# Open C tuning String Gauge Question



## Jeremykeys (Aug 30, 2015)

Hi there everybody! Hope you've all had a great Easter. I spent my time with my family and now that they've all gone home, it's time to relax and play some guitar.
Having just watched some great guys finger picking in C tuning I had to wonder just what their string gauges might be? Now I'm not a strong finger picker and although it never hurts to learn, I tend to prefer a lighter set of strings on my Martin DX1AE. I use a set of 11's. I think it's 11 to 56 maybe. I'd have to look at my spare pack but that doesn't really matter because I'm more than will to change strings to accommodate the lower pitches of the strings in order to maintain close to the same tension on the neck. I'm not planning on tuning back up for a bit and if I do, well I'll just have to suck it up and swap strings again. 
My question is: Can anybody recommend what I should change up to?
I'm sure that somewhere this question has been addressed before but I couldn't seem to find what I was looking for.
Thanks in advance! 
All help is always greatly appreciated!

Jeremykeys. Keyboardist and sometimes guitarist.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)




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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

I found the video interesting in that it gives the principle : comfortable and effective string tension.

On my Guild F-30 acoustic on which light strings (0,012-0,054) are recommended,
I use medium 0,013-0,056 to detune in CGCGCD/CGDGCD and CGDGAD.

Another example I just learned is that the Martin Retro Monel medium set of the Laurence Juber subtype (MMLJ13 vs MM13) has thinner stings on mid strings 2-3-4 to maintain tension equilibrium between strings when you detune other strings in DADGAD (in standard tuning, you would loose tone on mids compared to other strings).


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

.013, .017, .024, .032, .045, .056


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## Jeremykeys (Aug 30, 2015)

This is great everyone! Thanks a bunch! Don't mind hearing from other people too. Just to hear what their experiences have been.
Thanks once again!


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

rollingdam said:


> .013, .017, .024, .032, .045, .056


"Slack Key" for Jeremykeys, no kidding ? 

Seriously, any indication about their use and how they sound ?


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

John Pearse strings sound great. The gauges in the above set are basically medium for strings 1,2 5 and 6. and light gauge for strings 3 and 4.

Most dropped tunings leave the D and G strings intact while the others are lowered.

Slack key refers to most Hawaiian tunings.


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## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

Drop C or open C? I think you can do open C with a conventional set no? You wont have a C in the bass, but still doable.

Drop C is pretty heavy stuff, lol.

C


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## Jeremykeys (Aug 30, 2015)

I'm definitely looking at tuning my guitar this way. From low to high: C-G-C-G-C-E. 
I know my high E string will be an 11 since that's what it is now. My G will be a 24 and I think my C will be a 14 although I can probably get away with a 15 like it is now. 
I'm using a Dean Markley PhosBronze strings. TLT-2064a set.
I'm thinking that the bottom strings will be 34, 46 and then a 58 for the lowest one. 
I'm totally fine with buying individual strings. I was just more curious about what anybody here was using if they are using an open C tuning.
I like experimenting and it won't cost that much to try and who knows. It may be fun! It is guitar after all!


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## 12 stringer (Jan 5, 2019)

knight_yyz said:


>


A metal head with a sense of ha ha... “Drop Fuckin Oblivion”? Now, there’s a tuning I’ve yet to try!


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

I'm trying to figure out why you want to do this. As a piano player myself, I know piano players that play every song in the key of C and transpose their electronic keyboard accordingly. This works fine on a piano but won't work on a guitar. One of them is known as One-Key-Lee. Be careful doing this, you don't want to be known as One-Key-Jeremy.


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## Jeremykeys (Aug 30, 2015)

Now that's funny! No need to ever worry about that. I play in all the keys. 
True story. One evening I was at a local pub with my wife to catch a friends new band. He asked if I'd to sit in with them and I said sure. The keyboard player wasn't happy about this and so just before I got up to play,he hit the transpose button.
I asked the band what key the song would be in and they said G. Right after the first note I _knew something was wrong. The keyboard _player had tried to mess me up. No such luck. I just played the song in B even though it played in G.
Here's a little something I recorded last year.:

__
https://soundcloud.com/https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fjeremykeys%2Freturn-from-the-darkness

As for why i want to try a new tuning. Why not? I'm always into learning new things and would love to have the extended range for a bit.
Even though this song has a B tuning, it's one of the reasons as to why I want to try this although I could never play like this guy.


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