Interest in mixing strings sets with off-guage strings has come up recently in a couple of other threads. To my knowledge, the most informative post on the subject is from our BBer 12-string which I have reproduced below. These are the links to the original thread and post: Original text at bottom of page 5 and Top of the thread ... pics of 12-String's 12 string guitars :shock: :shock: :shock: Anyway, I though the post pretty much set the bar on the subject ... personally I'm giving up the pole vault ... impressive stuff.
"I love having guitars of different make, size, body shape, and wood combination and I also love having a variety of different string set-ups as well. I keep a dealer's inventory of single string guages an custom blend my own sets. I bought "starter kits" which got me the same boxes you see in the music stores. Very handy. I buy replacements in bulk as needed. It's expensive to start with but cheaper in the long run.
I'll start with the set I use for standard pitch. some people prefer to tune this set a M2 or 2 frets low to reduce stress on the guitar and/or for ease of playing, and that's fine; this methodology works for all.
--E---------------B------------------G----------------D--------------------A-------------------E
.010------------.014--------------.023-------------.030-----------------.039---------------.047
.010------------.014--------------.008-------------.012-----------------.020w-------------.027
The .020w isn't standard in commercial sets, but it greatly improves the sound of the guitar. Some of them break but it's still worth it.
Now let's figure out a set for a very low Lead Belly range. The strings for the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th courses come directly from the set above, shifted to the next higher position. We can extrapolate guages strings for the 2nd and 6th courses and her's what we come up with:
--B-----------------F#---------------D-----------------A----------------------E-----------------B
.014-------------.018-------------.030--------------.039------------------.047--------------.058
.014-------------.018-------------.012--------------.020w----------------.027--------------.036
This sets the parameters for any tuning in between. For a less extreme low tuning try to split the difference proportionally. A set for 2 frets low might look like this (lighter guage players might try this at a M3 or 4 frets low, C, G, Eb, Bb, F, C):
---D----------------A----------------F-------------------C--------------------G--------------------D
.012--------------.016------------.025---------------.032-----------------.042-----------------.050
.012--------------.016------------.010---------------.014-----------------.022-----------------.030
If I want to make a set to stay in dropped D tuning for the life of the set I beef up the 6th course a little. Beefing up the 5th and 1st courses as well makes a good open G set. Similarly, you can microadjust to any specialized tuning you want. Right now one of my little Gibsons is strung from .008-.044 and tuned a m3 or 3 frets high. I have constructed a chart of string set guages for standard, and each of 1-5 frets low. When I want to try a really oddball set like the high one above, I figure out what note names I need, find as many as I can on my chart, and extrapolate the rest.
I often increase choral effect in the treble by mismatching strrings, using a .011 and a .013 instead of two .012s, for example.
Hope this makes sense,
' Strang"
"I love having guitars of different make, size, body shape, and wood combination and I also love having a variety of different string set-ups as well. I keep a dealer's inventory of single string guages an custom blend my own sets. I bought "starter kits" which got me the same boxes you see in the music stores. Very handy. I buy replacements in bulk as needed. It's expensive to start with but cheaper in the long run.
I'll start with the set I use for standard pitch. some people prefer to tune this set a M2 or 2 frets low to reduce stress on the guitar and/or for ease of playing, and that's fine; this methodology works for all.
--E---------------B------------------G----------------D--------------------A-------------------E
.010------------.014--------------.023-------------.030-----------------.039---------------.047
.010------------.014--------------.008-------------.012-----------------.020w-------------.027
The .020w isn't standard in commercial sets, but it greatly improves the sound of the guitar. Some of them break but it's still worth it.
Now let's figure out a set for a very low Lead Belly range. The strings for the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th courses come directly from the set above, shifted to the next higher position. We can extrapolate guages strings for the 2nd and 6th courses and her's what we come up with:
--B-----------------F#---------------D-----------------A----------------------E-----------------B
.014-------------.018-------------.030--------------.039------------------.047--------------.058
.014-------------.018-------------.012--------------.020w----------------.027--------------.036
This sets the parameters for any tuning in between. For a less extreme low tuning try to split the difference proportionally. A set for 2 frets low might look like this (lighter guage players might try this at a M3 or 4 frets low, C, G, Eb, Bb, F, C):
---D----------------A----------------F-------------------C--------------------G--------------------D
.012--------------.016------------.025---------------.032-----------------.042-----------------.050
.012--------------.016------------.010---------------.014-----------------.022-----------------.030
If I want to make a set to stay in dropped D tuning for the life of the set I beef up the 6th course a little. Beefing up the 5th and 1st courses as well makes a good open G set. Similarly, you can microadjust to any specialized tuning you want. Right now one of my little Gibsons is strung from .008-.044 and tuned a m3 or 3 frets high. I have constructed a chart of string set guages for standard, and each of 1-5 frets low. When I want to try a really oddball set like the high one above, I figure out what note names I need, find as many as I can on my chart, and extrapolate the rest.
I often increase choral effect in the treble by mismatching strrings, using a .011 and a .013 instead of two .012s, for example.
Hope this makes sense,
' Strang"