7 string players, question about your high F

[wilser]

What strings do you use? is your high F (.020") plain or wound like the rest?

Many thanks!

[spindizzy]

.22 wound but I am experimenting with a .25 wound as I have low string tension on the C & F and would like to increase it.

I currently use Dean Markley Will Lee's but recently bought bulk strings with slightly different gauges than the Markley's as I would like to change more frequently and bulk will help contain the cost.

I'll let you know how the .25 does for an F string but I was not happy with the thin tone I got years ago from un-wound strings below .22. The other thing I noticed was a plain string sticks out like a sore thumb when compared to wound strings for the rest. I know that guitars do this all the time but to me the difference was too pronounced to let slide, that's why I started using the DMs.

Spin

[James Hart]

wound .22

I'm using LaBella Hard Rockin Steels

[kbr]

Wound .22

I use Conklin Snakeskin 7 string sets.

[Dave Grossman]

Originally Posted by wilser

What strings do you use? is your high F (.020") plain or wound like the rest?

Many thanks!

I use a plain GHS .018. I put a tiny piece of card-stock paper underneath the string at the bridge which helps dampen out some of the higher overtones and helps it match the wound strings better.

I've tried a 0.020 wound but found that I liked the plain 0.018 better. I think the 0.020 was tighter or something. I think that the 0.018 matches the tension of the rest of the strings better. I use light gauge GHS progressives.

- Dave

[Jean Baudin]

.26 wound - Fodera Diamond

[pointbass]

I'm using a plain .020 with a set of LaBella flats ... a tiny bit bright when first installed but it has settled in nicely ....

[wilser]

wow, there are many more choices than what I originally thought! May I ask where you all get your specific strings? sets or individual?

[Jean Baudin]

Fodera Diamond .26 wound - I order from Ken Lawrence... he has the strings made extra long (to handle his bridge design) - this string also works on the Hideous Claw, which has a similar long bridge.

For the Conklins, I use Conklin Snakeskin .22 which is wound. I get these from, of course, Conklin.

For the JP 12 I have an SIT .018 unwound. I think these are available from Conklin too.

[greenboy]

If you want to experiment for cheap (I've strung with high F on a 34" Six) you can buy either SS or nickel-plated guitar string singles. D'Addarios definitely will reach on a 34" scale and maybe even on some 35" unless they've been cutting them shorter recently. A couple other brands I tried were shorter.

I got down to .018 wound when I was building low-tension balanced sets.

[spindizzy]

I usually just order the Will Lee's from Musicians Friend but I am getting ready to try some bulk strings from Just Strings.com as I have heard a lot of good things about them.

Just a note here, and you should check and see if it is still true, but I thought that the Conklin Snakeskins were the very same string as the DM Will Lees (or perhaps made to a similar spec by Dean Markley). If so you will find that the Conklin strings are considerably more expensive direct from Conklin than the DMs are from anywhere else. Check though as this is fairly old information and I haven't looked into it in a couple of years.

Spin

[greenboy]

Forgot to mention when using those wound guitar strings for F, cut a bass ball-end off an old bass string and slip the guitar string through it to anchor into your bridge.

[spindizzy]

Now if only you could tell us how to build a synth out of guitar strings you'd have something greenboy!

Spin

[James Hart]

Originally Posted by wilser

wow, there are many more choices than what I originally thought! May I ask where you all get your specific strings? sets or individual?

5 string set + 2 individual for me
https://plus22.safe-order.net/bigcit...op/labhrs.html

L-M40B + L-M029 + L-M022
22 29 40 60 75 95 118

more brand choices here
http://bigcitystrings.com/bass5678.htm

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by greenboy

Forgot to mention when using those wound guitar strings for F, cut a bass ball-end off an old bass string and slip the guitar string through it to anchor into your bridge.

+1

I do this for my C string (guitar D) and it works great

[CraigG]

Originally Posted by kbr

Wound .22

I use Conklin Snakeskin 7 string sets.

+1

[elros]

My old 7 had a set of Ritter SwordSteel strings, with a wound .022 gauge F. My Conklin 9 however has the Conklin/SIT .018 F (and .011 Bb)

[CBO-7string]

Hey Wilser,Im Chaz-wassup! I first started out on my first custom-made7 (727)-7 string 27 frets,with a Tomastic-Infield 6-string set-and a GHS (D string) for guitar-it was a .025 I believe.Now this bass was the first 7-string my luthiuer ever built,so it was a 34" scale-so it sounded pretty good.The Toms were awsome,but quite exspensive.I later switch-ed to Carvin strings because of the unbelievible price (very good strings) and used a------GHS .028 for the very first time-its The same string I use for high F to this day.I did this because Carvin does not make a 7-string set,and actualy GHS makes that set for Carvin-it is very similar to GHS boomers.Now I have my second custom-made 7-wich was originaly a wide neck 6 and Ive gone from Carvin to DR's to Ken Smiths.The DR's sounded-better,but were not taper-wound-so I found the Kens wich taper the B-E-A-D.Also both ends are wound with cool purple yarn(the end that goes over your bridge saddle)and I think I will stay with them for good.Actualy the Ken 6-string set is the (Taper Core--Light-6)set(28-40-58-80-102-120) so I will use the .028 as my F and have purchased an extra Ken high C (.030) for my C (B-E-A-D-G-C-F). The timbre of the high C and F depend on,I think,the design and material of your bass (unplugged).Also my second 7 is laminated in the body as well as the neck(obviously,its a neck-thru design.Drop me a line some time if you want to talk futher- cbo7string@yahoo.com Be Blessed Chaz.

[Alex]

Don't really know much about this, but I was browsing F strings and found that SIT makes theirs considerably bigger gauge than anyone else: .30 and up. Anybody know why?