RG2228 String Gauge ideas.

Chris

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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

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:lol: This is funny. :lol:

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™ 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.

:idea: 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. :D

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

zimbloth

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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 :lol:

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.
 

Chris

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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?
 

Variant

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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. :shrug:

maths.jpg
 

zimbloth

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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 :yesway:
 

zimbloth

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:agreed: 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.
 

muffgoat

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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
 

zimbloth

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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.
 

ibznorange

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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. :2c:
 

muffgoat

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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.
 

zimbloth

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blah blah blah

Ugh, as usual your posts are full of loss Max :lol:

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 :metal: ;)
 

zimbloth

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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.
 

ibznorange

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Ugh, as usual your posts are full of loss Max :lol:
you're a bastard :lol: :wub:
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. :shrug:. 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
 

zimbloth

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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. :lol:

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 :lol: It's just an outdated system.
 

Apophis

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There are no reasons :lol: 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 :agreed:
 

keithb

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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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