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string gague for E flat


neil fraser

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Honestly, I think that's gotta be your decision after messing with stuff a bit.

 

I could suggest this or that that I've used over the years, but that comment would mostly reflect how I play the doggone thing in different environments.

 

For example, when I was a kid I played a lotta rock and was pretty solid on the light flatwounds many of "us" used back in the mid '60s. But it was with more of a "straight across" strumming stroke than the more "go uphill from the bass" one might have used back then with a big flattop - and that many rock rhythm players kept doing.

 

Where you're detuning a half step from standard, you may find lighter gauge bass strings feeling yet looser, depending on how much lighter. Again, depending on how you play the thing, it may or may not make much difference besides a shade easier left hand work.

 

I'd recommend a standard set of Ernies 10s, nickel plated, and see how that feels. They ain't that expensive and if you don't like them you're not out that much.

 

But also I'd recommend that you give a cupla weeks of messing with the difference to see if you change your technique a bit and end up going lighter on the bass strings than with the heavier gauge. That may result in a different decision one way or another on whether to keep using them.

 

For what it's worth, all but two of my electrics are standard tuned roundwound 9-42 of mostly Elixir Polyweb. The early '70s Guild S100c SG clone wears 8-38 and I have a 25 1/2 scale archtop that is an experiment with a buncha different flatwound gauges I figure will take about two years to decide what to wear on it. For years I used 9-42 on a 24-inch slightly-shorter-than-usual scale archtop tuned to an open G for a certain type of material. Before that it was 9-42 for country rock and I'll go back to that this winter.

 

You may note that I prefer taking a bit of time messing with different string types and gauges. You may be in a bigger rush than a grouchy old picker.

 

m

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Hey, just wondered what gague strings you guys use when tuned to E flat? Currently I'm using skinny top heavy bottoms (10-52) but thinking of going a bit lighter on the bass strings.

Tuning half a note flat will decrease string tension to about 89%. The "effective" gauges for playing feel will be .00944 - .04908 in case of using .010 - .052. When switching to, let's say, .010 - .046, there would result a .00944 - .04342 feel.

 

In case you stay with the gauges, intonation adjustment should be pretty closely the same as with using E tuning. The truss rod will call for correction anyway.

 

Hope this helps.

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Don't know about "tension" spec's, but I've always gone UP ONE guage,

for each 1/2 step down. I.E. if 9's were "normal" for concert E, I'd

go to 10's for Eb, and so on. But, that's just Me! Other's may/will

have other great advice, no doubt. [biggrin] Also, it depends (for me)

on scale length. My little 3/4 scale Ric 325 has 11's, as "normal" at

Concert E. Anything lighter, feels like wet speghetti![tongue][biggrin]

 

CB

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Don't know about "tension" spec's, but I've always gone up ONE guage,

for each 1/2 step down. I.E. if 9's were "normal" for concert E, I'd

go to 10's for Eb, and so on. But, that's just Me! Other's may/will

have other great advice, no doubt. [biggrin]

 

CB

According to the string formula for fundamentals:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrating_string#Frequency_of_the_wave

tension follows the square of the frequency, the square of the scale length, and the string mass. Since the density of the string steels is very similar, and virtually identical for plains and cores of the the wounds, the diameter of the plains can be used squared, too.

 

Half a note up or down will multiply or divide the tension by circa 1.1225. For the string diameters being linear dimensions of a square, the factor or divisor will therefore be the square root of it which is approximately 1.0595.

 

E. g. 11/1.0595 = 10.38, so a .011" string at E1 flat will have the tension of a fictive .01038" string at E1.

 

You see, calculating with plains is easy when scale and string materials remain unchanged.

 

Calculating with dimensions of wounds is a bit different and rather laborious. In case of a hex core wire, one will have to know a formula for the area of a regular hexagon applying to the use for the reading of the outer size over the parallel sides. I found it nowhere and had to derive it myself via trigonometry. Then one will have to calculate the effective mass of the wound wire after finding out effective diameter and volume ratio along the string. Complicated, but it works... [scared]

 

I recommend using regular string sets and leave those weird calculations on wounds alone. Not many people may find them as funny and amusing as I do... [biggrin]

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Hi, I also tune my SG to Eb & have found the best string gauge for me is 11-49 (I use D'addario EXL115)

The tension feels the same as if I were using 10-46 in standard tuning. Nothing gets too rubbery & they feel the right balance of tension & thickness.

I use 10-52's on my Strat tuned to Eb - which feels OK - although a little thick/heavy on the low E string.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Tuning half a note flat will decrease string tension to about 89%. The "effective" gauges for playing feel will be .00944 - .04908 in case of using .010 - .052. When switching to, let's say, .010 - .046, there would result a .00944 - .04342 feel.

 

In case you stay with the gauges, intonation adjustment should be pretty closely the same as with using E tuning. The truss rod will call for correction anyway.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[thumbup]

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