5 string player question, String gauge on C string?

[PhilD]

What gauge wound string are you using for your C, and why?
Many thanks.

[Tom Wright]

I use .056, the largest gauge available from Ernie Ball for their stainless-steel wound.
Others are .040, .024, .014, .010.

[Ed Goist]

JBovier uses a .050 on the EMC & ELS 5s. Gauges E -> C are .010 - .015 - .025 - .039 - .050

[rico mando]

there are many that work but its a matter of taste the heavier the gadge the more tension but the thicker the string is for feel . i have been using the normal set from emando.com it has a .050 for the C . i have been fairly happy with these

[mandroid]

Standard mandolin scale, 13 7/8"? .050 is good.. longer scale? would lighten the gage a skosh.

Winding is about mass , core wire is where tension changes.

[WRANGLERTBONE]

On this subject, where is the best place to find these for sale, and is there any source where you can buy the strings singly to create the set you want,or to ad a C string to a standard set?

[Tom Wright]

I've been using JustStrings, but our sponsor Strings and Beyond would be a source. I like stainless steel wound for the heavy strings, Ernie Ball makes them in ball end.

[Ed Goist]

FYI, emando.com sells standard, custom (exactly what you're asking about), and flatwound 5-string sets. NFI

[mandroid]

Ball Busting guitar strings work after you crush and remove the brass ball.

[MixSon]

Good Morning PhilD and all. I just posted a link in this forum to a gauge and tension calculator. You can take the gauges from the suggestions above and discover relative tensions string-to-string. It's an interesting thing to do, and sometimes surprising. The calculators might also help come up with alternatives, in case you want to experiment.
Best of luck.

[Don Stiernberg]

10-14-24-38-50

i like to be able to bend the A or E, but none of the others. The 50 C seems to yield a tone that's in balance with the top strings with no floppiness or intonation problems

[5-stringer]

I'm using 10-13-26-36-52, with a 350mm scale. I can bend like 1 tone on E string, 1 and a half on the D string and 2 tones on the A string...the other 2 strings are "bendable" too, like 1 tone.

Your playing is awesome, Don!
All the best, Marcos.

www.youtube.com/user/mmdeva
www.myspace.com/marcosmoletta