Baritone String Gauge?

Its all in the fingers, or is it?

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

Post Reply
User avatar
The Scarecrow
Dial Them Mids IN!
Posts: 3867
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 3:40 pm
Has liked: 202 times
Been liked: 243 times

Baritone String Gauge?

Post by The Scarecrow »

Best gauge for a baritone that's going to be tuned Drop A (A E A D F# B)?
Got a PRS baritone that's 27.7" that I've got a set of 11-49's lined up for, but wondering if these will suffice or I need to go up to 12's... suggestions?
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Al ... 895?ref=ts

Trade Me: The_Scarecrow

"Friends don't let friends scoop mids."

User avatar
dayl
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 5253
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:40 pm
Has liked: 446 times
Been liked: 384 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by dayl »

I used EB 7 String Regular Slinky and lose the E (its a 10 so will come in handy on another gat) Yea that s a 13 with a 56 for your A.

Personal preference of course but I wouldn't used less than a 52 on the bottom.

User avatar
blackstratblues
Gibson
Posts: 715
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:34 pm
Location: West Auckland
Has liked: 412 times
Been liked: 487 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by blackstratblues »

I put on a set of 13s with an unwound G from a set of 12s, that’s what stayed on my baritone for ages.

I wonder if you get a set of 13s with an unwound G?

Also string gauge is dependent on action and how hard your right hand hits the strings. If you play lightly with medium - high action you could get by with 11s, else you’d want something heavier

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by jeremyb »

What I have done in the past is use a string tension calculator and put in the specs of one of my normal guitars, e.g. 10-46 on 25.5” scale in standard, then up the scale to whatever and change the tuning to whatever and mess around with the gauges to get the same tension as I get on 25.5 :-)

You can usually get a set close enough to give a similar feeling this way :-)
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

Candeevr4
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1357
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2018 3:14 pm
Location: Wellywood
Has liked: 18 times
Been liked: 265 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by Candeevr4 »

Have a set of NYXL 11-56's, drop the 11 and add a single 70 for drop A on 27.7 -28". The stock strings for the PRS are 14-68 in B std.

Ive played a Chapman ML1 modern with the stock 12-60's and its waaaaay to slinky for me.

User avatar
The Scarecrow
Dial Them Mids IN!
Posts: 3867
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 3:40 pm
Has liked: 202 times
Been liked: 243 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by The Scarecrow »

blackstratblues wrote: Wed Aug 03, 2022 10:59 am I put on a set of 13s with an unwound G from a set of 12s, that’s what stayed on my baritone for ages.

I wonder if you get a set of 13s with an unwound G?

Also string gauge is dependent on action and how hard your right hand hits the strings. If you play lightly with medium - high action you could get by with 11s, else you’d want something heavier
Thanks, this is quite helpful. Suspect I need 12's or above, but I'm not a super-heavy hitter strumming-wise. Action on the guitar at present is way too low (she's a buzzy bee) so coming up a bit won't hurt.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Al ... 895?ref=ts

Trade Me: The_Scarecrow

"Friends don't let friends scoop mids."

User avatar
moliere
Squier
Posts: 315
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 12:13 am
Has liked: 79 times
Been liked: 37 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by moliere »

I have a PRS 27.7" Mushok? baritone, and it's got 14-68 I think. Good tension for rhythm stuff for me I reckon.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by jeremyb »

Guitar stuff has the light baritone 13-62 set, wound G which is an improvement I reckon!
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
The Scarecrow
Dial Them Mids IN!
Posts: 3867
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 3:40 pm
Has liked: 202 times
Been liked: 243 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by The Scarecrow »

moliere wrote: Wed Aug 03, 2022 1:20 pm I have a PRS 27.7" Mushok? baritone, and it's got 14-68 I think. Good tension for rhythm stuff for me I reckon.
That's the guitar in question i also have, and I'm mostly rhythm too, so this fits.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Al ... 895?ref=ts

Trade Me: The_Scarecrow

"Friends don't let friends scoop mids."

User avatar
Mosfet
Ashton
Ashton
Posts: 163
Joined: Sat Jul 27, 2019 3:46 pm
Has liked: 62 times
Been liked: 38 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by Mosfet »

I use the se 277 with stock gauge 14-68 in drop A. It’s sweet. Felt like a bass at first but everything else sounds thin now.

User avatar
sirvill
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 3166
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:54 pm
Location: Wellington
Has liked: 115 times
Been liked: 241 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by sirvill »

11-65s for me in Drop A on a 28"
Last edited by sirvill on Thu Aug 04, 2022 12:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Kris
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4087
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 1:52 pm
Location: Under a bridge,somewhere in chch.
Has liked: 124 times
Been liked: 386 times

Re: Baritone String Gauge?

Post by Kris »

its a hard question to answer as its so subjective. Standard question that seems to be asked in every gear group on fb...id check a tension calculator and base off that.

Post Reply