Which gauge strings should I use for B standard?

Stringtheorist

Stringtheorist

Fractal Fanatic
My band wants to play a song in B standard tuning. I've never tuned a 6-string this low before. Should I get a set of baritone strings? What gauges should I be looking at?
 
That's not an easy question. What scale is your guitar? I use D'Addario EXL 110-7 (010-059) for my Music Man JP12 7 (25.5" scale) for Standard B. The string tension will be significantly lower if your guitar is shorter and vice versa. You also might encounter other problems when tuning down and using thicker strings: The strings may not sit correctly in the nut or may not even fit through the tuners.
 
I play with 11-54 in standard E tuning on my Les Paul and Strat scale guitars. If I tuned down to low B, it would probably feel like I was using a set of .008's on my guitars, but they still fit the nut. These string packs are advertised as being suited for drop C#. Yes, B-standard is a lot lower overall, but I think they could still be usable - and again - still fit in the nut, etc....
 
Depends on scale length/personal preference. I'm usually in C#, but occasionally go down to drop B with a .60. Stay's pretty tight as long as I don't get too crazy, and that's on a Les Paul.
 
rodzimguitar68 said:
I play with 11-54 in standard E tuning on my Les Paul and Strat scale guitars.
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That's very heavy ... but as long as it works out for you and your guitar, it's fine, of course. :)
 
sometimes I wince and cry for my mommy (especially if I cover an 80's tune with string bending that was probably done on 9's. But for the most part, this works for me.
 
There will have to be adjustments made to your guitar though. The neck may have to be relieved when you go more than one note down. I had a special guitar setup with 12 gauge strings for C tuning. I second the suggestion above to get the 7 string set and use the first 6.
 
For standard B I'd go at least with 0.13 or 0.14 to get the same tension of 0.09 in standard tuning.
 
GiRa said:
For standard B I'd go at least with 0.13 or 0.14 to get the same tension of 0.09 in standard tuning.
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If you use a generic 010-046 gauge for standard E, the gauges each string are like following: E 046/A 036/d 026/g 017/b 013/e' 010.
If you use, like GiRa reasonably suggested, 013-056 for standard B, it looks like following: B, 056/E 046/A 036/d 026/f# 017/b 013. In other words, every string would have the same gauge as before apart from the f# (which was a g before) and the additional low B-string.
 
Stillbruch said:
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If you use a generic 010-046 gauge for standard E, the gauges each string are like following: E 046/A 036/d 026/g 017/b 013/e' 010.
If you use, like GiRa reasonably suggested, 013-056 for standard B, it looks like following: B, 056/E 046/A 036/d 026/f# 017/b 013. In other words, every string would have the same gauge as before apart from the f# (which was a g before) and the additional low B-string.
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Great point. You will get the same tension you had with a set of 10's tuned to standard E, but be tuned down to low B.
 
Beyond nut issues - do you guys have bridge issues with the saddles not being able to go back far enough to intonate the guitar with these super low tunings on 24.75 or 25.5 scale guitars? Or do the much heavier strings take care of that?
 
The heavier strings compensate. Intonation is a fickle thing. All depends on the tension of the string, the gauge, even the height of your bridge/saddles, as well as truss rod adjustment.
 
It is kind of hard to give a general recommendation. I suggest you buy a couple of different sets of strings and try them out. What you need is definitely patience and time. Especially setting up guitars with floating bridges is a time-consuming process.

Japster said:
What about for playing in C Standard ?
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I personally wouldn't go lighter than about 012-054 on a 25.5" scale.
 
Really, your only concern is the low B. For E through the high B string just use whatever guages you're currently using.

So far, I've tried a 56,58, and 59 for low B strings. I prefer the 59, and that's on a 26.5" scale. It really depends on what type of music you're playing, though. If you plan on doing very fast, intricate metal riffing more tension is generally better. A lot of guys that play that kind of stuff go for guages anywhere from 60-68 for a low B. To me, there's a tradeoff. You can pick faster with more tension but as the diameter gets larger you lose a little bit of what you just gained simply because the string is physically larger. The 59 on my 26.5" is just barely tight enough for my style of playing. I may try something like a 62 next.
 
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