Who stayed with 26.5" and didn't feel the need to go longer?

[WaffleTheEpic]

To be fair, any US based company shipping you a guitar would probably have a no-return policy, seeing as shipping to anywhere outside the US is expensive as hell.

 

[will_shred]

IMO I felt a huge difference between 27' and 26.5' with my agile and Jackson. Much prefer 26.5

 

[Skygoneblue]

... there is no way I'm spending that kind of coin only to find that the extra half inch isn't enough.

 

[Deadnightshade]

After I strung up my brother's omen 8 for sale,I'd say that a .82 for F standard is the minimum I'd go with.Still had some BWOOOW ,but at acceptable levels,and sounded good.Any lower tuning though starts falling apart,and the gauge steps after .86 are way more abrupt.

Generally the optimal combination of string gauges and tuning is more difficult to get right on an 8 string,since it depends more on the available string lengths.And well you can always get new Circle K strings,but to experiment with a new string length you need another guitar or at best a new custom made neck.

 

[7stg]

28.625" scale FTW!

Yep!!!

This says it all - http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/extended-range-guitars/10064-string-gauges-inharmonicity.html

 

[sevenstringj]

Yep!!!

This says it all - http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/extended-range-guitars/10064-string-gauges-inharmonicity.html

That's great on paper, but it doesn't factor in different string construction (and probably other things). So far the clearest, most articulate low-E/F# I've tried was an .089 bass string on a 28" scale, which according to that chart should be muddy. Granted, it sounded more like a bass string than a guitar string. The simple, shitty truth of the matter is that a satisfactory low-F#/E usually takes a lot of trial and error (and money and patience).

 

[turk1329]

Hi there. When you got the 28' Schecter home, how did the low F#/Drop B sound compared to the 26'5?

 

[MF_Kitten]

I use a Circle K .094 (Guitar string NOT a bass string) for my low E for my 27 scale... but thats just cause I like big strings lol. A .074 was way too loose when I tried that. I felt an .080 was perfect for low E.

I actually bought the .094 as a joke/experiment because Circle K was having a ridiculous sale but ended up just falling in love with it. People always say that larger strings are too bassy but I think with my setup it sounds super clear and full.

FYI, Cirkle K Strings are all the same formula, so the bass and guitar strings are the same. The only differences are length and ball end size. They are made in a way that makes them really well suited to both instruments.

 

[Benny Boy]

I'm not really bothered by the inlay on the Schecter and if the build quality is as Mo good as my Hellraiser it should be a great guitar.

I have a Schecter C-7 FR and a C-7 Hellraiser (Both 26.5") and recently acquired the 28" SLS C-8.

The SLS is another class in terms of build quality, and the new neck shape is lovely to play. The extra length also adds clarity and a tighter feel to the lower end.

The skull inlay has been updated to offset dots so I would highly recommend you expand your Schecter arsenal

You can probably get a good deal if you shop around. I asked for prices from every UK dealer listed on the distributors website and got over £100 off the best list prices I'd seen.

 

[Valennic]

I've got 26.5 on my DKA8, and for what it is it works great, but I would like to go longer on the bass side. Couldn't stand to go longer on the treble side though, it would bug the ever loving shit out of me.

 

[Sponge]

Just going to pipe in, but bostjan provided great info on this topic.

After playing 24.75, 25.5, 26.5, 27, 28, 28.625, 30... They all have their issues with comfort and tension.

I do believe that the 30 inch scale is much better for a low tuning and is mandatory to get out of the BEOOOWWW dive.

Bending strings at longer scale lengths provides more effort as well, which can be a pain in the arse.

I still have not experienced, first hand, what a multiscale guitar can do, and am waiting on my first. Having experienced the difficulties that come with the scales previously mentioned, I think that the best way to go from here is to go with multiscale instruments and that this will be the future for the ERG player. Theoretically, they seem to make much more sense.

Can anyone verify or counter?

 

[DMONSTER]

I play a 30" scale 8 string and had no issues transitioning from a 25.5" 7 string, everything feels just perfect strung up .08-.74 in F tuning

 

[House74]

I just got some Circle K .82s and loaded them up on my schecter damien elite 8. They sound great, and definitely fixed any tension issues i had. unless you and beating on the strings with your pic, totally removed that BEEOOWWWWWWWW sound. Feels nice and tight. And thats without any further lengthening on the bridge adjustment, so there's still some room there as well. I played an RG8 with the 27" scale and it felt too much like a bass for me. 26.5 was a nice happy medium. 25.5 is a little short, but it CAN be done a .86-.90 would probably be my limit there.

 

[GunpointMetal]

9-82 balanced set from Circle K is perfect for 26.5".....I like 'em cause if you WANT it, you can get that "picked slightly sharp" sound, but under normal playing its not noticeable. Somehow with my Circle K strings I'm able to have a stupid low action at 26.5" and Drop E...didn't measure it exact but its less than 2.5mm on the bass side and well under 1mm on treble side....slick!

 

[House74]

9-82 balanced set from Circle K is perfect for 26.5".....I like 'em cause if you WANT it, you can get that "picked slightly sharp" sound, but under normal playing its not noticeable. Somehow with my Circle K strings I'm able to have a stupid low action at 26.5" and Drop E...didn't measure it exact but its less than 2.5mm on the bass side and well under 1mm on treble side....slick!

just to further this point, I also play in drop E and have no tension issues even in that. have no tried Eb yet

 

[Cloudy]

For quite some time I had 2 7's (a jeff loomis 26.5 and an agile 27)

to be honest I much preferred the 26.5.

 

[Carl Kolchak]

Question, I'm looking at a 27" scale Agile 8 string right now and was wondering what would be a good gauge F string for tuning the whole thing down one whole step.

Thanks.

 

[rockskate4x]

Question, I'm looking at a 27" scale Agile 8 string right now and was wondering what would be a good gauge F string for tuning the whole thing down one whole step.

Thanks.

sorry for being picky, but moving from F to F# is actually a half step... now to answer the question:

A .074 daddario string tuned to F1 on the 27" scale will have almost exactly the same tension as a .042 tuned to E2 (standard) on the 25.5" scale, or a set of .009s tuned to standard on an ibanez, fender, etc. I recommend starting with a .074 and only going up if you really need more tension, because the tone becomes more basslike with thicker strings.

 

[Carl Kolchak]

sorry for being picky, but moving from F to F# is actually a half step... now to answer the question:

A .074 daddario string tuned to F1 on the 27" scale will have almost exactly the same tension as a .042 tuned to E2 (standard) on the 25.5" scale, or a set of .009s tuned to standard on an ibanez, fender, etc. I recommend starting with a .074 and only going up if you really need more tension, because the tone becomes more basslike with thicker strings.

Thanks, but how is a string either sharp or flat in and of itself?

 

[rockskate4x]

Thanks, but how is a string either sharp or flat in and of itself?

i don't understand your question. Is this about intonation? Tuning? Do you maybe mean the string moving sharp when you hit it too hard?