Anyone here using 8's on their electric?

axisus

Niallmo said:

I've just bought ten sixpences! 

If you paid more than 60p you wuz ripped off.

nickp

9s on the strat 10 on the LP.

I find the intonation better on the 10s and have to be a bit careful fretting chords with lighter strings otherwise (particularly on the D shape) I make things out of tune.

i'm happy as long as I don't play the strat too much otherwise i find the transition back to 10s on the LP slightly hard work for a while

Loobs

8s on a LP must feel appalling.

Philly_Q

axisus said:

Niallmo said:

I've just bought ten sixpences! 

If you paid more than 60p you wuz ripped off.

If you paid more than 25p you were ripped off...

Evilmags

I like vibrato on chords, and eights go to wonky for that.

viz

ICBM said:

ToneControl said:

btw, why would an 008 be more likely to snap than an 009? It would be at a lower tension

But they're also weaker. Thin strings do break more easily than thicker ones as a general rule.

If you think about it taking it to an extreme, if you had a .001 gauge string it would be under very low tension, but it would be extremely easy to break it.

yes so the top string is a unique case but the B string, say an 11, is less likely to break as a metaller's B string, as it is as an E on a jazzer's E string. I have 007s as my top G on my electric 12-string; the 008s kept breaking but the 007 hasn't broken for a year, so I actually think an 008 as top E would last longer than an 009.

Teetonetal

I am also starting to go towards thinner strings, I had worked my way up to 11,s on Strat/Tele and 12's on LP

now back down to 09's on Strat/Tele and 10's on LP

Partly my change came by simply not playing as much .- the 11's and 12's were a right pain to get back into. with 9's I haven't really noticed any tone difference and the guitar is easier and lighter to play.

Never tried 8's though isn't the bloke from ZZ top an 8's guy (Billy Gibbons?)

Bucket

I prefer a light, slinky feel but I think 8s would be a step too far - I use 9-46s in standard. That gets me enough stick as it is, a 10s-using friend of mine refers to them as "little girl strings".

ToneControl

13:10

Billy Gibbon's tech says he has never seen him break a string

EricTheWeary

Billy's sound is fairly processed these days so I doubt string gauge is much of a tone issue. I think the problem is being relaxed enough on stage not to tense up and play too hard for a light gauge, which is where 50 years of gigging comes in I guess.

EricTheWeary

ToneControl;493361" said:

I think there is a tone difference on cleaner settings

also I think it's harder to unintentionally play out of tune with heavier gauges

Those who play well with 007s must have a lot of accurate finger control



I have noticed that certain tensions can sound right for specific instruments (to me), I assume we all need to fine tune to get our instruments working for us



Tony Iommi's fingers dictated he used 7s I think, and that's part of his sound

Mind you, he can play Jazz too, which must surprise some people

Tony being given a Django album to listen to that inspired him to relearn how to play is a part of the Sabbath story. When there wasn't really any heavy metal to listen to they were listening to jazz and blues and classical and all those elements are there in early Sabbath. If you listen to the first albums clearly Bill Ward thought he was in a jazz band.

ToneControl

EricTheWeary said:

ToneControl;493361" said:

I think there is a tone difference on cleaner settings

also I think it's harder to unintentionally play out of tune with heavier gauges

Those who play well with 007s must have a lot of accurate finger control



I have noticed that certain tensions can sound right for specific instruments (to me), I assume we all need to fine tune to get our instruments working for us



Tony Iommi's fingers dictated he used 7s I think, and that's part of his sound

Mind you, he can play Jazz too, which must surprise some people

Tony being given a Django album to listen to that inspired him to relearn how to play is a part of the Sabbath story. When there wasn't really any heavy metal to listen to they were listening to jazz and blues and classical and all those elements are there in early Sabbath. If you listen to the first albums clearly Bill Ward thought he was in a jazz band.

I remembered his Jazz solo on Live at last:

Black Sabbath – Wicked World - Live

axisus

I'm quite interested to try 8s again actually. I've just been watching Alex Hutchings videos for a while and he gets some superb phrasing out of them. Might see if Coda have any tomorrow morning (probably not!), and face the hassle of set up/ truss rod tweaking etc.

bingefeller

axisus said:

I'm quite interested to try 8s again actually. I've just been watching Alex Hutchings videos for a while and he gets some superb phrasing out of them. Might see if Coda have any tomorrow morning (probably not!), and face the hassle of set up/ truss rod tweaking etc.

You should do it!  8s are nice and I bought more as I will put another set on when I change strings.  I find them so easy to play with

Oddly enough I didn't have to adjust my intonation, just had to adjust trem springs.  I did have to tweak my truss a bit but no problems since.  

JookyChap

It's odd, but as I've gotten older I've kinda gone up thru the string gauges rather than down. 

I always used 9s, sometimes 8s, 20 years ago, but now it tends to be 11s, although 13-65 tuned down is probably the best feel/tone, certainly on Gibson-scale guitars. It isn't because I bash the strings either, I play really lightly and rarely even touch the back of the neck with my thumb/hand.

bingefeller

JookyChap said:

It's odd, but as I've gotten older I've kinda gone up thru the string gauges rather than down. 

I always used 9s, sometimes 8s, 20 years ago, but now it tends to be 11s, although 13-65 tuned down is probably the best feel/tone, certainly on Gibson-scale guitars. It isn't because I bash the strings either, I play really lightly and rarely even touch the back of the neck with my thumb/hand.

I dunno, man, I can't see myself going back to heavier strings,......

JookyChap

It doesn't really matter if it works for you.

In my case it may have something to do with dodgy nerve endings and the fact I can't feel anything below an 11 cutting into my bleeding fingertips

ChrisMusic

JookyChap said:

In my case it may have something to do with dodgy nerve endings and the fact I can't feel anything below an 11 cutting into my bleeding fingertips

So I'll have to be careful when the Jooky guitar conveyer gets started again.

Dark rosewood fretboard and unique "ox-blood" finish, hmmmmm    :P

ChrisMusic

@axisus said:

I'm quite interested to try 8s again actually. I've just been watching Alex Hutchings videos for a while and he gets some superb phrasing out of them.

Do bear in mind that Alex uses P4 / fourths tuning, so the top two strings are a semitone up on the rest of the set.

I think he had 9s on top the last time I played his guitar.  I don't know if any of that helps though...

PolarityMan

digitalscream said:

I don't play 8s, but I do play 9s tuned down to drop-Db and that's kinda similar.

I've played it like that for about 4 or 5 years now - it's a much nicer experience, especially with my (very mildly) arthritic left hand.

Dont you find that the lower strings are too floppy and dont respond fast enough for fast palm mutes? I find it harder to play tightly cos the string takes so long to return.