# Good string gauge for low E on 8 string



## Arcanerain (Nov 5, 2012)

I very often tune my 8th string down to and E to play in drop E (EBEADGBE) and on rare occasions drop D (DADGCFAD) but in both of these tunings it is really floppy. I tend to play in drop E a lot more than drop D and i currently use an ernie ball 74 string on the 8th. I've also read on some other threads that thicker strings have greater tensions and i've tried looking at the gauge calculator thing and i got really confused. Can anyone suggest any gauges that would be suitable for playing in Drop E?


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## MaxOfMetal (Nov 5, 2012)

What scale is the guitar you'll be playing? What gauge of strings are you using now, and in what tuning? Do like the tension on the strings other than the 8th?


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## Arcanerain (Nov 5, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> What scale is the guitar you'll be playing? What gauge of strings are you using now, and in what tuning? Do like the tension on the strings other than the 8th?




Its a 26.5" scale, I'm using a set of ernie ball 8 string slinky (.10 -.74). The first 7 strings are fine but the 8th seems too loose. I play in drop E (EBEADGBE).


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## MaxOfMetal (Nov 5, 2012)

If that's the case it seems like you'd want something between 18 and 20 pounds of tension on your lowest string. Look at something upwards of .085", the thicker you go the more fundamental and less overtones so it'll start sounding more like a bass than a guitar. You might have to compromise on tension a little to get the tone you want, or vice versa. 

While I'm not typically an advocate for super long scales, I think when tuning that low something longer would be more ideal to keep the guitar-like tone, if that's your goal.


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## stigmatodiaboli (Nov 9, 2012)

man its hard to get good string tension on those 26" scale schecters. i had one, loved the quality of the guitar, but that low end kept me from really enjoying it like i should. traded it for a agile intrepid 828 and haven't looked back! i have a 27" scale and a 28" scale, both with .80 gauge strings and it sounds perfect.


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## Rook (Nov 9, 2012)

I use a circle k 90 for that, it sounds just fine. They're quite reasonably priced too, give them a go perhaps.


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## Go To Bed Jessica (Nov 9, 2012)

Rook said:


> I use a circle k 90 for that, it sounds just fine. They're quite reasonably priced too, give them a go perhaps.



What is the rest of the set that you use to go with the 90? I have been thinking about giving the Circle K stuff a shot. Currently using the ZOG 8 string drop E set (also on a 26.5" Schecter), but I'm starting to wonder if I actually want something a bit lighter.


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## alexdulac (Nov 9, 2012)

I'm also in the same boat, just bought a Schecter Damien Elite 8, love it. But im tuning to EADGCFAD (down a step), and the E is just too loose.

Thinking of going for a custom set: 0.080, 0.062, 0.054, 0.042, 0.030, 0.017, 0.013, 0.011 but not sure, any advise??


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## Rook (Nov 10, 2012)

It's essentially a set of 10's, a 61 and then the 90. All from Circle K.


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## MF_Kitten (Nov 10, 2012)

I know i say this a lot, but try Circle K strings for that. Seriously. I used D'addario strings for my low tuned instruments for a long time, and i was never really satisfied with the low E or low D. I tried everything from a .75 to a .85, and none of it would have a good tone at all. The bigger the duller. But then Circle K strings said to try a set with one of their .86 strings on the bottom. I was skeptical as hell, because that's even bigger than the shittiest D'Addario gauge i had tried. But holy SHIT did it ever work! clear and bright with lots of bite! And the tension is perfect, and it acts like a guitar string, instead of a stiff heavy bass string!

It's not that D'Addario strings are bad, they just aren't made to do that kind of thing. It's not as simple as "make string bigger!". CK Strings are made with this kind of thing in mind, and they do it perfectly!


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## alexdulac (Nov 10, 2012)

I'll give them a try, thanks guys! Should I go for the 0.085 or the 0.090?


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## Arcanerain (Nov 10, 2012)

stigmatodiaboli said:


> man its hard to get good string tension on those 26" scale schecters. i had one, loved the quality of the guitar, but that low end kept me from really enjoying it like i should. traded it for a agile intrepid 828 and haven't looked back! i have a 27" scale and a 28" scale, both with .80 gauge strings and it sounds perfect.



I'm thinking of buying an RGA8 in a couple of months mainly because of the longer scale. 

Only thing I'd probably ask about that is whether the bridge would take the thicker strings?


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## cgraci (Nov 10, 2012)

alex. i been there man but u got it rough. you can try both its good to know what it feels like , but i guarantee that in the future u will wish the string was thin because its harder to chugg or even just to play a big string. Thats why they have extended scales. I would buy both and try both. try to consider an agile 27 or 28.625 they are dirt cheap


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## cgraci (Nov 10, 2012)

BTw my strings are 10-54 64 80 . Cheers man!


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## Wings of Obsidian (Nov 10, 2012)

Yeah man, I'm thinking about my new Schecter 26.5" C8 I just got, I want to drop it to Open-E actually. But I don't like what I'm getting from my D'addarios, and I've used D'addario for a long time, but I'm skeptical about switching.

Figured I'll give Circle K's a run. - By the way, for 26.5" a string running at 80 to 85 would be perfect. Anything above is too thick. Anyone says otherwise, they are just one of the tension-freaks patrolling on here......(face palm)


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## alexdulac (Nov 10, 2012)

think im gunna try an .080, i asked at the local guitar shop and they looked at me in disbelief haha! I just want to get some use out of it, rather than just chugging open notes, 8 string sweeping would be a dream, along with some nice avant guarde chords.

thanks for all the info guys, just been put off Zog strings as the guy that owns it seems like a psychopath . I'll get an order over to circle K this evening. shame its $17 postage to england though


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## cgraci (Nov 10, 2012)

LOL! tension freaks patrolling ! Thats hysterical! one guy was actual goona put something over .100 guage.


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## MF_Kitten (Nov 10, 2012)

i use a .86 tuned to a low D on my 30" scale guitar, and it's not "tight" in the "bass guitar" sense. It feels like a normal guitar.

I'd try the .86 for that tuning and scale length too probably. should be just right.


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## alexdulac (Nov 10, 2012)

sorry guys, one more quick question:
will i need to adjust truss rod, going from standard 8 string tuning to down one step and going from a 0.074 to a 0.080?


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## Go To Bed Jessica (Nov 10, 2012)

I might have been one of those tension freaks. 

The low E on the ZOG set is a *big* string. Probably somewhere around 100 if I had to guess. I like heavy strings with lots of tension, but I am starting to think it's too much even for me.

I think my next stop is going to be circle k. I had a play with a tension calculator last night and I think I'm going to try something around 90. Anything under that is going to be too loose for me.

You may find you'll need to do a bit of truss rod adjustment. Hard to tell until you've got the strings on there.


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## Backsnack (Aug 21, 2019)

MaxOfMetal said:


> If that's the case it seems like you'd want something between 18 and 20 pounds of tension on your lowest string. Look at something upwards of .085", the thicker you go the more fundamental and less overtones so it'll start sounding more like a bass than a guitar. You might have to compromise on tension a little to get the tone you want, or vice versa.
> 
> While I'm not typically an advocate for super long scales, I think when tuning that low something longer would be more ideal to keep the guitar-like tone, if that's your goal.





stigmatodiaboli said:


> man its hard to get good string tension on those 26" scale schecters. i had one, loved the quality of the guitar, but that low end kept me from really enjoying it like i should. traded it for a agile intrepid 828 and haven't looked back! i have a 27" scale and a 28" scale, both with .80 gauge strings and it sounds perfect.



Am I setting a record for a 7 year necrobump?

I figured I'd chime in with my experience about gauges on on my 8-string since I found this thread with a google search. I have one of those "cheap" Agiles, a multiscale 28.625 - 25.5." I got obsessed with the idea of having a progressive tension feel on a drop EA tuning, which made me end up with a 0.090 for the 8th string. The tension on that scale length felt good and tight, but the problem was I ended up with the problem stated by @MaxOfMetal . The 0.090 string sounded like a bass string and was way too boomy and loud, lacking the crisp attack of the higher notes (and smaller string gauges) on the guitar.

I got on the Stringjoy train a while back for my custom 8-string sets. Since I started buying from them, they also added a tension calculator that provides some different values than the usual D'Addario calculator that I had been using. They make their strings differently than their competitors, so you'll get a bit more tension for a given gauge of string.

The 6th - 8th string on my Agile from the factory came with: .040, .054, .074, for a standard B and F# tuning. I had changed that to .042, .064, .090. Now I've settled on .040, .060, and .080 for my drop EA tuning, returning the guitar closer to factory tension numbers with the lower tuning. The .080 sounds much better than the .090, much more like a guitar string, while providing a gradual tension rolloff from the previous two that's comfortable to play. So now my low E tension is around 16.7 lbs., which is enough. You can see Scott's explanation about tension rolloff in this video for some nerdy info.


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