Which strings to use for Drop C and how to change them?

Which gauge should i use for Drop C tuning on my guitar? and how do i change them on a flloyd rose. would i have to add an extra spring in the back??Which strings to use for Drop C and how to change them?
i prefer 12 gauge strings for drop c because in my opinion they got a good tension. or you could try light top heavy bottoms, there good for metal which your most likely playing if you wanna go to drop c. with those strings the bottom 3 (E,B,G) are pretty good to shred on but the top 3 (E,A,D) are still really good for heavy riffs. If you have active pickups (EMG's, Seymour Duncan Blackouts, or any others that you need to change the battery with) then i recommend Ernie ball strings (because they sound much better) but if you have passive pickups (the ones which usually have little like screw things on top) then use Ernie ball, D'Addario or elixir. i have been playing for 6 years and have tried 100's of different string gauges and brands. just try out a few until you find the one that you like



you don't need to add another spring..... because its the strings are lowered there looser even if there thicker you can just adjust the spirngs. i use 12's in drop c and i havnt added another spring. dont pay people to do it for you. just watch thease videos



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUu7FwBAUeg%26amp;feature=channel_page



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9_ghJJcWOA%26amp;feature=channel_page



trust me its better to learn now.Which strings to use for Drop C and how to change them?
funny...you didn't mention you knew how to change strings on a Floyd Rose?...hey wait a minute

original post

';and how do i change them on a floyd rose';

then you post this sh矛t!!

';i already now how to change strings on a FR';

what the hell is this sh矛t!?

Report Abuse

If you're not familiar with how to change string gauge on a floyd rose, I would leave it alone. Have a professional do it for you for a small fee. Not only is it hard to do so, but it is very tedious and takes some experience to get it perfectly.

But just for your information, yes you would most likely have to add a spring to add tension, since lowering your tuning loosens the string, thus relieves tension. You could compensate for this loss of tension by getting thicker strings, probably 10 gauge. 10 gauge strings at Drop C will feel similar to 9 gauge on standard E. Or if you're used to 10 gauage at standard E, you may want to go for 11 gauge Drop C. However, you need to counter balance that tension with a spring or two. It also depends on the placement of the spring - a spring positioned diagonally has a bit more tension than one that is positioned straight. And to top it off, you may have to mess with each string's tuning (not just the fine tuners on the bridge, I'm talking the tuners that you need to adjust with the star-shaped screws) to ensure that all the strings can stabilize. This process involves measuring the distance from the fret to the string and making sure each string is adjusted correctly.



So the bottom line is you don't want to mess with your floyd rose unless you know what you're doing. People really mess up their tremolo bridge trying to handle it themselves without much experience, and end up having to take it to the guitar tech anyways for professional set up. So if you really want to retune your guitar, save yourself a headache and take it to a tech.



One last piece of advice - it is a real pain to change strings, and even more of a pain to change tuning on a floyd rose, meaning that you should probably choose one tuning and stick to it one a floyd rose guitar. If you feel like this whole Drop C thing is just a temporary phase for you, I'd say keep it to where it's at right now. You're going to have to go through this all over again if you decide later that you want to tune it back up...
yeah i agree with dark...i have a floating floyd rose with locking nut and the farthest i'll ever tune down is a half/step to work on solos a little easier...this is far too complicated for the novice to go dancing around in...but after a few tries with someone looking over your shoulder...you will be a wiz at your own guitar..if set up right..you could probably have any gauge you want from .09's to these monsters

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/erbabasl

although i wouldn't play em...you could set them on a floyd rose properly..that guitar becomes your drop-c guitar and nothing else without resetting..most floyd rose bridges have a hex key set screw that holds the string in place and you usually have to cut the ball or stop off the string to use them with a floyd rose..really I'm sorry to say but you really should take it to a guitar shop technician for the first few times and get to know him...it won't be long till you can flip the guitar to what ever tuning you want within an hour or so..i say an hour because i find things need time to settle when major changes have occured on the guitar