Strings For Modern Rock

[shadyru]

Just wondering what guitar strings do you guys use for Drop D and Drop C tunings on a 24.5" fretboard. Thinking Ernie Balls but not sure what sizes?
This would be mainly for rhythm's for saosin, breaking benjamin, evanescence modern rock styles. Thanks for any help!

[SkunkWorks]

I'm using D'Addario EXL115-3D (11 to 49's) for that kind of stuff. 12's are common.

Will try to pm ya later on that other stuff.

G.

[Flora]

I love strings in modern rock although sometimes they can make it sound a bit cheesy and overproduced

[private_stock]

When you say 24.5" fretboard I assume you are talking about the scale of the guitar.

One of my guitars has a 24.75" scale and I put together a set, 12-70. It sound incredible with drop C. It'd probably be a little much for D.

As far as brands go I like the Ernie Ball strings, I use GHS from time to time as well. I wouldn't go any lighter than 11-56 though for C. I think that would be pushing it.

[BLUElightCory]

I personally love 11's (or sometimes thicker if using lower tunings) - After trying all of the major brands, I came to favor DR strings.

[Ethan Winer]

Originally Posted by shadyru

Thinking Ernie Balls but not sure what sizes?

Ernie Ball makes a model called "not even close to slinky" or something funny like that. I used them for a drop-A (!) tuning project and they were fabulous. The E string was .012 I think.

--Ethan

[ThatSoundsWHAMMY]

Originally Posted by shadyru

Just wondering what guitar strings do you guys use for Drop D and Drop C tunings on a 24.5" fretboard. Thinking Ernie Balls but not sure what sizes?
This would be mainly for rhythm's for saosin, breaking benjamin, evanescence modern rock styles. Thanks for any help!

The thickest strings your fingers can take...
...if they bleed all the better.

The thicker they are the more lush the tone. A bitch to play but hell, well worth it.

[zzfdvz@mac.com]

Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms = Drop D

Ernie Ball Not Even Slinkys = Drop C

Past that, it's all a little sketchy. I record A LOT of heavily detuned bands and I've found that these particular sets of strings handle the tuning the best. The first set might seem overkill just for drop D, but you'd be surprised how much swing is in that low D string on a regular set of 10s or 11s.

Using strings this heavy might lead to other problems. the biggest of which is the string being too big to sit in the nut nicely. of coarse there will be intonation problems, but you can find you tube videos on how to set that up. extreme cases may cause for raising the action a but to give the string proper length for proper intonation.

[vodka gimli]

[j2dafo]

I drop a whole step and then down to C sometimes, and like using D"Addario jazz mediums, 13's on high E. (and that's on a Fender Mustang)

[dacart]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet on this thread I just want to add to make sure your guitar is set up for the heavier gauge strings. If you don't, while you may not hurt the guitar, you will render your guitar unplayable as the string tension changes the action of the neck.

And just to add a second to more is better as far as string gauge is concerned, ALWAYS use the heaviest gauge you can play for what you want to do. I'm sure everyone knows about SRV using 12s (or 13s?) on his Strat to get the tone he had.

Dan Carter