“What strings should I use for my super-low tuning?” In the words of Chad Woods “ya gotta experiment and have fun!”.
Hopefully this guide will get you thinking about how to narrow down the details in choosing strings for your own personal needs.
A note on set-up:
At baritone obsessed (private FB group), we see a lot of people sharing problems with playability and performance with an emphasis on the strings. Two things are often at work.
1. The person is attempting to achieve extreme results with an inadequate scale length.
2. If the Scale is in the right zone, the instrument is not set up at all. Nut, action, straightness and fret level.
A note on Drop tuning
D down to A - strings 1 through 5 Are completely in standard range. It’s only once we go down to G that the rest of the guitar begins to need quite a bit more help if you want to keep the string gauge moderate.
What kind of feel do you like?
• XL 13 to 15 lbs
• L 15 to 17 lbs
• M 17 to 20 lbs
• H 20 to 25 lbs
What kind of tone do you like?
• Dead
• Dark
• Medium
• Bright
Round wound and chrome is dark
Nickel is in the middle
Stainless is bright
Hybrid material strings require experiment
Really heavy can be dark, dead and lack sustain
Light can be brighter but also lack sustain if below tension.
What level of skin oil do you have?
• Oily
• Average
• Dry
Carbon steel will corrode (dry skin only)
Nickel and Stainless will last a little longer (dry and average moisture skin)
Coated strings like Elixir and Cleartone will last longer (oily / sweaty skin)
How long is your guitar?
• 26.5”
• 27”
• 27.75”
• 28”
• 28.625”
• 29.625”
• 29.75”
• 30”
What is your tuning?
• Drop D or standard (recommended scale 24.75” / 26.5”)
• Drop C or standard or drop (recommended scale 25.5” / 26.5”)
• Drop B or standard or drop (recommended scale 26.5” / 27”)
• Drop A or standard or drop (recommended scale 27” / 27.75”)
• Drop G or standard or drop (recommended scale 28” / 28.625”)
• Drop F or standard or drop (recommended scale 28.625” / 29.75”)
• Drop Low E or standard or drop (recommended scale 29.75” / 30”)
VIDEOS REFERENCED
BARITONE STRINGS, 7 Brands Compared
https://youtu.be/rf9b2jWTzyI
Strings for Baritone Guitars (DON'T USE WHAT I USE)
https://youtu.be/lM_Y5-euUPc
Cheers!
The Bunn