Drop C setup. What strings/gauge, and how high the action?

[televisionary]

I have a Jackson DXMG(?), you know--the cheaper dinky looking thing with the EMG-HZ pickups...

 

Anyways, if I want this to be tuned to drop C, should I take the guitar to the shop and have him set it up? I'm guessing the intonation will be off.

[Space coyote]

do it yourself, all you need is a decent tuner,....... there is a book called "the guitar handbook" tells you pretty much anything you need to know about general guitar maintenence and set-up. No guitarist should be without it.

[televisionary]

Originally posted by Space coyote do it yourself, all you need is a decent tuner,....... there is a book called "the guitar handbook" tells you pretty much anything you need to know about general guitar maintenence and set-up. No guitarist should be without it.

 

Is the tuner on this 'decent' enough?

[tlbonehead]

Originally posted by televisionary I have a Jackson DXMG(?), you know--the cheaper dinky looking thing with the EMG-HZ pickups... Anyways, if I want this to be tuned to drop C, should I take the guitar to the shop and have him set it up? I'm guessing the intonation will be off.

You'll probably have to adjust the intonation and maybe the truss. Hard to say. I'd probably go with about 12-52 for that tuning,but everyone is different. Just start where you think you might want to be and go from there maybe changing all the strings or just a couple of them that aren't quite right to you.

[TheStoveMan]

That guitar is a 25.5" scale.. I personally use 10-46 if I'm doing drop C or just whole step down on that scale. I feel the tension is pretty close to standard tuning with 9-42 strings. In fact one of my sweetest guitars is now set up with 10-46 strings in drop C. It is quite nice, but I might go a half step up and keep the same gauge, I'm starting to like the idea of a somewhat tighter tension on the strings.

So hey, it might not be bad to use 11-52 or whatever gauge is next.

[tlbonehead]

Originally posted by TheSteveMan That guitar is a 25.5" scale.. I personally use 10-46 if I'm doing drop C or just whole step down on that scale. I feel the tension is pretty close to standard tuning with 9-42 strings. In fact one of my sweetest guitars is now set up with 10-46 strings in drop C. It is quite nice, but I might go a half step up and keep the same gauge, I'm starting to like the idea of a somewhat tighter tension on the strings. So hey, it might not be bad to use 11-52 or whatever gauge is next.

I use 11-44 for standard and a 48 on the bottom string for my dropped-D guitars.

[TheStoveMan]

Well I guess you like 'em way more tense than I do

I am starting to like it a tad more tense, so I'm probably going to tune up to drop D-flat and leave the 10-46s on there

[tlbonehead]

Originally posted by TheSteveMan Well I guess you like 'em way more tense than I do I am starting to like it a tad more tense, so I'm probably going to tune up to drop D-flat and leave the 10-46s on there

Actually,I mainly thicken up the high E so that my higher notes are fatter on my leads. It isn't that I like the tension of that size of high E.

[TheStoveMan]

That's actually why I am leaning toward going more tense... There's a bit more clarity. I was thinking more in terms of the low strings and rhythm though

[Mr. Bungle]

D'addario 10-52's are my favorite for Drop-C and D standard. But than again I like that little bit of slack in the strings for that elasticky chug sound.

[Pizza Combo]

Dean Markley .11-.52's work for me for dropped C

[ProfaneOath]

Well my band plays all our stuff in DGCFAD (1 whole step down on every note), which is just like Drop C, but without dropping the low string a whole step. and I found that upping the guage by 1 helped when I made the switch, just by keeping the tension similar and it helped it stay in tune better as well. I use D'addario's, the dark purple set, can't remember the guage exactly...

 

I'd just say go with a slightly heavier guage than whatever you are used to in standard tuning, and maybe a couple guages heavier on that low string, to keep it from ketting floppy.

[Corbin Thacker]

For drop c,and ( i have only been able to do this with a 25.5 neck 647.7mm neck) its best to go up just a size in strings but  ive been able to play in drop c with out a problem with just ur standard 46 to 10 ernie ball slinks by adjust my actions, saddle, and raise my pick ups 3.5 mm higher on both treb and bass end just enough to pull a clear freq playing in drop c. If youre familiar with ur intonation of ur guitar u know how high or low u can set without throwing it off.  Having an amp worth a damn is important. 

[Tim Kuhn]

I love the Mammoth Slinky's for this type of tuning. Especially with drop'd low C.