Help! Drop A tuning String gauge

[masch]

Hi everyone,
I'm rather new to the forum and apologies if this has been posted/asked before but I haven't found anything using the search button so here goes:
My first problem is choosing the correct gauge for my BFR Petrucci 7string. I'm currently using Regular Slinkys and playing in Eb standard tuning but the tension just isn't right. I've thought about using the 11-58 set instead to make the tension a little bit more natural. I'd rather the strings felt tighter so as to detune every once in a while to Drop A. In addition, I'd love to make the guitar a stoptail since I hardly ever use the tremolo bar and would prefer my guitar to be more stable and in tune. What do you suggest?
Another issue I'm facing is the fact that the hole through which the string goes in the tuner on the guitar's headstock , doesn't allow the thicker strings (i.e 56, 58, 60) to go through easily. Is there a replacement for that tuner with one that has a wider opening or is there anything else I can do?
Thank you very much for any replies!

 

[TheShreddinHand]

Well, I was using a 62 for Drop A when I tried it and boy was that a tight squeeze to get through the tuning head. I don't think you can get anything bigger through unless you file the inside. For standard B I use a 56 and the 62 in A still feels a little looser than a 56 in B. If you want my honest opinion, I really feel like if you're serious about tuning down long term you may want to look at extended scale guitars, 26.5, 27. But that's what I like, you may differ.

-Eric

 

[sballow]

As for making the tremolo a stop tail piece, try using a treml-no. Here is a link to the website, you can see a video there. You could also simply block it with a small piece of wood. Also, the only 7 string guitar I have used with drop tuning is an Ibanez K7 with the 62 gauge string. If you could get a tuner from that guitar, it would surely fit the 62 easily. (Because it was designed for drop tuning.