Forum: music.stackexchange.com
Tags: <electric-guitar><strings>
Title: What are the optimal string gauges for drop C tuning on electric guitar?
Question: What are the optimal gauges of strings for Drop C tuning (C G C F A D) for electric guitar? Since this involves lowering the pitch of all the strings, heavier string gauges would be helpful; I need to to know how to select the proper ones.

Answers:
sents: text: It all depends on which gauge string you are playing in standard tuning.
text: Think of each half-step of down tuning a gauge.
text: For example, I play in standard with 10 gauge string set.
text: If I drop down to e flat, 1 half step, they will feel like 9 gauge, so I use a 11 gauge set for my guitar
text: I have set up for e flat tuning.
text: For 2 whole step (C tuning), I would pick 14 gauge, as it will feel like 10 gauge but in drop C tuning (down 2 whole steps).
text: Most stuff is in C tuning with the low string dropped down another step, like Drop D but down 2 whole steps.
text: This keeps the guitar string tension close to what you are used to, as there is nothing worse than playing with 10 gauges, then all of a sudden dropping it down a step and boom...
text: you feel like it's rubber bands (8 gauges).
text: If you are going to always be playing with the low string dropped more than the others, like Drop B flat, you may want to get the low string in the next heavier gauge.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/5593/RectifiedGTRz
score: 12
sents: text: When I discovered Open F (C F C F A C), I hunted for strings until I found a set called George Benson Signature from Thomastik.
text: I use the flats (.014 .018 .021w .031
text: .041
text: .055), but they have roundwounds, too.
text: 14s are the biggest strings I've found that are still packaged as a regular set; beyond that, you're in custom-set experimentation land.
text: You'll need a BIG string for that low C: probably a .053 or even .055.
text: But you can go a little lighter on top, if you want (14 is pretty extreme for D, I think).
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/1344/luser droog
score: 4
sents: text: I used slinky strings called not even slinky.
text: Those are what I used when I dropped tuned my guitar to that level
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/924/DimebagFan 
score: 3
sents: text: String manufacturers publish tables showing gauge/tension/pitch.
text: See:
text: How do I use string gauge tables?
text: First, decide what tension you want your strings to be at.
text: Do that by looking up the tension of your preferred strings at standard tuning.
text: Then, for each string, find the string gauge that gives the pitch you want at close to that tension.
text: Armed with that information, you can either: Just buy the strings
text: individually Find a pre-packaged set that's close enough
text: Find a pre-packaged set that you can augment with individual strings
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/1252/slim
score: 3
sents: text: Ive played, drop C and standard C for years and 11 to 50 or 52 is plenty good.
text: You don't want to tight to loose the break up but not too loose to where it sounds muddy.
text: 11s are the way to go bro.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/9283/Nozzmo
score: 1
sents: text: I'd like to notice that all dropped tunings require the last string to be thick enough.
text: This is important because string manufacturers usually don't consider the last string to be dropped, so its tension is likely to be insufficient.
text: Personally, I'd prefer 11-56 or 58 for Drop C. Also, you can use string tension applet to get some solid numbers and to find out how string gauges and tuning affect the tension.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/3551/Max Malysh
score: 1
sents: text: Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky are the way for C,perfect.
text: A geezer recomended em to me and there the best strings Ive ever had,wish they did acoustic version.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/24473/john barret
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
The optimal string gauges recommended for drop C tuning on an electric guitar are 11-56 and 58. Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky are recommended too. Moreover, string manufacturers publish tables showing gauge/tension/pitch.
The answer to this question will depend on what gauge strings you use for normal tuning. However, for the low C string, you may want to consider between a .053 and .058 string, and Ernie Ball Not-Even Slinky or Beefy Slinky might be suitable. Additionally, there are tools available to help you work out the most appropriate gauge for different tunings.