Help: Standard C# Tuning String Issue (dull sounding 3rd String)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anxiety Serum
  • Start date Start date
Thanks for this. For YEARS now, most of my guitars in most tunings have all felt like the "G" string was dead and it's driven me nuts!
 
Anxiety Serum said:
It's not a little loose?

Are they Gibson scale?
Click to expand...

I also use 10-52’s for D/C# standard/drop-C, the tension is indeed a little loose, but I prefer it that way.

I went down a whole rabbit whole with string gauge/tone/tension starting with a bass when I was trying to tune a 5-string down a step, it then transferred over to my Strats. I was trying to find the right tension without dulling the tone of the strings and those paths stray further apart the thicker the string, IMO.

With one of my Strats, the tension was so loose with 10’s in standard and no neck relief that I tried 11’s and absolutely hated how they sounded. The tension was there but tonally, meh.

Overall, I had to find a happy crosspoint of tension/tone and ultimately ended up letting the tone take precedence and had to adjust my string attack as a result. I’m stupidly heavy handed and the lack of tension was causing me to bend and pick shit out of tune, but after working with it for a little bit and backing off hand pressure/pick attack I was able to find a happy medium and it’s been a good relief on my hands. Wylde/Yngwie vibrato for days, now!
 
GJgo said:
Thanks for this. For YEARS now, most of my guitars in most tunings have all felt like the "G" string was dead and it's driven me nuts!
Click to expand...
Glad I could fuck up my string choices and help someone else. :giggle:

I'm gonna take her back to my Luither and have him try a 20p and work from there. I'll try and update if that fixes it or if I make other changes.

I can feel the 56 are much tighter than my 52/10s in E Standard/Drop D. So I may want to try dave74s 54/11 idea.
dave74 said:
For me C# on a short-scale would be 11, 14, 22w, 32, 42, 54
Click to expand...
 
Anxiety Serum said:
I'm gonna take her back to my Luither and have him try a 20p and work from there. I'll try and update if that fixes it or if I make other changes.
Click to expand...
Just changing from 24p to 20p made a world of difference. Is it the most vibrant string on the guitar? No. But definitely workable. The luthier said he tried an 18p but it was real buzzy.
 
I’ve always used a 20p for C#. Never had an issue. Can’t stand a wound G. Usually for C# would do a 12-52/53 with the plain G. Don’t care for >53 on the low E (Gibson scale) as you lose attack and bite on palm mutes and false harmonics etc. plus 12-53 sets up perfectly, with no neck adjustment required, when I change from 10’s at A440. Intonation just needs a little tweak.
I know you’re having a luthier involved but are they really getting the nut and bridge slots right for the gauge, which could be giving you such a glaring difference?
 
skoora said:
I know you’re having a luthier involved but are they really getting the nut and bridge slots right for the gauge, which could be giving you such a glaring difference?
Click to expand...
I hope so but not sure.
 
Most people (not all) who hate a wound 3rd have never used a small wound 3rd, because most if not all sets that come with a wound 3rd have a retardedly gauge for it. Try an 18w, 20w, or 22w in place of a large plain and see what you think.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top