# RG2228 String Gauge ideas.



## Chris (Jan 7, 2008)

So I'm not super happy with the stock strings on the 228. The thing needs a 68/70 for the low end, at the very least - it's just too loose for my liking because I've always loved really big strings on my sevens. I've run 11-70 a few times on my C7 and it's just so massive feeling (and sounding) that I'd like to go that way with the 8 as well. The .070 is a little too big for the B, but for the F# I think it would be pretty damn glorious. I'm thinking something like:

011 - .015 - .022 - .030 - .040 - .050 - .065 - .070

Is there any obvious reason why that wouldn't work? I'm keeping it standard, F#BEADGBE.


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## Krunch (Jan 7, 2008)

That should work just fine. 70 should be around 14.5 lbs of tension which is fine. Personally I'd do .075 or .080 for F#. Your steels are heavier than I'm used to, the .011 will be about 21 lbs. You should probably cut those down to 10/13/17, in my opinion.

I'm still using an .080 tuned to F, and I have an 85 ready for my next change because I want more tension.


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## Chris (Jan 7, 2008)

Hmm, that might be really comfortable as well. I'll probably make my way up past 70, but baby steps.  I'm actually trying to woodshed on the thing and get my hands (and mind) wrapped around 8-strings worth of scale. 

So you're saying:

010 - 013 - 017 - 030 - 040 -050 - 065 -070 

Would still be around the right tension?

Thanks very much man.


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## Apophis (Jan 7, 2008)

Wrong..
Heavy highs and light bottom.
If you like that use better something like 009 012 016 024 032 044 060 080 will be nice


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## Chris (Jan 7, 2008)

Hrm. I don't really like light bottoms, and anything smaller than an 010 on the top feels way too thin for me.


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## Apophis (Jan 7, 2008)

so increase strings one step, but then you have to have 85 as a F# at least


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## Crucified (Jan 7, 2008)

i had a 64 as my f# and loved it. i've now changed to 68 and the tension is off for me. i'm going to try a 70 and see if it helps. i play a tonne of chords on the low b and f# strings so its a process for me to get them to not be muddy.


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## Krunch (Jan 7, 2008)

Using this as a quick, but not necessarily accurate reference
String Guage and Tension Calculator - Version 0.1.4 - 26 apr 1998

Well I'm not sure how much you like, I'm guessing you usually use 11s? Thats heavier than I am used to. 

65->70 is a pretty weak jump so I'd take that up a lot to match the others, or take everything else down to match the 70 a bit more. Mine starts around 13 lbs on the steels and goes up to 18-20 lbs on the wound strings.

This is what you suggested according to said inaccurate calculator:
E .010 PL == 18.18#
B, .013" PL == 17.25#
G, .017" PL == 18.58#
D, .030" NW == 28.07#
A,, .040" NW == 26.85#
E,, .050" NW == 22.93#
B,,, .065" NW == 22.29#
^F,,, .070" NW == 14.43#
total == 168.58#

which is really really heavy imo. 28 lbs is way too much for me. Also, the drop from 22 to 14 will feel wierd. Actually I thought your numbers looked more reasonable because I'm used to tuning down 1/2 step or 1 step, so I use those numbers myself. But looking at the tensions there I'd recommend going a lot lighter.

The strings I'm throwing on for next string change: Tuned 1/2 down to F. 
9	13.12
13	15.36
17	16.55
26	18.38
36	19.51
49	19.66
65	19.86
85	18.43


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## Apophis (Jan 7, 2008)

what about rest of your strings you use Crucified ???


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## Chris (Jan 7, 2008)

I use 11's on 6's and 10's on my sevens for the most part. Ideally I'd like a 10 for the high E and something less-than-80 for the F#. 

Edit: This is damn interesting, btw. I should have started paying attention to this ages ago. Thanks again guys.


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## Apophis (Jan 7, 2008)

Krunch said:


> The strings I'm throwing on for next string change: Tuned 1/2 down to F.
> 9	13.12
> 13	15.36
> 17	16.55
> ...



add a 010 as highE and will be ok.



Chris said:


> I use 11's on 6's and 10's on my sevens for the most part. Ideally I'd like a 10 for the high E and something less-than-80 for the F#.
> 
> Edit: This is damn interesting, btw. I should have started paying attention to this ages ago. Thanks again guys.



so you want tight highs and lighter bottom


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## Krunch (Jan 7, 2008)

In that case I'd say 10-13-17-(24 or 26)-(32 or 36)-50-65-75 for Chris or the nearest standard set.


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## Crucified (Jan 7, 2008)

i think the rest are fairly standad 10 or 11 - 46-56-68


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## Chris (Jan 7, 2008)

Krunch said:


> In that case I'd say 10-13-17-(24 or 26)-(32 or 36)-50-65-75 for Chris



Thanks very much man.  How big of a truss adjustment am I looking at?

[action=Chris]runs off to Google the stock string gauges, because he doesn't know what the fuck they actually are. [/action]


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## Krunch (Jan 7, 2008)

You'll be going up 40 lbs or more total, so you'll have to do something to it, how much I don't know. I went up about 25 lbs from the stocks and I only had to make a small adjustment (less than a quarter turn).


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## Popsyche (Jan 7, 2008)

Go out and cut some phone cables off the pole out front! Jeeze those are big!  

[action=popsyche] only sez this as he has no idea what the thing came with![/action]


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## ohio_eric (Jan 7, 2008)

Use a standard set of .010s. The B will be between .056 and .060. Then slap something like a .075 or so on there and you should be swell.


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## Drew (Jan 7, 2008)

This is funny.  

I'd be a little leery of immediately jumping to 11's for that 27" scale. 10's are probably a better start. 

I'm going to also suggest you grab some Elixirs, because they rule and stay crisp longer on the bass side. 

a set of Elixirs is like 10-48, so you could probably get away with a .56 and a .68 for your low B and E. They're both a little lighter than I'd personally like (I use a .68 in B on 25.5"), but I'm an Elixir whore and would use "whatever Elixer has" over anything. 

Then again, since the 2228 has the EdgeFX, you can use bass strings with the ball cut off with no ill effect, so maybe a set of 10's with like a 60 and a 70-72 would be nice, or if you want to go heavier, the .68 and then like an .80 for the low F#, for absolutely massive tension. 

Actually, yeah, I'd go that way. Heavier strings are half the secret to the Drew Setup&#8482; since they don't oscillate as widely as lighter ones do, so they'll buzz less at a given height. As it is, I'd have trouble bringing that F# down much because it'd buzz too much with that light a string on it. go up above .75, however, and I bet I could get it pretty shreddy. 

 You should really loan it to me for a couple weeks, and let me get it dialed in with the appropriate set of strings for you.


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## noodles (Jan 7, 2008)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/se...nd-riot-s-guide-d-addario-string-tension.html



Unfortunately, it doesn't have anything about F#, but you should be able to figure out all the other gauges just fine. Think about what feels comfortable to you as the high e on a 27" scale instrument, and then try to match that tension as close as possible for everything else. Personally, my F# would probably be at least an 80.


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## Decipher (Jan 8, 2008)

I use a set of DR MT7-10's (10-56) and a 72 for my F#. Seems to do the trick for me.


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## Chris (Jan 8, 2008)

I really like the 27" scale actually - the Hellraiser had it and I actually prefer it on sevens to Ibby necks. 

Decipher, what are you using for the B?


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## Chris (Jan 8, 2008)

Drew said:


> This is funny.
> 
> I'd be a little leery of immediately jumping to 11's for that 27" scale. 10's are probably a better start.
> 
> ...



Honestly you can borrow it any time you want man, you know that. You just have to loan me your strat.


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

Chris, a good balanced tension set would be: 9-12-16-24-32-44-58-72 or perhaps 10-13.5-17-26-34-46-60-74. Personally, I would use just use the stock 9-54 and add a 68. Check around JustStrings.com they have everything you'd need.

Mind Riot's guide is what I always consult. Definitely 65 B -70 F# would be crazy 

PS: Another interesting set could be: 8.5-11-15-20w-28-38-52-68. That would be what I'd use for people who like 9's in 25.5.


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## Chris (Jan 8, 2008)

The thing is, I do most of my playing on the top 4 strings, so compromising with lighter strings up there in lieu of fatter bottom strings doesn't really do it for me. It's gotta be at least a 10 on the high E - my picking hand is too heavy up there (I tend to overpick the high E, especially on sweeps) for a 9 - I snap 'em like crazy.




> 10-13.5-17-26-34-46-60-74



That sounds really good though. What is the F# on there now? I thought it was 64 or so, aye?


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## Variant (Jan 8, 2008)

I actually liked the tension from the factory, a little lighter than gauges I've used in the past on my 25.5" sixes & sevens... but the 27.0" makes 'em work which is nice. I basically kept it as close to even as I tuned down with a little more on the bottom.


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

Chris said:


> That sounds really good though. What is the F# on there now? I thought it was 64 or so, aye?



The stock strings are 9-11-16-24-32-42-54-65. I think that 10 set would suit you well. The only reason I included the 9 set is because, well it's a 27" scale so 9s would feel closer to what 10s would in 25.5. You could do a 9.5 based set too. Lots of sets could work, just have to experiment


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## Decipher (Jan 8, 2008)

Chris said:


> I really like the 27" scale actually - the Hellraiser had it and I actually prefer it on sevens to Ibby necks.
> 
> Decipher, what are you using for the B?


 I also like the 27" scale too! My B string is the 56.


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

Decipher said:


> I also like the 27" scale too! My B string is the 56.



Actually Schecter necks have 26.5", but hey close enough  If you had a set you liked on your Hellrasier, you can use Mind Riot's page to compare the tension on 26.5 scale to 27.0. Thats a very small difference though anyways. Really, I'd just try out whatever on JustStrings.com and then go from there.


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## Chris (Jan 8, 2008)

Aw fuck, you're right.  See the "Who's Been Drinkin' Post".


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## muffgoat (Jan 8, 2008)

Dude buy a set of ernie ball 10-52 slinky top heavy bottoms, a single 65 and a 75 and you will be a very happy man trust me


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

muffgoat said:


> Dude buy a set of ernie ball 10-52 slinky top heavy bottoms, a single 65 and a 75 and you will be a very happy man trust me



I would recommend _against _that idea. I like my idea better. 10-52 is so crazy unbalanced. .052 gauge tuned to E with a baritone scale sounds wicked lame to me. I think the 10-13.5-17-26-34-46-60-72 thing I recommended earlier would feel/sound better.

Also Ernie Ball strings sound good for about 3 days. I wouldn't use those strings Chris.


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## ibznorange (Jan 8, 2008)

but they are cheap, and therefore you dont feel bad experimenting with gauges so much.
I dont know how much you like drones, but i was thinking about the first song you wrote (the one in F#, iirc) but have you thought of some drone tuning? i was thinking, what if you string it up 70-70-70-70-70-70-70-70, and tuned each string to F#? Eh? Eh? How about 60-62-64-66-68-70-72-74?

ok no just kidding. 
I personally like the 10-52's. My custom set for 6 is 10-58, but its not that big of a difference. Yeah, the tensions are unbalanced, but i think they feel/sound better that way. I also prefer the way used up EB's sound to used other brands. And the new sound i vastly prefer, so thats really a preference issue. if you like EB's keep rockin em. 
If you like the Skinny top heavy bottoms on a 6, id pick up those and go with a 64 and a 74, much like muffgoat said.


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## muffgoat (Jan 8, 2008)

Well zimbolth you said you THINK were as i have tried all these different gauges on my rg2228 and i am just stating my honest opinion as to what i have found while tuning it to F standard. So anyone can have a different opinion on this and all i have to say is try them all out, thats the beautiful thing about this guitar is to experiment with it.


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

ibznorange said:


> blah blah blah



Ugh, as usual your posts are full of loss Max  

SIT, D'Addarios, and GHS are cheap strings too. He can experiment with any brand, just might be more sensible to do some research and get a set that makes sense (for most of us). 

Even if you like light tops/heavy bottoms, the gauges that come in 10-52 sets rarely make any sense. For example, most of them come with a 42-52? The 42 has about 26 pounds of tension, whereas the 52 has 21. That makes no sense guys. A 42 matches up with a 56-58. A .038 is what matches up with a .052. Why would people want their top and bottom strings to be loose but the middle 2 to be tight as fuck?

You generally want them to go up slightly in tension as the strings get thicker. You don't want one being loose, then another tight, then the next loose, then the next tight, etc. Despite what you may convince yourself, sets with consistent tension play and sound better. 

Chris flexes at your terrible advice


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## dpm (Jan 8, 2008)

For Chris I say bump it straight up to an 80 or preferably an 85 if he goes for a 65 B.


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

dpm said:


> For Chris I say bump it straight up to an 80 or preferably an 85 if he goes for a 65 B.



Yeah that's not a bad idea either. For the sake of the neck though, I'd maybe try out something more conservative first. Going from a 65 to 85 without changing the tuning seems extreme to me.


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## ibznorange (Jan 8, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> Ugh, as usual your posts are full of loss Max


you're a bastard  
I just like the way they feel lol. Maybe you're right on sounds better, i dont know, definately different, but id really have to sit and work on that long and hard to decide if one sounded "better". as far as plays/feels better, i dont think i have to convince myself, as thats so totally preference based what i say goes when it comes to my guitar :crazypillsface:. i dont speak for chris or anyone else on that matter, just myself lol. Im not saying he should do those, i just thought i read somewhere that thats what he likes to use generally, so why not go with that if its what he likes, know what i mean. . If hes used to a balanced set, id say definately go with a balanced set, clearly, as thats what he likes (hypothetically maybe)

and at least when i go to the shop, or look online, EB strings are still cheap as shit compared to anything else. i mean, i havent found a single non EB 7 set under 5 bucks. Unless im just missing shit, they are cheaper, which could be desireable when fucking around until he finds just the right gauges


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

ibznorange said:


> EB strings are still cheap as shit compared to anything else. i mean, i havent found a single non EB 7 set under 5 bucks. Unless im just missing shit, they are cheaper...



Again Max: Full. Of. Loss. 

SIT Strings 7-string S71058 .010 - .058...*$4.15*
D'Addario 7-string XL, .010 - .059...........*$5.04*
Sfarzo Power 7's 707056 .010 - .056........*$4.94*
Ernie Ball 7-String Regular .010 - .056......*$5.51*

Yeah good call  Source.



ibznorange said:


> I just like the way they feel lol. Maybe you're right on sounds better, i dont know, definately different, but id really have to sit and work on that long and hard to decide if one sounded "better". as far as plays/feels better, i dont think i have to convince myself, as thats so totally preference based what i say goes when it comes to my guitar



Dude I'm glad you like what you're used to, that's cool. Everyone has their own preferences in regards to tension, but no one would PREFER to have each string have 5 pounds more/less tension than the next, in a completely random order. It doesn't mean it's not usable, it's just not the best way to go about it. People either want: 1) even tension 2) light top/heavy bottom or 3) tight tops/loose bottoms, but no one wants all over the place at random. 

Look at your typical set of Light Top/Heavy Bottom 7-string sets:

16.2
15.3
16.6
25.0
26.2
21.9
17.0

If you can tell me there's any rhyme or reason to that, or any benefit to the wild discrepancy of those tension variations, you're crazy. No one wants their middle strings to be tight and the low/highs to be loose  It's just an outdated system.


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## Apophis (Jan 8, 2008)

There are no reasons  and people don't even care from my experience. Only when I told them about that they started notice that differences - that's the worst part


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## keithb (Jan 8, 2008)

zimbloth said:


> Also Ernie Ball strings sound good for about 3 days. I wouldn't use those strings Chris.



Slight hijack:

You seem to have paid a lot more attention to strings than I have. I love the way EB strings sound/feel for like 2 days, then you're right - they go to hell. Any suggestions about which other brands I should try that offer reasonably matched tensions and longer life?


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## Chris (Jan 8, 2008)

keithb said:


> Slight hijack:
> 
> You seem to have paid a lot more attention to strings than I have. I love the way EB strings sound/feel for like 2 days, then you're right - they go to hell. Any suggestions about which other brands I should try that offer reasonably matched tensions and longer life?



Yeah, I've never had good luck with EB's. I use D'Addario's if I can't get Blue Steels in the gauges I'm looking for (GC never fucking has 11's). Elixir's are fantastic, but pretty pricey.


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## Drew (Jan 8, 2008)

Chris said:


> Honestly you can borrow it any time you want man, you know that. You just have to loan me your strat.



 I might just do that for a week or two for kicks, but it wouldn't be a long term thing, and I'm not sure I trust you not to "lose" my strat.  

Honestly dude, if I could afford to just_ buy_ you a new Inca Silver strat with a maple board, I totally would... :/


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## Drew (Jan 8, 2008)

Chris said:


> Yeah, I've never had good luck with EB's. I use D'Addario's if I can't get Blue Steels in the gauges I'm looking for (GC never fucking has 11's). Elixir's are fantastic, but pretty pricey.



Yeah, but they last FOREVER. Honestly, I've gone 8 months before string changes before. That's the exception and not the rule, but you've got a month or two of "new string tone" and then gradual degredation after that. They're worth it. 

I vote we set up your RG8 with telephone cables provided by Elixer.  I'll even do it for you.


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## Variant (Jan 8, 2008)

keithb said:


> Slight hijack:
> 
> You seem to have paid a lot more attention to strings than I have. I love the way EB strings sound/feel for like 2 days, then you're right - they go to hell. Any suggestions about which other brands I should try that offer reasonably matched tensions and longer life?



I've had a lot more luck with longevitiy out of D'Addarios than the Ernie Balls, in fact I've always preferred them but I switched to EB some time ago because of the convienience of avaible custom gauges... I switched back recently, however, thanks to D'Addario resolving that. That said, Elixrs are great too, not enough availble choices for the guitar or the bass... but that's what I use on my acoustic.


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## Popsyche (Jan 8, 2008)

Drew said:


> Yeah, but they last FOREVER. Honestly, I've gone 8 months before string changes before. That's the exception and not the rule, but you've got a month or two of "new string tone" and then gradual degredation after that. They're worth it.
> 
> I vote we set up your RG8 with telephone cables provided by Elixer.  I'll even do it for you.



See! I was right all along!


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## keithb (Jan 8, 2008)

Variant said:


> I've had a lot more luck with longevitiy out of D'Addarios than the Ernie Balls, in fact I've always preferred them but I switched to EB some time ago because of the convienience of avaible custom gauges... I switched back recently, however, thanks to D'Addario resolving that. That said, Elixrs are great too, not enough availble choices for the guitar or the bass... but that's what I use on my acoustic.



I use Elixir (Nanowebs) on my acoustic as well. My Carvin came strung with Elixir strings and I remember not liking the feel. Maybe I'll give them another go.


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## Chris (Jan 8, 2008)

Drew said:


> Yeah, but they last FOREVER. Honestly, I've gone 8 months before string changes before. That's the exception and not the rule, but you've got a month or two of "new string tone" and then gradual degredation after that. They're worth it.
> 
> I vote we set up your RG8 with telephone cables provided by Elixer.  I'll even do it for you.



Unless you play viking metal, in which case you break strings.


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## Variant (Jan 8, 2008)

keithb said:


> I use Elixir (Nanowebs) on my acoustic as well. My Carvin came strung with Elixir strings and I remember not liking the feel. Maybe I'll give them another go.



The "hey this has shrink wrap on it" feel takes a bit of getting used to, partiularly on the wound strings, but they are both bright and round in their tonal qualities and they do last quite a while so I approve.


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## Shawn (Jan 8, 2008)

Next SS.Org gathering we have, I gots to try that thing out. I'd keep the stock strings on there if it were mine, but that's just me. If I were to drop the F# down, i'd get a thicker string for that.


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## Variant (Jan 8, 2008)

Shawn said:


> Next SS.Org gathering we have, I gots to try that thing out. I'd keep the stock strings on there if it were mine, but that's just me. If I were to drop the F# down, i'd get a thicker string for that.



You have to... the stock .065, while fine IMHO, is about as light as you'd ever want to get with a note that low. The D'addario .080 feels about the same down a step, you just need to develop a picking style around that... but it's not just about the .080 at E1 on the eighter, it's about the .195 at E0 on the bass.


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## Krunch (Jan 8, 2008)

Variant said:


> You have to... the stock .065, while fine IMHO, is about as light as you'd ever want to get with a note that low. The D'addario .080 feels about the same down a step, you just need to develop a picking style around that... but it's not just about the .080 at E1 on the eighter, it's about the .195 at E0 on the bass.



Yep, that's what I was thinking of when I set mine up. I wanted to have my 8 string 1 step down to E. I tried the SIT strings, but the exposed core sounded like absolute shit on my bass. The wound part of the string started about an inch off the bridge, and dampened all the vibrations, so I switched to a taper wound 175, and that one sounded a lot better in F than it did in E, so I tuned my 8 up to F to match.


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

keithb said:


> Slight hijack:
> 
> You seem to have paid a lot more attention to strings than I have. I love the way EB strings sound/feel for like 2 days, then you're right - they go to hell. Any suggestions about which other brands I should try that offer reasonably matched tensions and longer life?



D'Addarios, DRs and SIT strings last a fairly good amount of time, but the fact of the matter is, all non-Elixirs start to die out after a week or so. That goes for Blue Steels too.


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## Variant (Jan 8, 2008)

Krunch said:


> Yep, that's what I was thinking of when I set mine up. I wanted to have my 8 string 1 step down to E. I tried the SIT strings, but the exposed core sounded like absolute shit on my bass. The wound part of the string started about an inch off the bridge, and dampened all the vibrations, so I switched to a taper wound 175, and that one sounded a lot better in F than it did in E, so I tuned my 8 up to F to match.



Which company is the taperwound .175 from?. I've gotten a pretty good sound out of the SIT .195 and .165 strings, you just can't really go above the 12th fret without getting that signature rattle that exposed core strings give you. Unfotunately when you tune this low, there aren't many options so you make due with what's available.


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## Krunch (Jan 8, 2008)

Variant said:


> Which company is the taperwound .175 from?. I've gotten a pretty good sound out of the SIT .195 and .165 strings, you just can't really go above the 12th fret without getting that signature rattle that exposed core strings give you. Unfotunately when you tune this low, there aren't many options so you make due with what's available.



Definitely. The 175 is from the Warwick Dark Lord set. I don't know if my pickups are really made to work well with these super low frequencies, and even the 175 sounds weaker than the other strings, but it's much much better than the exposed core string.


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## Variant (Jan 8, 2008)

Krunch said:


> Definitely. The 175 is from the Warwick Dark Lord set. I don't know if my pickups are really made to work well with these super low frequencies, and even the 175 sounds weaker than the other strings, but it's much much better than the exposed core string.



Well, that's what the exposed core is about in the first place, super big strings at super low tunings need a high string excursion (movement from center) to create a suitably powerful and defined fundemental. 

The pickups on the Dark Lord _*should*_ be designed to handle the low F# I'd imagine... but perhaps that was overlooked to some extent too. The Bariolini's on my Conklin are great so far as that is concered, very balanced across the range and desinged to work with the subcontra strings. I only wish they were a little less noisy.


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## zimbloth (Jan 8, 2008)

Why are we talking about .175 bass strings again?


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## Krunch (Jan 8, 2008)

Variant said:


> Well, that's what the exposed core is about in the first place, super big strings at super low tunings need a high string excursion (movement from center) to create a suitably powerful and defined fundemental.
> 
> The pickups on the Dark Lord _*should*_ be designed to handle the low F# I'd imagine... but perhaps that was overlooked to some extent too. The Bariolini's on my Conklin are great so far as that is concered, very balanced across the range and desinged to work with the subcontra strings. I only wish they were a little less noisy.



I don't have a Dark Lord bass, I'm just using those strings. I have an Ibanez SR1006NTE that I got for a steal. It's got Bartolinis but they don't have as much power on the F string as the others. It works, but I have to pump the active EQ and use the neckside pickup. 

If the windings actually started right after the core crossed the bridge, the SITs would probably be fine. But the dramatic change in mass an inch away from the bridge seemed to dampen the waves. It ended up a dull, metallic clunk sound. I'm no physics expert but I can say without a doubt that the Warwick string sounds 5x better on my bass than the SIT.

Sorry if we got off topic there. It's almost related, really!


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## Variant (Jan 8, 2008)

> Why are we talking about .175 bass strings again?



Cuz' if you gots a badass ERG, you needs a badass ERB to rumble underneith it. 



> I don't have a Dark Lord bass, I'm just using those strings. I have an Ibanez SR1006NTE that I got for a steal. It's got Bartolinis but they don't have as much power on the F string as the others. It works, but I have to pump the active EQ and use the neckside pickup.



 I actually prefer a 50/50% blend of the two pups, and my sound is almost too loud! I have to back down on the signal chain volume so as not to clip. The Barts and preamp combo on the Dickens is obviously diffrerent from the Ibby. Personally, I've never tried a taperwound string that big... you're making me want to.  Unfortunately, I don't think the .175 will do E0 on a 34"... can't hurt to try though.


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## skinhead (Jan 8, 2008)

Chris try a 0.11 6 strings pack, for the 7th a 0.65 and a 0.75 for the 8th.

I think that it would be awesome with that scale.


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## leandroab (Mar 26, 2008)

So, I got an Ibanez RG7321 in standard gauge. I wanted really bad to play stuff like Meshuggah. Since their tunning is 1/2 step down the regular 8-string tunning, I need a heavier gauge, something like .68 or .70 on the low B string, I dunno. The thing is, where can I find a string like that? I never found any set of strings for the 8-string guitars. And I never paid attention to string gauges in my entire life, to be honest. can anyone help?


----------



## ohio_eric (Mar 26, 2008)

www.juststring.com

They can help.


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## Ishan (Mar 27, 2008)

leandroab said:


> I wanted really bad to play stuff like Meshuggah. Since their tunning is 1/2 step down the regular 8-string tunning, I need a heavier gauge, something like .68 or .70 on the low B string!



That's a bit of a misconception, Meshuggah use a lot of different tunings. Only a few songs are tuned to F, many are tuned to E, some are even drop D (like on Catch 33)
As I understand you want to play their 7 string songs? so an 11/49 set + 64 should be good :

```
len 25.5"
Eb    .011" PL == 17.48#
B,b   .014" PL == 15.89#
G,b   .021" NW == 19.12#
D,b   .028" NW == 18.98#
A,,b  .038" NW == 19.23#
E,,b  .049" NW == 17.53#
B,,,b .064" NW == 17.15#
total == 125.38#
```


----------



## AVH (Mar 27, 2008)

Ishan said:


> some are even drop D (like on Catch 33)


 
sorry for OT....
No, it's not. I'm not trying to be prickish, but that's not the case. C33 is all in F, as is _the majority_ of their 8 string material. But you are correct that a few of the songs on Nothing are down to E & Eb.


----------



## leandroab (Mar 27, 2008)

Ishan said:


> That's a bit of a misconception, Meshuggah use a lot of different tunings. Only a few songs are tuned to F, many are tuned to E, some are even drop D (like on Catch 33)




I'm sorry for not being specific. I meant Meshuggah's stuff like from Nothing, and Obzen. And I think Catch 33 is mostly played with the 8-string guitars.. correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks for the help anways!


----------



## Ishan (Mar 27, 2008)

leandroab said:


> I'm sorry for not being specific. I meant Meshuggah's stuff like from Nothing, and Obzen. And I think Catch 33 is mostly played with the 8-string guitars.. correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> Thanks for the help anways!



Everything from Nothing and then on are played on 8 string, getting F tuning to work on a 25.5" scale is a bit nuts but doable with very big string gauges like .090 (.080 if you don't mind low tension)



Dendroaspis said:


> sorry for OT....
> No, it's not. I'm not trying to be prickish, but that's not the case. C33 is all in F, as is _the majority_ of their 8 string material. But you are correct that a few of the songs on Nothing are down to E & Eb.



I remember jamming along catch 33 on my bass and it was in D (maybe it was Eb, you have me doubting  )


----------



## ddk (Mar 27, 2008)

What is the largest string the RG2228 can handle without modification to the tuner peg hole or bridge saddle? I had a .070 on one of my Ibanez 7s once and although it fit, it seemed like just barely. Can the 2228 handle a .080? .090?

I just ordered one and I'm trying to figure out what strings to set it up with. Comments on these string gauges? 

10, 13, 17, 26, 34, 46, 60, 76(?)

10, 13, 17, 26, 36, 48, 62, 80(?)


----------



## Ishan (Mar 27, 2008)

What's the tuning you are going for?


----------



## ddk (Mar 27, 2008)

most likely standard E to F#


----------



## Ishan (Mar 27, 2008)

If you like normal tension (like a 10/46 on a 25.5" scale 6 string) your set with the .080 is really good:

```
len 27"
E   .010" PL == 18.18#
B,  .013" PL == 17.25#
G,  .018" PL == 20.82#
D,  .026" NW == 20.63#
A,, .036" NW == 21.9#
E,, .048" NW == 21.23#
B,,, .062" NW == 20.35#
F,,,# .080" NW == 18.58#
total == 158.95#
```

Your other set is a bit softer in the low end:

```
len 27"
E   .010" PL == 18.18#
B,  .013" PL == 17.25#
G,  .018" PL == 20.82#
D,  .026" NW == 20.63#
A,, .034" NW == 19.73#
E,, .046" NW == 19.6#
B,,, .060" NW == 19.16#
F,,,# .076" NW == 16.84#
total == 152.22#
```

Here's a more progressive set if you wanna try :

```
len 27"
E   .009" PL == 14.72#
B,  .012" PL == 14.69#
G,  .016" PL == 16.46#
D,  .024" NW == 17.68#
A,, .032" NW == 17.68#
E,, .044" NW == 18.05#
B,,, .059" NW == 18.48#
F,,,# .080" NW == 18.58#
total == 136.34#
```


----------



## GazPots (Mar 27, 2008)

ddk said:


> What is the largest string the RG2228 can handle without modification to the tuner peg hole or bridge saddle? I had a .070 on one of my Ibanez 7s once and although it fit, it seemed like just barely. Can the 2228 handle a .080? .090?
> 
> I just ordered one and I'm trying to figure out what strings to set it up with. Comments on these string gauges?
> 
> ...




No you don't need to drill any tuners at all.


The mega thick strings come with a smaller/thinner area at one end of the string for threading through the tuning peg. All you need to do is pull the thin end through till the massive string has reached the tuning peg and then just clip the end near the bridge with some slack for winding.and hey presto you got a massive string on that shouldn't fit with no modding.


If the string doesn't come with a smaller seciton for going through the peg, just unwind part of the string and you'll get the core of the string to use instead. Just clip off any excess windings you pull off.

= able to fit any gauge you want on your guitar with out modding anything. I've had an 80+ on my 2228 with no modding and it presented no problems at all.

As long as you get enough winding on the tuner you are fine.

Gaz


----------



## ddk (Mar 27, 2008)

thanks isham and gaz. great info. 

gaz- what brand .080 do you suggest? the only non-bass string i can find is this one

GHS Dynamite Alloy For Electric Guitar Compound Wound .080, DY80

GHS dynamite alloy "compound wound." never tried it. think it would sound ok slapped onto the end of a nickel wound set?


----------



## Ishan (Mar 27, 2008)

D'addario do .080, the tension I've given are based on d'addario's nickel plated steel strings.


----------



## GazPots (Mar 28, 2008)

ddk said:


> thanks isham and gaz. great info.
> 
> gaz- what brand .080 do you suggest? the only non-bass string i can find is this one
> 
> ...




I cannot remember the brand i had one there at first but now ive calmed down and gone with a D'Addario .074 for the F as i can't seem to find anywhere that sells singles from 74-80 I can find either/or but nothing inbetween anymore.


Perhaps i'll search for some bass strings instead.

Gaz


----------



## plyta (Mar 28, 2008)

stringsdirect dot co dot uk have D'Addarios .080


----------



## leandroab (Mar 28, 2008)

Ishan said:


> Everything from Nothing and then on are played on 8 string, getting F tuning to work on a 25.5" scale is a bit nuts but doable with very big string gauges like .090 (.080 if you don't mind low tension)



??

Holy caralho!

.90?



dude.. i forgot about that little detail...
what is the scale on the rg2228? 27" ?
f*ck.. that's thick! I think I will reconsider that plan


----------



## Ishan (Mar 28, 2008)

It's 27" scale


----------



## MF_Kitten (Mar 28, 2008)

wasn´t nothing recorded with 27" scale guitars? they had 27" 7 string LACS ibanezes back in the day... so if they had that, why would they use even shorter guitars for tuning even lower?


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## Ishan (Mar 28, 2008)

They used their 27" scale 7 strings because the Nevborn 8 they had at the time was crap 
You can even do low E on a 27" but it's far from ideal and needs big strings


----------



## leandroab (Mar 31, 2008)

Ishan said:


> They used their 27" scale 7 strings because the Nevborn 8 they had at the time was crap
> You can even do low E on a 27" but it's far from ideal and needs big strings



hahahaha

ow man.. that's crap..
I don't even know why to get lower than A in the seven string, besides meshuggah!


----------



## GazPots (Apr 4, 2008)

Anyone know where i can get a single between 74-80?


80 was too giant and gave me intonation troubles whereas a 74 seems just under what im after.

Looking for something in between but can't find anywhere that sells what im lookin for.


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## Ishan (Apr 4, 2008)

Saitenkatalog.de - Saiten online günstig kaufen


----------



## Variant (Apr 4, 2008)

GazPots said:


> Anyone know where i can get a single between 74-80?
> 
> 
> 80 was too giant and gave me intonation troubles whereas a 74 seems just under what im after.
> ...



I get all my strings at *juststrings.com*, except for my SIT 195 because they don't stock it. After trying my damndest to find a shop that has a sufficient selection of singles, I've given up and I'll suffer the shipping charges. Their turnaround is usually 3 or 4 days, and if something is backordered, they ship it for free, generally within a week of your initial order. They simply rock when it comes to appeasing ERG/ERB'ers like myself.


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (Apr 13, 2008)

leandroab said:


> Holy caralho!
> 
> .90?
> 
> ...


 
I'm even worse. I'm gonna be putting a .95 bass string on my Hello Kitty Squire (25.5" scale) for tunning to F, cause the 85 is too small. 

I don't think I wanna know what would happen if I got my hands on a RG2228, i'd probably end up tunning something like

F
Bb
Eb
Ab
Eb
Bb
F
C


----------



## Chonker (May 9, 2008)

I'm in the process of designing a custom 8 string with large scale length (just tad over 29") and a 8-in a row style headstock.

I've gotten as far as making a fullscale cardboard mockup just to check the scale length looked like it would be playable and it seems okay but I took out a spare .010 ernie ball string and realised that it was to short to go between bridge and machine head!

I've had a look around and there are some companies that make baritone string sets, I presume these are suitable for longer scale length but none seem to be the guages I'm looking for, I'm after something around 10 - 74 I think.

Are ernie's just especially short or am I stuck looking for special strings?


----------



## Ishan (May 9, 2008)

Try D'addario or GHS for long scale strings.


----------



## blackinfinity (May 11, 2008)

So I finally jump in this thread, I bought this RG2228 some weeks ago, and are very happy with it in general. However, I was quite surprised of the extremely low tension on the G string. Not even on paper it does seem good, the tension on the strings, should be in balance with each other, so I am not sure what Ibanez was thinking when they made their choice. ​ 
It is in my opinion unplayable with that low tension, and you will be limited to only certain type of riffs, i.e fast riffs with fast attack and short sustain, then you will not notice much of the extreme low tension on the G string. I however, I play a hybrid between death/doom metal, I tune in F# now, but I want to go down to F, dropped E is also an alternative​ 
I NEED a full and long sustain on my strings. I also need the strings to have a balanced sustain/sound so that they sound good when I play power chords and different chord formations etc. As it is now, this will not work, powerchords only work in very fast riffs, but not riffs that need full sustain...As it is now, the G string sustain will die kind of quick, while the other strings are still ringing..but not only the sustain is the problem, it also sound very muddy and unclear due the low tension on the G string.​ 
However, I now ask for your expertise to solve this problem, it seem like every one is talking against each other and it seem hard to agree about some fundamental things. If we use one of these tension calculators, it seems like 080 is the absolute minimum if you want &quot;normal&quot; tension on the G string, but how blindly should we trust these numbers in reality ?. Then I read that someone have &quot;intonation&quot; problems with 080 strings, while it seem to work perfectly well for others, so which side should I be on now ? Cause either it work or it does not. I have never used this type of strings before so I am not sure...So what string should I really buy for this guitar ??? give me tips, not many people I ask seem to have much experience with an 8 string guitar..so really hard to get any help..and at my music shop they stand there like question marks and have no idea probably. or they just say &quot;070&quot; might work, without having any deeper insight about how the relation between sustain/string gauge/tuning does work in reality.​And to use such high string guages such as 080, would this lead to any problems such as you are forced to use an very high string height for instance ? 

And yes Meshuggah used 090 on their 7 strings, it might work perfectly well for their music, but I also think it is a compromise so not sure if we can use them as an reference, I have heard they had problem with playing for instance power chords back then so it was a compromise for them, it should be solved now with the new 30 scale 8 string guitars though, you can hear it on the new album ObZen quite clear...​


----------



## Ishan (May 11, 2008)

G string? what G string? the Ibby is tuned to F# from the factory. And yea they use some ultra light gauges. I'd get a proper set of strings for it and yea .080 is fine 
String tension calculator to the rescue  :

```
len 27"
E   .010" PL == 18.18#
B,  .013" PL == 17.25#
G,  .017" PL == 18.58#
D,  .026" NW == 20.63#
A,, .036" NW == 21.9#
E,, .046" NW == 19.6#
B,,, .060" NW == 19.16#
F,,,# .080" NW == 18.58#
total == 153.88#
```

so here you have a 10/46 set with .060 low B and a .080 low F#, you'll need to setup intonation and neck relief, and maybe mod the tuner for the .080.


----------



## blackinfinity (May 11, 2008)

Ishan said:


> G string? what G string? the Ibby is tuned to F# from the factory. And yea they use some ultra light gauges. I'd get a proper set of strings for it and yea .080 is fine
> String tension calculator to the rescue  :
> 
> ```
> ...


 
Then I mean the F string then. Mine was actually tuned in G, for some reason, it was not in playable shape however, the strings where not in tune. Not sure if that is an policy Ibanez have, that it should be in playable shape with a proper setup etc. 

Yeah, those set of strings are the ones that looks most correct so far, atleast on the paper, I do not know much about string, but will a equal tension really lead to an balanced Sustain, for instance, I can imagine the F string will over drown the thiner string 060 and 046 etc..yeah so the question is really, how it all sounds in reality that is what I mostly interested about , not sure if the tension of the string is in absolute phase in how much sound energy a string produces ?

And 046 on the E string is really thin by the way even though it does look on the paper, I have never ever played with such thin strings on the E string, but, it might sound better then with 052 or 056 ?

and by the way what calculator did you use ?


----------



## Ishan (May 11, 2008)

Don't forget it's a 27" scale, .046 for E at that scale got plenty of tension. Idealy if your want a real balanced set in feel you should your tension slightly ramping up the lower the string you go.
Ex:

```
len 27"
E   .009" PL == 14.72#
B,  .012" PL == 14.69#
G,  .016" PL == 16.46#
D,  .024" NW == 17.68#
A,, .034" NW == 19.73#
E,, .046" NW == 19.6#
B,,, .060" NW == 19.16#
F,,,# .085" NW == 20.69#
total == 142.73#
```

Not perfect but you get the idea. Honestly I think that 10/46+60+80 set is fine for F# and is cheap to try as you only have 2 single strings to buy.

I use this String Guage and Tension Calculator - Version 0.1.4 - 26 apr 1998 , PL=plain strings and NW=Nickel plated steel, all are from D'addario.


----------



## blackinfinity (May 11, 2008)

Ishan said:


> Don't forget it's a 27" scale, .046 for E at that scale got plenty of tension. Idealy if your want a real balanced set in feel you should your tension slightly ramping up the lower the string you go.
> Ex:
> 
> ```
> ...


 
Ok thanks for the reply, now I am not sure anymore, of what strings I should buy, I guess it is between 080 and 085 now, but I am confused...

And that the string tension should be increasing from each string that was something new to me as well. I also notice some odd gauges there, which probably is very hard to get...so I get one have to compromise a little, and deal with a non-perfect tension balance. Would be interesting to hear other opinions about this also.

What strings are recommended most, I have heard good things about elixir nanoweb guitar/bass strings. I am of course sceptical how well guitar and bass strings sound together..but I guess, if I want to have this string guage I do not have much of an choice.


----------



## Ishan (May 11, 2008)

Start with a .060+.080 and see from there how it feels and get a .085 at the same time so you can experiment.
All those strings are available as D'addario Nickel plated steel and plain steel, Try Saitenkatalog.de - Saiten online günstig kaufen they got the whole D'addario range up to .085 as single strings


----------



## blackinfinity (May 11, 2008)

ok thanks for the info, I have heard quite bad things about D'addario for some reason, maybe it is bullshit I dunno, some people say that the Elixer strings are many times better, and that they sound like new for a long time, while other strings do sound old after a week. But I might get a better sound with these D'addario strings, if they are made as guitar strings and not made for bass ?

Anyway, what talk against trying 085 first, according to your calculations 085 would be optimal in terms of tension. Or is there any other reason why to chose a thinner string as 080, and once again I still wonder, will I get a good string height with this extremely thick strings such as 085 ? I still want good playability besides good tension/sustain.


----------



## Ishan (May 12, 2008)

While Elixir last far longer, they don't have so many gauges, so it'll a bit of a pain to use those (even if using a bass string is ok)
D'addarios are great for non coated strings, better than EB, GHS, Dean Markley, etc...
You're asking yourself far too much questions man, try strings and keep whatever feels right for you


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (May 12, 2008)

Ishan said:


> Everything from Nothing and then on are played on 8 string, getting F tuning to work on a 25.5" scale is a bit nuts but doable with very big string gauges like .090 (.080 if you don't mind low tension)


 
 I'm using a .95 bass string on a 25.5" scale guitar


----------



## Ishan (May 12, 2008)

Yea but you're nuts  (which not a bad thing these days...)


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (May 13, 2008)

LOL!! yeah!!
The problem was everything else I tried, .70 , .75 , .85 , were way too loose, so I decided to take a drastic step because nothing else was working. I might bring it down to .90 though, but anything less than that won't work for me-on a 25.5" scale instrument anyway!!


----------



## blackinfinity (May 17, 2008)

Have any of you guys idea of what type of Bass guitar to use to the 8 string octaves ?
I can imagine you need to biggest scale possible + the thickest strings possible ?

I tune in F.


----------



## GazPots (May 17, 2008)

Ok so i found that i love Ernie Ball hybrids (tops of 9's and low strings of 10's) with a 60 and an 80 for low F tuned to standard.



Now i just need to match these tensions up for 1/2 step down and we will be good to go. Thats my bands tuning so im thinking a 90 will suffice for low F and some 10's with a 62.


My quest for nice tension is almost over. 


Edit - On a 27" that is.


----------



## TimSE (May 17, 2008)

i have a .68 for my low G
seems spot on for me


----------



## blackinfinity (May 22, 2008)

ok guys...I have finally decided of what strings to use...D'addario..
What do you think ? 
This is a progressive set, for the optimal tension/feel/playability. I did also notice...it was kind of close
to the set that *Ishan *did mention, the only difference is the B string, 062 instead of 060.

&#9556;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9559;
&#9553; .009-.085b Custom 8-Str Set &#9553;
&#9553; 27" Scale &#9553;
&#9553; F# Standard / Drop E &#9553;
&#9553; Total Tension: 144.7 / 144.8 &#9553;
&#9568;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9572;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9572;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9577;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9559;
&#9553; Gauge &#9474; Tuning &#9474;Tension (Lbs.) &#9553;
&#9567;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9532;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9532;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9472;&#9570;
&#9553; .009 &#9474; e' &#9474; 14.7 &#9553;
&#9553; .012 &#9474; b &#9474; 14.6 &#9553;
&#9553; .016 &#9474; g &#9474; 16.4 &#9553;
&#9553; .024 &#9474; d &#9474; 17.7 &#9553;
&#9553; .034 &#9474; A &#9474; 19.7 &#9553;
&#9553; .046 &#9474; E &#9474; 19.6 &#9553;
&#9553; .062 &#9474; B' &#9474; 20.4 &#9553;
&#9553; .085b &#9474; F#' &#9474; 21.6 &#9553;
&#9553;(.095b)&#9474;(E') &#9474;(21.7) &#9553;
&#9562;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9575;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9575;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9552;&#9565;


----------



## Wound (May 24, 2008)

I now have 10-52 set with a 062 and 074 at the bottom, i'm trying out drop E.
I do need a thicker string for my low E, it is a little too loose, so next i'll try a 080 or 085 which I think should help


----------



## blackinfinity (May 24, 2008)

The calculations of the Tension above, is for D'addario strings, I wonder, how much would it differ from Elixir ???
It seems like they have no tension calculator.. either wise..I will use "Formula 65 string conditioner" for my strings..which will hopefully prolong life...


----------



## devouredelysium (May 28, 2008)

Hello people. Is it possible to do chords(major minor, in fundamental mode) with 8 string guitars without sounding bad? There is a known tendency to have notes near each other sound bad when playing together when you're in low tunings. I just don't know how much it is true and when that does in fact start taking effect. Anyone with experience in that?


----------



## nuclearvoodoo (May 28, 2008)

Hi.. I'm new here, I have an Ibanez RG2228 and tuned to EBEADGBE, I just recently bought new sets of strings (10-46 with a .60 and .80) Does anyone else use this tuning/guage and did they have to change the guitar setup?


----------



## Ishan (May 28, 2008)

Whenever you change even so lightly the gauges you have to redo the intonation.


----------



## blackinfinity (Jun 1, 2008)

I was trying to find single strings, for my progressive string set on Saitenkatalog.de - Saiten online gÃ¼nstig kaufen
But did not find all strings (Elixir Nanoweb). Does anyone know any good place in Europe that have these single strings ? 
I am not sure...Elixir strings might be harder to find then D'Addario ?

The strings I need is 009, 012, 016, 024,034, 046, 062, 085 Bass string, 095 bass string.


----------



## mnemonic (Jun 1, 2008)

blackinfinity said:


> I was trying to find single strings, for my progressive string set on Saitenkatalog.de - Saiten online gÃ¼nstig kaufen
> But did not find all strings (Elixir Nanoweb). Does anyone know any good place in Europe that have these single strings ?
> I am not sure...Elixir strings might be harder to find then D'Addario ?
> 
> The strings I need is 009, 012, 016, 024,034, 046, 062, 085 Bass string, 095 bass string.



elixir doesn't make a 62 guitar string, their guitar guages jump from 56 to 68.

luckily, they DO make a 60 and 65 bass string, and i know (from experience, i've used them both) that they sound just like the guitar strings.


----------



## blackinfinity (Jun 1, 2008)

mnemonic said:


> elixir doesn't make a 62 guitar string, their guitar guages jump from 56 to 68.
> 
> luckily, they DO make a 60 and 65 bass string, and i know (from experience, i've used them both) that they sound just like the guitar strings.



Yeah...I did read about that nanoweb bass & guitar stings should sound good together, I wonder how the D'Addario bass & guitar string sounds together. Are you sure that Elixir don't do 062 ? I guess it would be expensive as hell to get it custom-made. Anyway, I really want the Elixie, cause they seem like better strings in general...


----------



## mnemonic (Jun 1, 2008)

blackinfinity said:


> Yeah...I did read about that nanoweb bass & guitar stings should sound good together, I wonder how the D'Addario bass & guitar string sounds together. Are you sure that Elixir don't do 062 ? I guess it would be expensive as hell to get it custom-made. Anyway, I really want the Elixie, cause they seem like better strings in general...



yeah, they dont make a 62.

i wish they did, if so i'd be using one  but the bass 60 works fine for me.


----------



## blackinfinity (Jun 1, 2008)

k then, I will go with D'addario then, thanks.


----------



## blackinfinity (Jun 2, 2008)

One last question regarding the D'addario strings, what is the difference between "Nickel wound" and "Nickel ROUND Wound" strings, the bass string is Nickel Wound and the guitar strings is Nickel Round wound. 

Someone did mention earlier how good the Elixir Nanoweb bass and guitar strings did sound together, how good wil lthese nickel round wound and wound string sound together ? as I understand it it is different type of string ?
I have yet not found a bass string (085,095) in Nickel round wound.


----------



## Ishan (Jun 3, 2008)

They are the same. And with D'addarios you shouldn't need any bass strings as they go very high in gauge. Check SchneiderMusik.de - Saiten, Drumsticks, Felle und Zubehör online günstig kaufen


----------



## blackinfinity (Jun 3, 2008)

Ishan said:


> They are the same. And with D'addarios you shouldn't need any bass strings as they go very high in gauge. Check SchneiderMusik.de - Saiten, Drumsticks, Felle und Zubehör online günstig kaufen



Hello, yes that is the place where I have looked, cause it is the only store I know in EU. And yes, the thickest guitar string is 080, according to my calculations, I would need 085, but for that I need an bass string...
Damn..I am really not sure what to do anymore...

I got an email from D'addario

"[FONT=&quot]I&#8217;m not sure about this one, since 8-string guitar is not a common instrument, and everyone here only plays 6-string? Obviously, we don&#8217;t make an 8-string set. So, you would need to put it together using singles. Also, we only go up to an .080 for guitar strings. The use of the bass string 85 or even a 95, may be the trickiest part, because of the inherent difference in tension and thickness?!? How it will sound in correlation to the guitar strings, I imagine, will be a bit different since the attack needed for bass strings needs to be a bit more aggressive. I don&#8217;t know that the sustain will be even between the two types of stings? Not to mention the pick ups. I really don&#8217;t have any concrete advice on this one. You may want to check with other guys who play an 8-string, or check some on-line forums regarding the subject, to get a better read on it. Other than just trying, and experimenting with it, I really can&#8217;t tell you anymore than that. Thanks for your interest in D&#8217;Addario strings."[/FONT]


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## arktan (Jun 3, 2008)

Hi there

I use a bass D'addario 0.80 for my 8th string (tuned standard, no problem to put it in since you have to clip away the balls anyway [ouch] i mean ball-ends and they're thinner in the upper part so they can fit ferfectly)

It sounds IMO way better than with the guitar D'addario 0.74 and it's much clearer. All in all the strings sound pretty well toghether and the 0.80 isn't out of place on my rg8 so my advice to you would be: Try it out and see/hear for yourself


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## blackinfinity (Jun 3, 2008)

arktan said:


> Hi there
> 
> I use a bass D'addario 0.80 for my 8th string (tuned standard, no problem to put it in since you have to clip away the balls anyway [ouch] i mean ball-ends and they're thinner in the upper part so they can fit ferfectly)
> 
> It sounds IMO way better than with the guitar D'addario 0.74 and it's much clearer. All in all the strings sound pretty well toghether and the 0.80 isn't out of place on my rg8 so my advice to you would be: Try it out and see/hear for yourself



Thanks, seems like most people use 080 with this guitar, even though on paper, it do not have enough tension. but maybe it has in reality ? 
Anyhow, I think I just give up now, and try 080, if I do not like it I will try bass strings. But I am still worried power chords will sound like shit, and very balanced in sustain...

My next problem now is what other strings I should use along with the 080, any suggestions ?


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## arktan (Jun 3, 2008)

blackinfinity said:


> Thanks, seems like most people use 080 with this guitar, even though on paper, it do not have enough tension. but maybe it has in reality ?
> Anyhow, I think I just give up now, and try 080, if I do not like it I will try bass strings. But I am still worried power chords will sound like shit, and very balanced in sustain...
> 
> My next problem now is what other strings I should use along with the 080, any suggestions ?




I use following:

E 0.010
B 0.013
G 0.018
D 0.026
A 0.036
E 0.048
B 0.060 D'Addario Guitar string
F# 0.080 D'Addario Bass string

I know, i know, the tension is all over the place but for me it works pretty well... ah, i tuned it in 440Hz

But you should see what works best for you m8


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## Stephen (Jun 3, 2008)

I'm using .10-.56 7-string packets with a .68 for a low F, i tune down a semitone. Only strings I've tried with it at the moment. Don't think i need to go any thicker for what i do.


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## shadowgenesis (Jun 3, 2008)

Nickkk. I don't like how you're stating opinions as facts. It is not a fact that nobody would like their string tension to change a few pounds from string to string. Obviously Ernie Ball sells enough of their Skinny Top/Heavy Bottom Strings to keep them on the market, therefore one could safely presume that people like them.
It is also not a fact that un-coated strings start wearing out in a week. This is extremely variable, dependent on body chemistry (big factor people usually don't account for), playing time, whether or not you wipe off your strings after each use, and also possibly air condition.

i'm all for you advocating balanced string sets, but music is not a science and people (probably 99% of guitar players) have been using unbalanced string sets for decades, possibly as far back as the instruments conception. So i think its fairly a fairly specious argument that supports balanced string sets.



but yeah, chris - being one that plays 11's on 6's myself, would definitely take into account the scale length and while a 9 may feel too thin for you, the tension will be much higher on the 27" so i don't think it'll feel as loose and snappy as you might think. That was probably already said, but what the hey, i figured i'd stick it in. I would definitely at least try 9's on there once (unless you try something else first and its perfect right off the bat)


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## zimbloth (Jun 3, 2008)

shadowgenesis said:


> Nickkk. I don't like how you're stating opinions as facts. It is not a fact that nobody would like their string tension to change a few pounds from string to string. Obviously Ernie Ball sells enough of their Skinny Top/Heavy Bottom Strings to keep them on the market, therefore one could safely presume that people like them.
> It is also not a fact that un-coated strings start wearing out in a week. This is extremely variable, dependent on body chemistry (big factor people usually don't account for), playing time, whether or not you wipe off your strings after each use, and also possibly air condition.
> 
> i'm all for you advocating balanced string sets, but music is not a science and people (probably 99% of guitar players) have been using unbalanced string sets for decades, possibly as far back as the instruments conception. So i think its fairly a fairly specious argument that supports balanced string sets.



Dude if you're going to respond to something I said SIX MONTHS AGO, at least quote it so I don't have to go digging  Ah well I found it...

Anyways, you took my playful banter with my buddy Max (ibznorange) too seriously/literally. I use unbalanced sets all the time, you're right it's not a big deal. It's fine. In fact only one of my guitars has a balanced set. My main point was that when the tension is consistent throughout, it does make playing a lot more effortless and chords ring out more evenly. It's just pretty simple stuff, if the E string has 17 pounds of tension and the A has 23, you're going to have to pick differently to get the same relative attack/etc and the strings are going to vibrate differently.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the Elixir thing. I'm going to stick to my opinion that uncoated strings do start to noticeably go down hill after about a week. If you disagree and find no difference between your Ernie Balls on day one vs day 7 or day 30, then congrats but that's not my observation. 

Everyone can use whatever strings or string gauges they want. This forum is for the exchange of ideas and opinions, and I gave mine. You're welcome to disagree.


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## blackinfinity (Jun 3, 2008)

I would be interested to hear what you think about this set of strings ?
I guess the in general I would like more tension in the strings (the GHS Compound Nickel strings might help?)
But it was an compromise, I had to make, it was easier if I had an 085 at the bottom.
I tried to increase each string with about 1lbs.

When it comes to balance the 08 set seems way better,
The 09 set has more tension in the string, but less balance, you also have an tension drop on the A string. Anyway, I am very interested to hear your opinions about, this is the first time I try to make an progressive string set. I have used standard string set all my life, but I have been told that this method is better.

E .009" PL == 14.72#
B, .012" PL == 14.69#
G, .016" PL == 16.46#
D, .024" NW == 17.68#
A,, .030" NW == 15.75#
E,, .042" NW == 16.56#
B,,, .059" NW == 18.48#
F,,,# .080" NW == 18.58#
total == 132.92#

E .008" PL == 11.64#
B, .011" PL == 12.34#
G, .015" PL == 14.46#
D, .022" NW == 14.96#
A,, .030" NW == 15.75#
E,, .042" NW == 16.56#
B,,, .059" NW == 18.48#
F,,,# .080" NW == 18.58#
total == 122.77#

Another alterntive would this set.

len 27"
E .009" PL == 14.72#
B, .012" PL == 14.69#
G, .016" PL == 16.46#
D, .024" NW == 17.68#
A,, .032" NW == 17.68#
E,, .044" NW == 18.05#
B,,, .059" NW == 18.48#
F,,,# .080" NW == 18.58#
total == 136.34#


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## blackinfinity (Jun 5, 2008)

Another alternative, I did try to improve it a bit now...let me know what you think about it.

Len 27"

E .0085" PL == 13.14#
B, .0115" PL == 13.5#
G, .015" PL == 14.46#
D, .022" NW == 14.96#
A,, .030" NW == 15.75#
E,, .042" NW == 16.56#
B,,, .058" NW == 17.85#
F,,,# .080" NW == 18.58#
total == 124.79#

EDIT: The whole set above seems to be available in GHS strings, but I am not just sure I am mixing the right strings with each other, GHS have many many types of strings, so I want to be sure I mix right...I am looking in saitenkatalog.de, so the naming of the strings might differ...

The E and B strings are these.
GHS Plain Steel Ball End single string / E-Guitar - Acoustic Guitar (notice how it does mention acoustic guitar???)

The G,D,A,E,B string
GHS Dynamite Alloy (Boomers) single string / E-Guitar

The F string 
GHS Special Dynamite Alloy Compound Wound single string / E-Guitar

Otherwise all strings should be available in round wound nickel for all strings beside the F string would is "nickel wound" (or flat wound is another name to call it I guess)


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## IBANEZDIEHARD (Jun 11, 2008)

i just recently got my ibanez rg2228 

i have been playing a standard 25.5 in 1 step down with 10-52's 

does anyone know what gauge i would use to get the same tension on the 8 string in standard tuning? 

cheers


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## Jessy (Jul 22, 2009)

I'm strongly considering getting this guitar soon. There are a lot of pages in this thread, so pardon me for asking if this has already been answered...

Does anyone know what the maximum gauge is that will realistically fit in the saddles, and allow proper tightening?

(Ideally, I'd think like to tune the thing with a low C#, but that would require a .115 gauge string to accommodate the tension I like. Low B is the maximum lowness I can go before I reach the .135 limit, which is as big as I can get the strings I use. Something tells me I'm going to have to make a compromise; the saddles can't be all that big.)


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## GazPots (Jul 22, 2009)

IBANEZDIEHARD said:


> i just recently got my ibanez rg2228
> 
> i have been playing a standard 25.5 in 1 step down with 10-52's
> 
> ...




Tried 8's? 

Might feel like cheesewire to you though.


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## Setnakt (Jul 22, 2009)

Jessy said:


> Does anyone know what the maximum gauge is that will realistically fit in the saddles, and allow proper tightening?
> 
> (Ideally, I'd think like to tune the thing with a low C#, but that would require a .115 gauge string to accommodate the tension I like. Low B is the maximum lowness I can go before I reach the .135 limit, which is as big as I can get the strings I use. Something tells me I'm going to have to make a compromise; the saddles can't be all that big.)


If you want actual bass strings I imagine you'll need tapered core strings to fit in guitar string saddles. At that point the sky's the limit. Unfortunately it would feel really weird to palm mute them. I would recommend a longer scale length guitar than the Ibanez for this sort of thing anyway.


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## blackinfinity (Sep 24, 2009)

Trying out to buy a new set for my RG2228

Everyone talk so highly about Elixir strings, but what the hell, I must say they have a very limited range of single strings, not even an 060, a 056 is not enough for the 7th string. It looks like I am doomed to use GHS strings, unless you guys suggest something better.... 

I am to use 074 at the low bottom this time... 080 sounds like crap it it does not blend good together with the thinner strings in power chords... I hope 074 will do this better. I was really eager to try Elixir strings, but what the hell, with their limited range it seem impossible to get a good and balanced 8 string set.


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## zimbloth (Sep 24, 2009)

blackinfinity said:


> Trying out to buy a new set for my RG2228
> 
> Everyone talk so highly about Elixir strings, but what the hell, I must say they have a very limited range of single strings, not even an 060, a 056 is not enough for the 7th string. It looks like I am doomed to use GHS strings, unless you guys suggest something better....
> 
> I am to use 074 at the low bottom this time... 080 sounds like crap it it does not blend good together with the thinner strings in power chords... I hope 074 will do this better. I was really eager to try Elixir strings, but what the hell, with their limited range it seem impossible to get a good and balanced 8 string set.



A .056 should be more than fine on a 27, but if not they do make a .060 NanoWeb bass string. Keep in mind Elixirs have higher tension than other strings, so their 56 is more like another brands 58.

Personally I loved the 9-12-16-24-32-42-52-68 Elixir set on my old 2228, but its up to you to try. I definitely think GHS strings sound terrible and die out quickly, I'd put tone first if it was me.


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## MTech (Sep 24, 2009)

I recommend .74 or .72 .52 .42 .32 .24w .16 .11 .09 LaBella HRS as that's what the guys in After The Burial are currently using. You can of course custom order the set, and in that case could get a bigger B string if need be, but I wouldn't be surprised if you see them in the near future as a prepackaged 8 string set.


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## blackinfinity (Sep 24, 2009)

zimbloth said:


> A .056 should be more than fine on a 27, but if not they do make a .060 NanoWeb bass string. Keep in mind Elixirs have higher tension than other strings, so their 56 is more like another brands 58.
> 
> Personally I loved the 9-12-16-24-32-42-52-68 Elixir set on my old 2228, but its up to you to try. I definitely think GHS strings sound terrible and die out quickly, I'd put tone first if it was me.



I could maybe agree with you, 056 might be enough for faster music, but I play very very slow drone/doom, so the sustain is very important, that is why I probably need 060 on the 7th string, I have been using 059 for over 1.5 half years now, but I am not totally satisfied..I hope 060 will sound little bit better. I play more on the 7th string then on the 8th.... 

On the 8th string, I have to compromise the sustain for a "good" sound, I have tried 080 and it does not sound like a guitar and not good... it sound more like a bass which might be good for single string Meshuggah-style riffs... But for power chords I think 074 would be better...I really hope it will not sound muddy and crap like 065...but the difference is quite big so I hope it will sound much better... 

To be honest Elixir seem to be no alternative now, if they would had an 060 string it could work, but the only alternative on the 7th string would be 056 or 068.

There is also other Brands in the market, for instance Pyramid Strings, Ernie Ball, GHS and D'Addario. All these have single strings that I need. I a might be interested to try a new brand now...I have been using GHS boomers since soon 12 years. 

I know D'Addario have not a very good reputation, 
I think the same goes with Ernie Ball ? 

So I guess I am most interested to know what Pyramid strings are like, do anyone have any experience ? I am not sure I do believe in 100% their marketing, they write "Superior-Quality" on the packages.



MTech said:


> I recommend .74 or .72 .52 .42 .32 .24w .16 .11 .09 LaBella HRS as that's what the guys in After The Burial are currently using. You can of course custom order the set, and in that case could get a bigger B string if need be, but I wouldn't be surprised if you see them in the near future as a prepackaged 8 string set.



I am unable to find these strings... 

Btw... what string type is this ? ... 
I am trying to learn about the different string types...
I do not know much...at this moment...so if any one want 
to inform me what string types are best for high tension strings...
I know..that certain string types have more tension then others...

Pyramid strings " Flat Wire Wound" strings are have high tension...
But it looks like they do not have those strings in many custom sizes...
I have sent them an email if it possible to do an custom set with Flat Wire Wound strings.

These seem good too...


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## Ben.Last (Sep 25, 2009)

blackinfinity said:


> I know D'Addario have not a very good reputation



According to who exactly???


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## blackinfinity (Sep 25, 2009)

Lern2swim said:


> According to who exactly???





Lern2swim said:


> According to who exactly???



Yeah, I am sorry if I did offend you, it is just that it seem to be the general consesus on this forum, that D addario have kind of "dead tone" compare to Elixir... but it might be about taste also...We tend to generalize a lot, but I think we most people associate with their round wound strings... They most likely have other string types also...

Back to Pyramid strings again, I have emailed them, it seems like they can do custom sets... 

I can still decide between "Nickel Plated Steel" strings which are already available in all sizes I need... and their "Nickel Flat Wire Wound " strings, which they will try custom made for me... they said at least 074 was possible.. They now want to know what other string gauges I want. 

What I need to know is if I will get benifit in more tension and longer sustain with the "Nickel Flat Wire Wound " strings... or if "Nickel Plated Steel" will have similar performance. 

I also really need to decide what strings I will use, I will tune the lowest 074 string into Ab... It will not be the easiest to play power chords if I tune up the lowest string to Ab...I find it meaningless to tune lower then Ab since no bass will sound good lower then Ab, and I do want to play the bass one octave lower always. 

Power chords would like this...

E2 --9--7--5--4 
B2 --9--7--5--4 
Ab1 --5--3 --1--0

I guess I would little bit limited with this tuning when doing power chords on the 8th string but for slow doom power chords it might work...

This is the set I am thinking about right now...let me know what you think, and what can be improved perhaps...

len 27"
E .010" PL == 18.18#
B, .013" PL == 17.25#
G, .018" PL == 20.82#
D, .026" NW == 20.63#
A,, .034" NW == 19.73#
E,, .046" NW == 19.6#
B,,, .060" NW == 19.16#
G,,,# .074" NW == 20.13#


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## bigchocolate (Dec 9, 2009)

Juststrings.com is the best site to get lower string gauges. Especially if you need to make a custom string set for 8strings. A .68 works fine for me.


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## JoshuaLogan (Feb 6, 2010)

Hey guys, got another RG2228 here and wondering what gauges I should get for the low Bb and F strings if I'm using 9s for the top 6?

I was thinking something like a 54 or 56 for the Bb and a 70 for the F? Is that about right? Anybody else have this worked out already? I want the two lowest strings at about the same tension as the top 6 in with 9s... maybe just slightly extra tension... tuning F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb


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## MTech (Feb 8, 2010)

JoshuaLogan said:


> Hey guys, got another RG2228 here and wondering what gauges I should get for the low Bb and F strings if I'm using 9s for the top 6?


9-72's LaBella HRS, that's what we're making for After The Burial and they're on the same guitars in F-Eb. You can buy prepackaged sets for 6-7-8 string guitars now as well 
Not everything is up on the site as the artwork for the 8's was just finished but here's the gauges so far which were compiled using what the National Acts on the road are actually using.
Welcome to La Bella Strings!


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## JoshuaLogan (Feb 11, 2010)

MTech said:


> 9-72's LaBella HRS, that's what we're making for After The Burial and they're on the same guitars in F-Eb. You can buy prepackaged sets for 6-7-8 string guitars now as well
> Not everything is up on the site as the artwork for the 8's was just finished but here's the gauges so far which were compiled using what the National Acts on the road are actually using.
> Welcome to La Bella Strings!



Can you list what the gauges are since they aren't on the site yet? Is it 9-42 for the first 6 strings or more like 9-46? and for the 7th string, which gauge?


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## MTech (Feb 11, 2010)

JoshuaLogan said:


> Can you list what the gauges are since they aren't on the site yet? Is it 9-42 for the first 6 strings or more like 9-46? and for the 7th string, which gauge?


The gauges for the one set are 9-12-15-22w-30-40-54-72 but the 72 is changing to a 74 really soon.
I think there's going to be at least two packs I'll get back to you on this for sure, or you can call Leo @ Big City Strings because he might even have them there already. I know if you put an order in to him and he doesn't have them in stock that he'll have them in his shop within 1-2 days to send out because they're making sure he can fire out these large gauges very timely.


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## Gordan (Mar 22, 2010)

Hey,

anybody tested the new SCHECTER DECIMATOR 8-STRING 10/13/17/30/42/54/64/74 SET on Ibanez RG2228 ? Is this set meant for 26,5" appropriate for 27" ?


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## srrdude (Jul 13, 2010)

Gordan said:


> Hey,
> 
> anybody tested the new SCHECTER DECIMATOR 8-STRING 10/13/17/30/42/54/64/74 SET on Ibanez RG2228 ? Is this set meant for 26,5" appropriate for 27" ?



I havent tried them yet, but considering that shecter makes 26.5 scale 7 and 8 strings, i would say it was meant for 26.5

Here are the tensions for that


len 26.5"

E4 .010" PL == 17.51#
B3 .013" PL == 16.61#
G3 .017" PL == 17.89#
D3 .030" PB == 29.27#
A2 .042" PB == 32.33#
E2 .052" PB == 27.29#
B1 .064" PB == 22.7#
F1# .070" PB == 14.85#
total == 178.46#


Im gonna call shennanigans on this one. 29 and 32? Fuck that.

Im considering a set of elixirs with these gauges:

len 26.5"

E4 .009" PL == 14.18#
B3 .012" PL == 14.15#
G3 .016" PL == 15.85#
D3 .024" PB == 18.33# (alternatively D3 .022" PL == 16.82#) which is more balanced, but a plain and not a wound so im not sure thats a great idea. 
A2 .032" PB == 18.5#
E2 .042" PB == 18.15#
B1 .056" PB == 17.6#
F1# .075" PB == 16.61#
total == 133.38#


The .075 is an elixir bass string.


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## Supaguitarbitch (Jul 22, 2010)

I'm just wondering.. but, when i have my eight in standard, the first fret on my high E doesn't sound, it just makes this disgusting blergh noise. Mind you, it was so late from being delayed, that when it finally arrived at the music shop i didn't let them set it up because i was so anxious to play it. Stupid, stupid decision i know. I tried adjusting the action on the bridge, but it's the same. Although when i tune down half a step it seems fine? Should i just take it in to get set up properly by a technician?


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## MTech (Jul 25, 2010)

If it's only that string/fret it could be a fret issue but since you said tuning down a half step fixes it then it sounds like you just need a small tweak to the neck.


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## Supaguitarbitch (Aug 22, 2010)

Yeah, i've talked to a few guitarists who've said that the intonation is out. I'll just have to take it into the shop or something.


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