Eight String

This may seem like an obscure topic for a web page, but people keep asking me. Here is the lowdown:

These are the gauges that I use. They start out light at the top and run disproportionately heavier as you go down. This provides a gradual transition from the guitar zone into the bass zone. You will note that I lightened up on the 4 bass strings a bit, compared to what I once used.  This gives good balance across the board. I find that it gives me a good mix of playability and punch:
 

E flat	.085
A flat	.065
D flat	.045
G flat	.035
B	.025
E	.016
A	.011
D	.009

If I were using my 8 string in a "bass player" role in a band I would make the gauges a bit heavier on the bass end, but as it is I am playing Shona music and classical music and other solo pieces on this guitar so therefore I don't want or need a thumpy bass tone

Ten String

Since people ask me about the ten string, here are the gauges I use.  I may make these a bit heavier in the future, since I am growing comfortable with the heavy gauges that I have on my eight string instruments:
 
 

Treble	1	A	.011
Treble	2	E	.012
Treble	3	B	.016
Treble	4	F#	.025
Treble	5	C#	.035
Bass	6	C	.106
Bass	7	G	.080
Bass	8	D	.060
Bass	9	A	.030
Bass	10	E	.016

This page revised 6/01 - sorry about some of the sigificant typos that were here.  I hope I did not throw anybody off!

Tap On!