String Tension Super Thread (Got a string question? Post it here!)

[Self Bias]

What is your scale length?

[theblackratss]

25.5

[Self Bias]

Go 74-60-48-36-24w-18-13. I go 72-58-46-36-24w-17-12 for F# and it sounds/plays well. You could try that for F standard but it may be a touch slack.

[theblackratss]

Ok, cheers.

Will i need to adjust the truss rod to compensate for the tension?

[Self Bias]

Possibly. I shoot for .010" neck relief. To be honest F is really pushing the limits for a standard scale guitar. Having said that, I have one in dropped D an octave down- that's an 80-haha.A little muddy.

[theblackratss]

Well i'm only having it in this tuning until i have learned a few songs and messed around with it for a while, maybe a few months.

If i really like it i will save for an 8 string

[Rook]

Shouldn't be too bad tbh, I'd use your standard 7 string set, obviously don't use the top e, and put another string below thats about 0.010 to 0.012 bigger than your usual 7th string (in my case, .052, so I'd use a 0.064) and if you get the gauge about right you shouldn't have to adjust the truss rod because you're not actually putting any extra tension on the neck.

[Eric Christian]

If you get a 070 be mindful that only the first tapered portion will go into the tuning peg so you'll need to clip off the ball end short to wind it properly.

[Peteus]

I guess most people don't use massive strings however if you like it to feel tight an 80 for a F# on a 28.645" (Agile most common 8 scale length) is really not that tight feeling!

[theblackratss]

Originally Posted by Eric Christian

If you get a 070 be mindful that only the first tapered portion will go into the tuning peg so you'll need to clip off the ball end short to wind it properly.

It's a fixed bridge guitar..... The ball end will be at the back near the bridge. My local music store usually does decent gauge sttrings and i'm gonna take my guitar in while im buying to make sure they fit ok.

[5656130]

Hey im new hows it going anyways

I was wondering what a good string gauge would be for the damien 8 string for the first six string id like a 10-46 but after that im lost as to what the gauges should be on the b and f#Ill just keep it in the standard tuning

[iddqd]

Hi folks,

i want to put thicker strings on my schecter 7-string. The nut seems to fit exactly the original string gauge, so i wonder if there's something to consider first.

Any info is appreciated!

[Self Bias]

These 7 to 8 tuning ?s are surprisingly common. Funny how people come to the same conclusions independently. It was my idea dammit- haha. I haven't seen any of these string guage graphs, but from personal experience, going much thicker than a 72 or 74 can make it difficult to have an articulate response that one would normally associate with a guitar, at least for palm muted stuff. That lets me go to F# fairly easily, and F is just a little slack. But that's me. On a 25.5"er. An 80 @ E or lower sounds straight up twisted, but I don't use it for technical stuff. That's more of a doom-hippy thing.
FYI a 72 @ F# on 25.5 = 72 @ E,D, or Z on an appropriately lengthy scale. I don't know offhandedly how much longer a baritone guitar would have to be to have that fret that would take the place of the nut on a standard ax, but I do know the the open string would be a half step lower.

[thisjanuary]

Okay so I've done some experimenting with tunings and gauges for the RGA8 I've had for about five months now. Decided to settle into the Tosin EBEADGBe stable.

Wondering what's ideal (not too flappy) for that sort of tuning on a 27". I can't remember what the stock strings on the RGA8 were, alas. I've currently got a 52-10 set with an additional low 58 and 66.. but that's tuned to Drop C# with a low G# and a lower D# below that.

[Ishan]

I'd go 9/42 + 56 + 85. It gives relatively even tensions and works perfectly for me.

Edit : You can also try 10/46 + 60 + 90 for the same feel with more tension.

[Tree]

For standard tuning with a low E, and standard one half-step down I have been using 11-59 with a 72 for the low string, and it works perfectly for me. The 72 is a wee bit slack when compared to the other strings, but meh

[Barney]

I tune to EBEADGHE also and use this set:
9-42 for the regular 6, a 54 for the 7th and a 74 for the 8th.
I don't do any massive chugging, these sound fine to me and bending is also possible.
(Although I don't bend really often.)
The string tension is somewhere between a 9 set and 10 set on a 25.5 scale guitar.
(the regular 6)

[Vinnydude]

You tune your 2nd string to an H???!!!

Thats incredible!!!

[Barney]

LOL, Sorry. That's the ....ed up european name for B... everywhere in Europe where german music/teaching had influence B is called H and Bb is called B ... nonsense.
Not to mention that all the different altered notes have their own names.
English it better: A B C D E F G + sharps and flats. Thats it.
Oh! You will not believe this! Let's say: F## - that bastard has its own name too!
Complete BS!

So: EBEADGBE !!!!

[thisjanuary]

Okay I ordered a bevy of strings. I'm going to give a 9/42 set + 56 a go, but 85's a little too much for me (and probably for my tuners), so I've ordered a couple of 72s and a couple of 74s to try in there, if the E's too flappy I'll bring it back to F# and try thicker next time

[Vinnydude]

Originally Posted by Barney

LOL, Sorry. That's the ....ed up european name for B... everywhere in Europe where german music/teaching had influence B is called H and Bb is called B ... nonsense.
Not to mention that all the different altered notes have their own names.
English it better: A B C D E F G + sharps and flats. Thats it.
Oh! You will not believe this! Let's say: F## - that bastard has its own name too!
Complete BS!

So: EBEADGBE !!!!

Holy shit, and i just thought it was a typo!!!

I'm so going to screw with peoples heads over that one! :P

[iddqd]

Originally Posted by Barney

LOL, Sorry. That's the ....ed up european name for B... everywhere in Europe where german music/teaching had influence B is called H and Bb is called B ... nonsense.!

Indeed. As far as i know this is caused by bad handwriting, where a guy wrote the 'b' like an 'h'.
It took me some years to recognize it's a-b-c-d-e-f-g. That was really an eye-opener :-)

[-One-]

I intend to purchase my first 8-string soon. I play in a djenty progressive grindcore band, in AEADGBE tuning. We want to start playing in DAEADGBE (as in D1AEADGBE). I intend to purchase an Agile semi-custom once the CS reopens, and I don't know what scale length to order. My current guitar is a 25.5" scale, and it sounds slightly muddy on the low A (but only slightly), so I'm worried about how a short scale 8-string would sound. What scale/string gauge would be optimal for that tuning, assuming I'm using a Kahler flatmount bridge?

[EtherealEntity]

30". Seriously. I wouldn't consider anything else, even for a low E.

Suggestions of gauges...
My preferences on a 25.5 7 string in drop A are a 10-48 and a 64.

If I were to get a 30" and tune it like you, I'd use a set of 009s or 0085s (difference between 8.5 and 8 gauge is quite significant).
For the A I'd use a 56, and an 80 for the low D.

Nice tuning choice, by the way.

EDIT: I say 30" due to my current experiences and preferences. Just like you I find 25.5 not too good for a low A. I'm currently tuning to G# with a 70. I find the tension of that matches very well with a 11-49 set. However the tone is awful - but I am willing to sacrifice tone for playability at the moment. Cant stand how floppy anything lower than say a 66 is in this tuning.
I'd want similar tension on an 8th string without using too high a gauge (because it impairs tone). But even then, 80 is quite a high gauge. I'd really want a 32" or so for something like a low D.

[Sponge]

EtherealEntity is right. You need to go with the 30 inch scale. The 28.625 inch scale wont cut it.

I tune down to DGDGDGBE and find that even that .85 gauge strings have a bit of a dive. A .90 gauge handles the low D very well and has tight response, but you also need to thicken up on the other strings as well to balance out the tone and EQ.