Best string gauge for drop F? (7 string guitar)

[sevenfoxes]

Just wondering what those of you out there have found to be the best (or your favorite) string gauge for drop F on a 7 string?

Thanks!

 

[Crungy]

What guitar are you thinking of using?

 

[Masoo2]

This (subtract the highest string) has been working very well for me in Drop F on a 26.5-28 inch multiscale: https://stringjoy.com/guitarstrings...ing-signatures/light-8-string-guitar-strings/

Can't think of anything I'd change except *maybe* the 54 down to a 50-52 or potentially the 72 down to a 70 but for a preset pack of strings it works more than well enough for me.

 

[sevenfoxes]

What guitar are you thinking of using?

I just ordered this.

Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid C-7 - Trans Black Burst

7-string Solidbody Electric Guitar with Quilt Maple Top, Mahogany Body, 3-pc Maple Neck, Compound-radius Ebony Fingerboard, and 2 EMG Active Humbucking Pickups - Trans Black Burst

www.sweetwater.com

 

[Wucan]

I used to run a KM7 with a .74 for F and it was on the floppy side. Might want to try an .80 for a 26.5.

 

[RobDobble6S7]

Right now I run a Banshee 7 FR (26.5 scale, same as the rest of schecter's 7 strings) with a 74 on F and it works perfect.

 

[TheBolivianSniper]

I've got a 74 in f# on a 26.2 scale and it's nice and loose but not floppy, it works very well

 

[shpence]

Have you tried Stringjoy strings? I'd recommend playing around with the string tension calculator on their site if you haven't (https://tension.stringjoy.com). I've spent more time and money trying to figure out the perfect Drop F set of strings than I'd like to admit. 80-56-44-32-24w-16-10-10 is what I use on my 8 string (29.4"). 0.74s worked also but had to play a little lighter. A .0.76 would be perfect. Maybe I'll bug them about that as it's not currently an option. The strings aren't cheap but I love them and think the extra cash is worth it. You could order a 0.80 and/or a 0.74 separately also and see what works. An 0.80 also might not fit without widening the string post hole.

 

[Koldunya]

+1 to Stringjoy, and just pointing out that as they offer completely custom sets (within their gauges) there's no need to buy an 8-string set and not use a string. They'll send the 7-string set to you in a box printed with "Custom" and the gauges of all the strings. I use them on my 7-string tuned AEADF#BE and am about to buy a set for the insanity that is my DAEBDFAD 8-string (D1-D4)

Watch their video on the tension site, it explains how to use the calculator, and you can also message them via the site to tell them what you are trying to, what gauges, and ask for help on gauges, etc.

 

[Koldunya]

A .0.76 would be perfect. Maybe I'll bug them about that as it's not currently an option.

I just came across this on their FAQ:
Why don’t you make “X” gauge string?

"We make a lot of different string gauges—over 100 actually—and with all companies there are certain limitations in terms of how many gauges we can keep in stock, fulfill in a reasonable timeframe, and ensure that they aren’t sitting around our shop for too long before they ship out.

As such, we’ve chosen the gauges we do make intentionally in order to satisfy the needs of as many players as possible. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to make any gauges that we don’t currently produce as a one-off, the costs of setting up a new gauge for manufacture are very high, and it only washes out when we produce enough of them—if we were to make a 6 string set all out of gauges we don’t regularly make, it would cost hundreds of dollars—for one set. Nobody wants that."

 

[shpence]

I just came across this on their FAQ:
Why don’t you make “X” gauge string?

"We make a lot of different string gauges—over 100 actually—and with all companies there are certain limitations in terms of how many gauges we can keep in stock, fulfill in a reasonable timeframe, and ensure that they aren’t sitting around our shop for too long before they ship out.

As such, we’ve chosen the gauges we do make intentionally in order to satisfy the needs of as many players as possible. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to make any gauges that we don’t currently produce as a one-off, the costs of setting up a new gauge for manufacture are very high, and it only washes out when we produce enough of them—if we were to make a 6 string set all out of gauges we don’t regularly make, it would cost hundreds of dollars—for one set. Nobody wants that."

Guess I'll be leaving the kind folks at Stringjoy alone.

 

[Christopher Har V]

I just ordered this.

Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid C-7 - Trans Black Burst

7-string Solidbody Electric Guitar with Quilt Maple Top, Mahogany Body, 3-pc Maple Neck, Compound-radius Ebony Fingerboard, and 2 EMG Active Humbucking Pickups - Trans Black Burst

www.sweetwater.com

26.5" scale length for drop F? Good luck. If you don't mind the more flobby, sludgy tone then I guess it could work. But an F1 on a 26.5" scale is never gonna be TOIGHT.

 

[bostjan]

26.5" scale length for drop F? Good luck. If you don't mind the more flobby, sludgy tone then I guess it could work. But an F1 on a 26.5" scale is never gonna be TOIGHT.

Maybe counter-intuitive, but a thinner string will sound less muddy, especially at that low of a tuning.

@sevenfoxes - I agree that drop F is a bit aggressive at 26.5". Is there any reason why you are tuning that low? No one can really tell you what you will like or dislike. Some people love love love the sound of super-duper downtuned guitars with standard-ish scale lengths. But, as you might have gleamed from other posts, there are a fair number of people who can't get a good balance of tone and tension that low. Personally, I'd rather tune to standard at 26.5" or maybe as low as G. After that, I either have to use a thick enough string that I get a muddy tone or I have enough slack in the string that I am constantly fighting my impulses to play so zealously that I knock it out of tune. If you use a light touch, you can get away with more slack, and if you don't mind a tone like thick and sticky molasses, you can get away with a thicker string. You might also be able to play around with your amp settings to take some of the sludge out, if desired, but I, personally, find that to be too difficult.

 

[Koldunya]

For funsies (I was in a silly mood) I tuned my 27" 8-string down to D1 on probably a .74 string (it was up at F). It's pretty loose, at the 5th fret I can bend it up to G# lol...

I ordered a .095, .090, and have a .084 to test on it, but power chords don't sound wretched with a light touch

I'm also running it through two amp sims: Orange Rockerverb w/ 4x12 creambacks with the bass cut, and a Diezel Herbert w/ 4x12 G12K-100s IRs

I bring this up because at the F it was pretty solid.

 

[Koldunya]

Here, le shitty AF sound snippet of what my 27" SIXFDBG sounds like with a .074 at 5, doing some power chords, single notes, and alternate picking XD

1)Power Chords
2)Single Notes
3)Single alternate picking

Whyp - Free Audio Sharing for Everyone

Whyp is a free tool for music producers, singers and other content creators to quickly share audio files via the web.

whyp.it

Hope it helps. I don't know if it's the D Activators or if the strings are old that is causing the darkness. I don't know how minty fresh the current strings were when they were put on XD

According to my caliper it is 1.9mm/.074" but I definitely opened a pack of heavy bottom slinkies that had a .080 in it that is missing and I am looking at a .074 in the paper envelope

¯\_(ツ)_/¯​

 

[shpence]

I recorded a whole album in Drop F with EB Skinny Top/Heavy Bottom 7 string set (10-62) and it sounded just totally fine so it's doable. I just played a lot lighter, set up the guitar appropriately, and used a way lighter pick.

 

[sevenfoxes]

Thanks for everyone’s responses! I went ahead and tried a 74. Unfortunately, it was too loose for my tastes. I mean, it was definitely doable, but not really my preferred tension.

An 8 string might be in my future, but in the meantime I’m enjoying this guitar in drop A.

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[sevenfoxes]

Maybe counter-intuitive, but a thinner string will sound less muddy, especially at that low of a tuning.

@sevenfoxes - I agree that drop F is a bit aggressive at 26.5". Is there any reason why you are tuning that low? No one can really tell you what you will like or dislike. Some people love love love the sound of super-duper downtuned guitars with standard-ish scale lengths. But, as you might have gleamed from other posts, there are a fair number of people who can't get a good balance of tone and tension that low. Personally, I'd rather tune to standard at 26.5" or maybe as low as G. After that, I either have to use a thick enough string that I get a muddy tone or I have enough slack in the string that I am constantly fighting my impulses to play so zealously that I knock it out of tune. If you use a light touch, you can get away with more slack, and if you don't mind a tone like thick and sticky molasses, you can get away with a thicker string. You might also be able to play around with your amp settings to take some of the sludge out, if desired, but I, personally, find that to be too difficult.

I’ve been listening to a lot of 8 string metal lately, so I’ve been somewhat inspired to tune that low.

 

[ProjectRx]

Just wondering what those of you out there have found to be the best (or your favorite) string gauge for drop F on a 7 string?

Thanks!

depends on the scale length i like the nyxl 8 string set without the low e on my ltd probably. the string joys i got were good but its impossible to tune down to c# standard and make it sound good even with the 90 i have on it now so ive been keeping it in drop d#

 

[Ben Pinkus]

I use 12-80 on a 26.5-28" multiscale - works for me really well for F#