What gauge for 7-strings?

[Ermz]

Just picked myself up a Schecter C-7 Hellraiser. The stock set of strings on the thing is devastating my fingers when I play lead and do the wide vibratos I normally do.

I'm just wondering, what kind of gauge should I be aiming for to allow fluent lead playing, without making the B string feel like a laundry rope?

On the old guitar I used D'Adarrio .006 gauge. I'm not even sure whether they make any 7-string sets.

 

[Nebulous]

Try finding out what guage the currnent strings are, and work backwards. Also, remember what a diff there was when we changed the strings on the PS4, could just be shitty/ old strings.....btw, i thought we put .009 on the Jackson..??

 

[Nebulous]

Oh yeah, when you find out what guage you have now, just go to a local music store and ask the same thing, you'll have to go there anyway. Billy Hydes seem to know what they're selling.

Daniel\m/

 

[Benny H]

I think you'll be lucky to find a packaged 'set' of 7 strings that'll you'll like.

I use an Ernie Ball 11-48 - 6 string set, plus an added 62. I was using the same except with a 64 when I played a standard scale, but now I have the 26.5. I bought a bunch of these packs and 'custom gauges' from musiciansfriend.com... with the help of a friend in the US, which was well worth it in everyway.

I say you should use the same strings you do for a 6, or what feels the same (assuming that was tuned standard) then figure out what works as the low string. But expect it to be a bigger jump from the E to B.. well at least in my experience it takes that to get roughly the same tension.

 

[Hopkins-WitchfinderGeneral]

On the old guitar I used D'Adarrio .006 gauge. I'm not even sure whether they make any 7-string sets.

hahahahah, wet spaghetti

 

[Noumenon]

I say you should use the same strings you do for a 6, or what feels the same (assuming that was tuned standard) then figure out what works as the low string. But expect it to be a bigger jump from the E to B.. well at least in my experience it takes that to get roughly the same tension.

remember that the guitar he bought is a 26½" scale guitar, not 25½"

 

[JeffTD]

Yeah, the C-7 has a bit of an extended scale; so you might have to go down a guage. I just put up with the added tension until my fingers got used to it.

I just use a standard D'Adarrio 10-56 7 string set.

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

I use the Zakk "lo-tune" GHS set which has a .070 for the low. It's 11-70, and I put a 9 for the high e. perfect for leads, better for chunk. that .070 feels like a railroad track.

I have a Jap Ibanez 7621 fixed bridge 7 which is 25.5" scale. Those strings are perfect for it.

PS - Did you mean .009 gauge and not .006? 6 gauge strings just sound really really scary.

 

[Noumenon]

is there even 006? The thinnest I've seen is 007

 

[Ermz]

Yeah .009 gauge, sorry, it was a typo.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[jamesboyd]

the d'addario 10-56 pack works really for that guitar imho. If that's still to much for the higher strings just get 9-42's and buy a spare 52.

 

[Rich - Rannoch]

Ernie Ball 9-46 set with a 58 on the bottom works for me. Are you tuning to regular 'concert' pitch? You might want to go slightly heavier if you're tuning down a half step.

 

[Ermz]

How do you get a hold of a spare 58? I presume they don't sell them individually, so you need to get another packet just for that one string?

The D'Addario 9-56 pack sounds appealing.

 

[KeithRT99]

they sell individual strings at most stores. i buy singles of 58s for when i wanna tune lower than c

 

[Ermz]

Sweet, thanks. Had no idea, hehe.