# 8 String floyd Rose - Maximum String Gauge?



## Broken_Hyren (Jan 22, 2014)

So I'm very interested in getting either an Agile, or a Shecter C-8 FR.

I anticipate needing at least a .90 string (well, now that I think on it, a longer scale would mean a lower gauge string, and that I can live with as well. either way, this would be useful to know)

, and I'm wondering if the Floyd Rose 1000 8 string tremolo bridges can actually accommodate the higher gauge strings.

Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.


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## Broken_Hyren (Jan 23, 2014)

bumpppppp >_>!


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## ERGonomic (Jan 23, 2014)

id definitely get the c8 fr and dont go any heavier than stock


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## BrenMari (Jan 23, 2014)

Broken_Hyren said:


> and I'm wondering if the Floyd Rose 1000 8 string tremolo bridges can actually accommodate the higher gauge strings.



It might be able to, I haven't used heavier gauged strings on it (yet) but I believe it should (Don't quote me on it, I could be wrong) . Do get the C8FR. I own it and it has worked well for me. Tuning it is going to be a bitch though.


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## BrenMari (Jan 23, 2014)

And I just realised you actually commented on one of my posts...


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## Broken_Hyren (Jan 24, 2014)

I really do like the way it looks.

But only being able to go up to .74 is a bit disappointing. I love floyds but would that be able to handle Drop E? maybe? On a 28 scale it seems a bit more possible.

Think I could go up to .8 something?


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## Winspear (Jan 24, 2014)

I haven't used one but I'm fairly certain they can take heavier strings. I've seen posts about it and many many people aren't using the ridiculously light stock 74.
I think 90, at least 86, is necessary for E on 27"


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## schwiz (Jan 24, 2014)

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here, but you should definitely be able to get a .90 string on there. If you do, you need to setup the FR bridge to accomodate that. Because the FR bridge acts as one unit, and you put on heavier strings, that therefore increases the tension. So, in order to set up the bridge for heavier strings, you need to open up the back plate, and adjust the screws that mount the tremolo to the body. You will end up just have to "unscrew" them a few turns until the FR bridge is flattened out on the top side. Hopefully that made sense.


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## spectrrrrrre (Jan 24, 2014)

It is possible for the string tension to outweight the cap on the claw spring tension. Happened on my 7 when I installed a tremolno and lost the 5th spring, had to drop to lower gauges. However FU-Tone (Floyd Upgrades) sells heavy duty springs that have more tension than stock floyd springs, so worst comes to worst you could get a set of those if the strings are too tight.


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## Ron Head (Jan 24, 2014)

In my RG8 i have 4 springs , with a gauge of 010,013,017,026,036,046,062,074 ..
these are not stock strings and the brand i use are D'Addario's ..

i 'discovered' the drop-E tuning ( E-B-E-A-D-G-B-E ) while experimenting with this guitar , and the guitar and trem hold on very very well ! infact i didn't need to adjust the springs coming from F# to that drop E ..

the tone is still very thick yet tight ( might be the pups too heheh ) , but serious i am not in the need for thicker sets right now , with this RG8 modded ..

and since its Floyd , you don't need the endball thus makes it possible to fit any thicker strings anyway ..

i am waiting on my locking nut from Ibanez ; the 'original' Floyd nut in the tremeloset is about 1 - 1,5 mm to narrow , you can use that one , but it will narrow your stringspace ( to much than you're used to , at least on Ibanez guitars ) 

ok , some visual :


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## Broken_Hyren (Jan 24, 2014)

Dude. Ron. That is amazing.
What a badass guitar.


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## Ron Head (Jan 24, 2014)

Broken_Hyren said:


> Dude. Ron. That is amazing.
> What a badass guitar.


 
heh heh , there's more with this one underneath it's optical surface ; check this thread about the guitar :
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/lu...08-extreme-modding-rg8-rnhd-iii-nut-info.html

also , you might want to see the previous one ( with a Kahler ) :
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/extended-range-guitars/249585-rg8-rnhd-ii-extreme-mod.html

cheerrs !


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## trem licking (Jan 24, 2014)

^that mod is so killer! good work. i wish ibanez would make a lo pro 8 trem... that would be intense! although, i am hoping you wont have problems with the trem posts tilting forward over time in that basswood with all that extra string tension... but looks like that wouldn't really be a problem for you to repair being that you did such a good job getting that on there  i guess if they were to start putting 8 string trems on the 'nez's i would want at least mahogany just for the extra wood strength, or better yet swamp ash. i know that's a major shot in the dark though haha


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## Konfyouzd (Jan 25, 2014)

I'm using an 82...


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## Broken_Hyren (Jan 25, 2014)

Tyvm konfyouzd - but COULD you go higher? 
I plan on tuning as low as C on my 8th string, and I'm wondering if a 28 scale would be enough for this. I don't mind buying an Agile and going for a 28.625 scale if necessary.

I'll look into using a tension calculator to figure out EXACTLY what I'll need

i see your posts quite often so I figure that you'd be a good person to ask about this.


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## sevenstringj (Jan 25, 2014)

Broken_Hyren said:


> I plan on tuning as low as C on my 8th string.



Jesus H Christ. 

I'd just get a 7-string with a Floyd and/or a bass with Kahler or Hipshot trem.

If you need a guitar tuned that low, I'd go with a fanned fret 30-28.6" with Kahler multi-scale trem: http://www.rondomusic.com/pendulumcustomjune2014.html

I have a C-8 FR with an .080 on the bottom tuned to F#. According to the string tension calculator we use here, I'd need at least .120 for C. (Good news is La Bella makes one: http://www.labella.com/products/hrs-custom/ Bad news is I highly doubt it'd fit a Floyd. Though I wonder if you could clamp the inner winding, which would probably fit; similar to a tapered low-B on bass.)


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## Broken_Hyren (Jan 25, 2014)

sevenstringj said:


> Jesus H Christ.
> 
> I'd just get a 7-string with a Floyd and/or a bass with Kahler or Hipshot trem.
> 
> ...



So Kahler can fit these much higher gauge strings?
And I guess that it makes sense I'd have to go for 30' - Tyvm for the recommendation, I really may take you up on that and maybe you'll see a NGD some time!

My reasoning for this tuning has to do with Drop 3 times. It sounds actually pretty good on my 27' with incredibly floppy strings. It's Drop D, Drop G, Drop C. (Misha plays a drop F# for Ragnarok I think on a 7th string)


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## sevenstringj (Jan 26, 2014)

Broken_Hyren said:


> So Kahler can fit these much higher gauge strings?
> And I guess that it makes sense I'd have to go for 30' - Tyvm for the recommendation, I really may take you up on that and maybe you'll see a NGD some time!
> 
> My reasoning for this tuning has to do with Drop 3 times. It sounds actually pretty good on my 27' with incredibly floppy strings. It's Drop D, Drop G, Drop C. (Misha plays a drop F# for Ragnarok I think on a 7th string)



Hmm, Kahler's extra wide string hook only accommodates up to .090. (Actually less, since the ball end is thicker.) Though I'm sure you could drill it out to at least .100. I once drilled their regular string hook to accept a .059. No big deal. In fact, you can tell by the exposed brass on the extra-wide one that it's just a drilled-out regular one.


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## geeman8 (Jan 26, 2014)

If the full size of whatever gauge string does not fit into the Floyd, you could always turn the string around and use the part of the string that tapers off at the end. Just clip it to where only the tapered part is clamped in and the rest is the full size of the string. This type of thing is done on bass guitars all the time...just that the strings are designed to where it works without flipping the string around. I just figure you're going to cut off some at each end of the string anyway. I did this on my old RG7620 with an 82 gauge with no issues.


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## Ben.Last (Jan 27, 2014)

EtherealEntity said:


> I think 90, at least 86, is necessary for E on 27"



No.


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## Winspear (Jan 27, 2014)

Ben.Last said:


> No.



_"I think_"

For the info, a 90 on 27" in E is only the same tension as a 46 E on 25.5. Or a 62 B, etc.
I think it's pretty safe for me to use that as a standard recommendation  Yes plenty of people are used to playing the 38 E equivalent flop that comes in stock 8 sets but I'm not going to recommend that, especially when the thread starter already identified that those strings are far too loose!
I'm not a heavy string whacko and if I was I wouldn't use my tastes as base suggestions to others haha. 
I get where you're coming from, the number on paper can sounds nuts if you're new to it. I used to tune to drop A with the stock sets 56 gauge etc...Can't understand how looking back. Try balanced tension some time - it makes the instrument feel and sound like a whole 8 again rather than 7+1 weird string.


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## Ben.Last (Jan 27, 2014)

Your "at least" modifies your "I think" to read as though you're saying that .090 is your opinion, but .086 is the objective minimum.

I simply disagree. I use a .075 for drop E on my 27" 8s, they're not floppy at all, and they certainly don't feel out of place with the rest of the strings (I've used .074, but that was just that little bit off). In fact, I'm using the DR 8 string sets; they have one with a heavier gauge for everything and I didn't really like it as much. Now, given, I'm not using trems, so I guess that may through a wrench in the works, but I doubt it.

Of course, that's just my opinion, and my response had more to do with your wording than feeling like your opinion was nuts or anything.


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## Winspear (Jan 27, 2014)

In full I meant:
"90 will be like 10's, but I know some people like 9's and an 86 would match that. Less simply wouldn't work in my opinion for the low tunings where I find tension gets more important". 
Haha  Yeah each to their own man I'm well aware there are a ton of people using stock sets happily! I just find it bizarre to use a bottom string that's literally 4 semitones looser than the rest


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## sonority (Jan 22, 2015)

Hi -

I know this thread is a year old, but I contacted Floyd Rose about this last week. This is what they said:

"Just sat with our tech and strung up one of our Floyd Rose Discovery Series Guitars with some heavy gauge strings. .80 fits very comfortably in the saddle and locks at the nut-- we didn't have a .90 unfortunately, but .100 was just a little too big. It's a close call for sure-- in a pinch a tech could perceivably sand down an insert block to create a little more room, although we can't officially advise doing that."

Also:

"The saddles are all identical, so it would be the same for each. I do think .90 is doable-- if it were to not fit the saddle, the insert block could potentially be sanded thinner to compensate."

So there you go!


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## firstbreakless (May 29, 2018)

Even though this thread has a decent rot smell to it, I thought someone might like to hear a final conclusion on the 90s and C tuning. Shecter Hellraiser FR here. Initially, the string does fit, but the saddle has big trouble holding it. It popped out a bunch of times, so I tried hammering it a bit flatter. Next thing I know the winding comes off, making the core pop out again. In the end I tried taking some of the winding off on purpose and the thing finally sits tight and even sounds less muddy that way. The downside here is, the tremolo can't really hold the tuning when doing dive bombs. When you pull the bugger up, the string pops out and you're at square one again. So no, it doesn't really work, unless you got a Floyd guitar to not use the Floyd. I'll try an .80 or .85 next, hope that works.


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## 7 Dying Trees (May 29, 2018)

I've put an 80 or 85 in a stock lo pro 7 before. Had to drill tuning peg out though... One trick is that most of those huge strings have a tapered end, so if you cut it at the right point, the tapered end will go into the FR saddle, and then the full thick part of the string will start just before the saddle and all you'll need to do is hope that it fits through the tuning peg, or quite possibly get out your trusty drill and make that hole bigger


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## cardinal (May 29, 2018)

If the string diameter is too large to fit into the Floyd saddle, why not drill the Floyd saddle to have a wider opening? Just take out the insert and drill the steel saddle to open it up a bit? The insert should still hold the string when locked down.


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