Question Unbalanced 8 string slinkies...

[givemeajackson]

Hello, i'm new to this forum, and i created this account just for this question: are there any informations about more 8 string sets coming from ernie ball? because the currently set is horribly mismatched on ANY scale length, even multiscale, and it means that 8 string players have to change to other suppliers. now when i say it's mismatched, what i mean is that the tensions are extremely uneven, and with the usual extended scale on 8 string guitars, this becomes unbearable! for exemple, on a 27 inch scale in standard 8 string tuning, the 5th string has 32 pounds of tension (!!!), whereas the 8th only has 16 pounds. end result is a still flabby 8th string in spite of the baritone scale and an A string that will grind the tuners gears in a matter of weeks...
are there any rumours about a more balanced set? like .09 .13 .17 .26 .36 .46 .60 .80 ? because in europe the only options i have are to either ship my strings from circle K to switzerland or buy a 7 string set plus a single .80 that costs as much as an entire set of strings...
i've been ernie ball user all the way through my 6 and 7 string guitarist lifetime, i love the strings, but the 8 string set is simply useless and i'm a bit disappointed by the lack of thought that went into the matching process. sorry for the rant, but my situation is a bit desperate... :/

 

[DCStingray]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear you're not diggin' the 8 string set. We developed this set along with Schecter Guitar Research and they use these gauge combinations on most of their 8 string models. In our opinion, going much heavier than an 80 lost clarity and definition, so it's a balance of tone and string stiffness. You reference the tensions as though they are supposed to be equal, but in fact if you compare most all of our sets you will see a notable decline in tension on the lowest strings in most of our sets. This is because tension isn't the only factor in the equation - the string has an inherent stiffness which is influenced by the thickness and construction of the string. So, the "tension" or feel is actually a combination of the actual string tension and flexibility of the string. If you think the 80 is too floppy, we offer 90's as well...

 

[givemeajackson]

well, the main problem isn't the 8th string, it's mainly the 5th and 6th. so no plans?

 

[DCStingray]

well, the main problem isn't the 8th string, it's mainly the 5th and 6th. so no plans?

Ok, Gotcha. We're always working on new things and given the way guitars are trending and the rising popularity of 8-strings and now even 9-strings, I would say it's definitely possible that we could be releasing more 8-string sets in the future. Thanks for your feedback. We'll definitely keep that in mind for future 8-string sets.

 

[givemeajackson]

thank you, i'm keenly awaiting any news. my recommendation i'm sure a lot of people would buy as well would be a hybrid slinky set with an added 60 and an added 80, taking the extended scale into consideration.