Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I received my 4003s8 yesterday and must say that I am quite happy and impressed with it. I do have a question about strings. I tend to break strings on a regular basis on my regular 4003's so I'd expect to have more of a problem on the lighter s8 gauges. On another thread it was recommended that I try GHS Boomer 8 string sets from "Just Strings" or get sets from a Ric dealer. Both of those options are fine but I'd rather just go to a local shop and piece something together so my question is (finally) does anyone know of a guitar string brand/model that makes guitar strings long enough to be my "octave" strings?
I can take the s8 with me to a store and have them pop some sets open but thought I'd check here first. All guitar sets may be long enough but I have no experience so......
Thanks.

guitars have a 25 inch scale or there abouts so guitar sets will deifinately NOT work

Brian, with the multi-string basses, there aren't many options except for singles of bass strings. Might want to check out 8stringbass.com for some listings of manufacturers of 8 string sets or single strings you can order online. I have a 12 string Hamer and it has the same issue, the sets need to be ordered special.

It will probably be harder to break strings on an 8er.

I've got an s8 and I can tell you definately that no acoustic or electric guitar string is long enough....the E octave string is around a 45 (check the ghs set) and therefore you could use a single g bass string for the e octave, but the other 3 octaves would have to come out of an 8 string set...I wanted to use all thomastiks on mine to get lower tension on the neck but I couldn't find any of the octaves in a long enough size...so I think I'll just string it with TI's for the lows and GHS for the octaves and use the spare ghs set on another bass.

Brian, I have owned a few 8 string basses including a couple s8's and have always used Ken Smith strings. I prefer very low tension and Ken Smith offered the lightest gagues I could find. They have piccalo strings you can use as octaves. Check out their websight.

Hmmm....I thought for sure that I heard/read somewhere that there were some guitar strings that were long enough. Guess not

Thanks

I have a fresh pack of D'Addario XL guitar strings here. The low E string just barely reaches the second set of tuners on my S8. Other brands might be longer but these clearly won't work.