8 String strings

[Ashgray]

I'm seriously considering bidding for this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111043242932? ... 97.c0.m619

It's been up on E-bay a few times and never sold, but it'd make a great match for my white fretted and fretless 4001s, and I've always wanted an eight string! My only concern is the availability of new strings. Do any of you guys know of a reliable source of the octave strings, or are 8 string sets available? I note that there are few Redneck 8-string players on these fora - what strings do you use guys?

Thanks in advance for any info.

[chromium]

There are several 8-string sets available- from SIT, GHS, D'Addario, Rotosound, LaBella, possibly others...

I like D'Addario EXL-170s (nickel rounds) on my 4 strings, and so I tried their 8-string set on my Ibanez ST-980. That bass is built like a truck (weighs ~6kg), and those strings are built like winch cables! I like that bass - 32" scale and fun to dig into. String courses are widely-spaced (4mm gap between the root and octaves), and with the heavy root strings in that set it all feels very "high tension".

My 4003s8 is setup to be the polar opposite - a kinder, gentler eight. Not sure what strings are on there currently... they have brass ball-ends, with red silks on both ends- possibly Rotos? ...but the root strings seem a lot lighter gauge, and they look nickel. They feel "low tension" and are nice and bend-y - the anti-D'Addarios!. Anyway, I'm planning to try the SIT set on this one here in the near future.

Hope you get that silver one - great looking bass!

[ram]

I have a 4004L8 - for the fundamental strings I use D'Addario EXL220 and then individual strings at roughly half the fundamental diameter... nice bright sound!!!

[weemac]

Do not use the standard daddario set on a Rickenbacker eight string. They are well above rickenbackers specifications and are likely to give the bass neck joint issues.
The eight string set either in nickel or stainless by sit (order at bass strings online) are economical and provide fairly true intonation on the four saddle bridge. They are a very similar gauge to the original Rickenbacker branded ones.

I use the SIT strings on all my octave basses including my 4008 and my own Polymack brand basses..

Daddario make consistent great quality strings... In some really odd gauges. Not suitable for eight string basses...

Eden.

[ram]

What weemac & chromium said about the D'Addario * regular 8 set... way too heavy. I found the SIT to be good but didn't have the bright ring I was looking for.

[Ashgray]

Thanks for the info, I've scratched the D'Addario regulars from my list.

Anyone got any experience of RIC's own 8-strings sets? I prefer a fairly bright, attacking tone.

[weemac]

Get the SIT stainless sets. They sound like a slightly more polite rotosound set. Still plenty of bite though..
Rickenbackers eight string set was probably made by daddario and were nickel plated. Not quite as zingy as stainless once they have been on a few days...
Eden.

[gearhed289]

I use the GHS Boomers 8 string set (red silk BTW). They're practically identical to the gauges used by Rickenbacker. One thing I do though is I change out the low E for a .105. The .090 is just too floppy, especially since I'm tuned down a 1/2 step. That combined with my Teeder 8 saddle bridge makes for perfection!

[chromium]

I use the GHS Boomers 8 string set (red silk BTW).

That might be the set that's presently on mine. The root E feels like a 90.

I've already gigged it once with these raggedy strings! Livin' on the edge...



(I did swap that A out- seen hanging on by a thread in the pic)

[Ashgray]

Another quick question - from photos I've seen of other Rick 8 stringers, the one currently on EBay appears to have had work done on the tailpiece, as the mute section is missing and the normal slots that the strings pass through seem to have been widened right out: http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab28 ... ic1409.jpg

In light of this, and if I do buy this bass, I'd want to replace that tailpiece. It looks like Rick 8-string tailpieces have additional screws to anchor them to the body but I'm not sure if replacements are available - at least, I've not found any online.

Does anyone know if a standard 4001/4003 tailpiece would be OK, or (as I'm guessing) does the additional tension require the additional screws in an 8 string tailpiece?

[Ashgray]

query solved - Chromium's post in this thread answered my question.

[riverboat]

I'd love to have a Ricky 8 string but I do have a Hagstrom. When I got it about 30 years ago I could not find strings so I got a set of light guage strings for the fundamentals and ,as RAM said,halved the diameter for the octaves. Here's where it got tricky-I could use a guitar string for the octave E. The octave A has to be a bass string because it has to reach way up the headstock but the octave D which also must be long is too thin to be a bass string so I used a banjo string. Finally the octave G can be a guitar string. Luckily I think it's a little easier to get sets now. Have fun!

[riverboat]

I'd love to have a Ricky 8 string but I do have a Hagstrom. When I got it about 30 years ago I could not find strings so I got a set of light guage strings for the fundamentals and ,as RAM said,halved the diameter for the octaves. Here's where it got tricky-I could use a guitar string for the octave E. The octave A has to be a bass string because it has to reach way up the headstock but the octave D which also must be long is too thin to be a bass string so I used a banjo string. Finally the octave G can be a guitar string. Luckily I think it's a little easier to get sets now. Have fun!