Anyone use 8-38 or even 7-38 gauge strings, in STANDARD TUNING, 6-string, with Floyd?

[Number Of The Priest]

Update: I found a local source that stocks the Dunlop Billy Gibbons (7-38) gauge set. If I buy and install them, I will provide another review.

Now I have 12 boxes of D’Addario 9s that I am not using.

Those might be worth using in E-flat-standard or D-standard tuning, or even drop-D-flat like you said you use where the 8s were too spaghetti-like.

They also make an 8.5. Like, seriously - 8.5? Because 0.008" is too light and 0.009" is too heavy?

That's precisely it. I haven't tried them since I don't need that level of granularity, but you can really fine-tune your tension preferences with those half-gauge sets.

[Number Of The Priest]

I've only had a few playing sessions with the Ernie Ball 8-38 set and they're already starting to tarnish. I don't know why, but for me, Ernie Ball strings don't last very long, while D'Addario lasts far longer. And I don't know why I've seen other people swear by Ernie Ball strings for their longevity and hate D'Addario for going dead quickly. On one guitar, I tried coated Ernie Ball strings and they tarnished faster than uncoated strings, which baffled me. Maybe Ernie Ball strings don't play nice with my climate or my skin oil chemistry. I think I'm just not meant to enjoy Ernie Ball strings and I'll never be like the great list of artists listed on the back of every pack of Ernie Ball strings who are loyal to the brand.

A great string type I've been enjoying on another guitar is D'Addario XT (but 9-46 gauge). High carbon steel strings that are treated/coated, but feel like uncoated strings, which apparently replaces their EXP line (which I also previously enjoyed). I've had about the same number of hours of playing on this XT-equipped guitar as I have with the Ernie Ball 8-38 set and they still look, feel, and sound brand new. I hope D'Addario considers releasing an 8-38 set in their XT format. Maybe I should try their 8-38 NYXL set.

[metalhobo]

I've only had a few playing sessions with the Ernie Ball 8-38 set and they're already starting to tarnish. I don't know why, but for me, Ernie Ball strings don't last very long, while D'Addario lasts far longer. And I don't know why I've seen other people swear by Ernie Ball strings for their longevity and hate D'Addario for going dead quickly. On one guitar, I tried coated Ernie Ball strings and they tarnished faster than uncoated strings, which baffled me. Maybe Ernie Ball strings don't play nice with my climate or my skin oil chemistry. I think I'm just not meant to enjoy Ernie Ball strings and I'll never be like the great list of artists listed on the back of every pack of Ernie Ball strings who are loyal to the brand.

A great string type I've been enjoying on another guitar is D'Addario XT (but 9-46 gauge). High carbon steel strings that are treated/coated, but feel like uncoated strings, which apparently replaces their EXP line (which I also previously enjoyed). I've had about the same number of hours of playing on this XT-equipped guitar as I have with the Ernie Ball 8-38 set and they still look, feel, and sound brand new. I hope D'Addario considers releasing an 8-38 set in their XT format. Maybe I should try their 8-38 NYXL set.

ernie balls don't last for shit for me, either. I'm in the same boat as you with EB and d'addario. one thing about the ernie ball coated strings is only the wounds strings are coated. the plains are just normal plains, the same you'd get in a slinky pack. they're not "anti-tarnish" plains like elixir makes.

NYXL d'addarios are good strings but I didn't find that that lasted any longer than XL's.

[Number Of The Priest]

The tarnishing primarily affects my ability to bend the high strings, where the tarnish grinds against the frets, and less so for the wound strings... so for a company to not coat the strings that matter most for bending is very odd to me. Thanks for that info. I guess I'll finish using my current supply of Ernie Ball and then try the Dunlop Billy Gibbons 7-38 set I managed to find locally, hoping Dunlops last longer than Ernie Balls.

[metalhobo]

figured I'd post this here... I just received a guitar last week with 9-42 strings in standard tuning (25.5" scale). I thought the guitar sounded like ass, both plugged in and unplugged. that is, until I switched the bottom three strings to 46 gauge. also upped the action a bit. now it sounds great unplugged! plugged in it's still lacking, but I've never gotten along with the SH-6 so that's no surprise. I have a super d on the way that should fix that.

anyway my point is I think a 38 on the bottom would be doing a disservice to any guitar. I need that strong fundamental tone on the bottom strings.

[Number Of The Priest]

Interesting perspective. I can't say I've noticed a difference in tone whenever I'm using 8-38, 9-42, or 9-46 in standard tuning on a 25.5" scale guitar. The major advantage for me was the easier playability by choosing lighter strings. Good enough for me and I'm glad my tone didn't suffer, otherwise I'd have a dilemma on my hands. Would I choose playability over tone every time? It's hard to say.

It's possible some guitars just have their best voice when certain variables are correctly selected for them. That might include certain pickups, certain strings, a certain setup, etc. that all contribute to bringing the best out of that particular guitar. Guitars are so individual that on some of my guitars I'm able to achieve ridiculously low action while on other guitars I need to raise the action to prevent bent notes from choking, despite my setup skills and procedure being the exact same when setting up guitars in both scenarios.

[pianoguyy]

Many people talk about thicker strings giving a better tone. But then you go and play a bass guitar or 7-string guitar, or any number of "cultural" or other alternative instruments.
And someone like me, with access to pianos. which have over 200 strings... you can certainly hear a difference.

So, it was nice to see Rick Beato do the work that shows otherwise.


But, like all things 'music' - you have to do what you have to do in order to do what you have to do.

[metalhobo]

these days I do A/B recordings (both DI and mic'd amp) pretty much every time I do anything to my guitars... just anal like that. you simply cannot trust your memory and it gives me great pleasure being to both hear and see the difference that modifications and setup changes can make.

just watched (skimmed) the beato vid. yeah, those 9's and 8's sound fucking awful to my ears. almost no fundamental on the low notes, they have this anemic metallic ringing sound to them that you can't get rid of except by playing with a feather's touch. and the 10's didn't sound great there either, but that's probably because it's a short scale. the 11's sound TUFF

[Cuthbert]

I would be interested in trying out 8-42 in standard tuning, but I would be more interested if somebody made 8-46. no way would I gel with a 38 string on the bottom!

I think if you buy the Malmsteen string set it's 08-46.


I used 08-38 for many years, right now I mostly use 09-42 but I might return to them.

I also agree Ernie Balls don't last long, but they are more comfortable to play than D'addario and also have a better time.

[Number Of The Priest]

I posted on Facebook about my Soloist having 8-38 strings in standard tuning and someone replied about that Malmsteen 8-46 set. I remarked that that set is a hybrid set that jumps two gauges, which I've never seen before.

If we think of "standard" sets as 8-38, 9-42, and 10-46 where the string-to-string tension in each of those sets would be relatively similar (though not completely balanced; that's why D'Addario's Balanced Tension sets exist) then the plain strings from the 8 set and the wound strings from the 10 set represent a two-gauge jump, which is a pretty large spread. I'd be curious to try. It might serve well from drop-tuning. I can see 8-46 doing well for standard tuning with Drop-D.

To me, it makes more sense to have hybrid sets that just jump one gauge, like 8-42 (doesn't seem to exist), and the 9-46 already in existence.

[Cuthbert]

I posted on Facebook about my Soloist having 8-38 strings in standard tuning and someone replied about that Malmsteen 8-46 set. I remarked that that set is a hybrid set that jumps two gauges, which I've never seen before.

yes it's extreme hybrid, but it works..once I tested it on my scalloped Strat and it makes sense as you bene the 1st string from to say, D 10th fret to F#, while retaining some beef on the low strings.
Hendrix did the opposite with 0.10-0.38.

[Number Of The Priest]

In December 2021, I ordered several sets of Dunlop's 7-38 and 8-40 Billy Gibbons string sets from Strings And Beyond.

https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/dun...fine-7-38.html

https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/dun...fine-8-40.html

Since Christmas, I have had an 8-40 set on an Ibanez RG570 tuned to E-flat and I find myself frequently playing it.

A few weeks ago, I installed a 7-38 set on a Fender American Series Double Fat Strat tuned to standard. Today, I installed a 7-38 set on the standard-tuned Soloist (which previously had the Ernie Ball 8-38 set that seemed to tarnish quickly) and it made my best guitar even better, if that's even possible.

Tuning stability is solid, the hardware has no problems holding on to the super thin strings, the setups were easy, the playability is amazing, and the strings don't seem to age despite heavy playing.

As a former 20+ year loyalist to D'Addario for my electric strings which I found have a predicable rate of aging, and a brief flirtation with Ernie Ball strings whose string life can be horrible or last forever (with nothing in between), I think I am now a convert to Dunlop as a string company, with the only regret not trying them sooner (and the Billy Gibbons sets are difficult to find in my area).

In summary:

7-38 is great for me in standard tuning, 8-40 for E-flat, and I will gradually convert my other guitars to have these Dunlop Billy Gibbons strings.

EDIT: I rewatched the video I posted in the first post above and can now wholeheartedly agree with all the points raised about using insanely light strings. The bending is ridiculous, tone is the same, I have gained more confidence to play faster (and for longer periods and with a lighter touch), and it's more "fun" (difficult to describe) than playing more orthodox gauge sets like 9-42 in standard and 10-46 in E-flat.

[metalhobo]

so what's the deal with dunlop vs. daddario? as a daddario man myself

[Number Of The Priest]

I am basically forced to choose Dunlop because a 7-38 set is unavailable from any other company. I'm an extreme minority customer and that niche is currently only filled by Dunlop. That immediately rules out my former favorite, D'Addario.

I hope I am not premature (or even jinxing my luck) in declaring that the Dunlop sets I've installed since Christmas have shown virtually no signs of aging. If they age slowly and predictably like D'Addario, I'll be fine with that.

Nothing against D'Addario. If they had a 7-38 set, I would remain loyal to them. (D'Addario, please offer an XT/XS coated set in 7-38 and I will never need to look elsewhere.) My observations over two decades of D'Addario usage reveal that their decline from freshness is steady and predictable over a long period of time.

D'Addario has an 8-38 set but I cannot find it locally anywhere. Hence why I started my "8 journey" with the ubiquitous Ernie Ball 8-38 set. I begrudgingly bought those Ernie Ball 8-38 sets because I had no other choice.

I've already griped about Ernie Ball strings several times in this thread. My conclusion on them is that I've had about half my Ernie Ball sets last seemingly forever and the other half go dead within a week. I just don't like those 50:50 odds of amazing:disappointing.

[pianoguyy]

Can you mix and match your strings....
like buy the 11 set, and then buy a 7 single.



*or whatever the actual numbers would be