do people do it? Yes.
Does that make it any more reasonable than expecting a given person to be happy playing in standard with 8-38 guage strings? No
Based on a 46 E on 25.5 as an average tension, and keeping in mind that more tension is needed the lower and longer you go for performance to feel similar, a 74 would be needed to match the tension at minimum (and I'd suggest trying to deal with that minimum for brightness, rather than going for a slightly more stable but darker 76 or 80 for example)

Also, if you're going to try and go light - make the rest of the set match! So you can set up the entire guitar for it and have it play like one cohesive light tension instrument rather than a tight guitar with a noodle on the bottom. That is to say, when in a drop tuning use a 62 next to a set of 9-42 rather than 10-46. The fact I'm suggesting a 9-42 set in D standard to match the 62 G gives another perspective on how light it is

 

[Slaeyer]

Also, if you're going to try and go light - make the rest of the set match!

Great advice! When trying to find a fitting set of strings for a certain tuning and scale length I usually take a 10-46 set as a reference and then check the tension for the single strings and compare them to the set I wanna use for that new tuning. There are some nix3 string tension calculators for doing that. You just have to find one that uses the brand of strings you're using... For me that always worked great.... As a result I play a 10-46 set (d addario exl110BT) + 68 in drop A on a 26.5 guitar.

 

[777]

Great advice! When trying to find a fitting set of strings for a certain tuning and scale length I usually take a 10-46 set as a reference and then check the tension for the single strings and compare them to the set I wanna use for that new tuning. There are some nix3 string tension calculators for doing that. You just have to find one that uses the brand of strings you're using... For me that always worked great.... As a result I play a 10-46 set (d addario exl110BT) + 68 in drop A on a 26.5 guitar.

Im doing a 9-46 set but replacing the 46 with a 50 and adding a 68 for the low A

 

[CanserDYI]

Im doing a 9-46 set but replacing the 46 with a 50 and adding a 68 for the low A

My exact set, feels awesome.

 

[Lifestalker]

Ibanez RGD7UCS in Standard G# (26.5")

I'm using .0115 - .016 - .022 - .030 - .040 - .054 - .074

This set is nearly perfect for me. String tension is roughly 18-19 lbs per string.
I pick hard and prefer minimal flop. I'm also not bending like BB King.