PRS Se Custom 24 7 and Scale

[snouttrout]

Hi,

I'm used to playing on a 25.5 inch scale guitar with 10 gauge strings (John Petrucci Music Man). I love my PRS SE Custom 24 7, but I have not adjusted to the reduced string tension, and my picking technique seems to be suffering because of the change. If I use 11 gauge strings on my PRS SE Custom 24 7, will it feel like the 10 gauge strings on my 25.5 inch scale guitar? Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks

 

[shinksma]

Doesn't the SE 7-string come with .009s, plus the lower B as a .049 or something? Have you tried .010s on the 7-string? I honestly don't know for sure what the stock strings are...

But going up one gauge will certainly feel more like the JP MM. So if you have .009s on there, go to .010s, if you have .010s try the .011s. It's not a huge investment to try, I suppose...

 

[snouttrout]

The SE custom 7 strings are set up with 10 gauge D'addarios.

 

[garrettb]

The 11's will be a bit tighter feeling than 10's on a 25.5" scale. You'll probably only really feel it when bending, but it will be noticeable. I actually always enjoyed the relief of the slightly shorter scale.

You could also buy a six string set of 10.5 gauge and then buy singles for the low B to complete an in-between set.

 

[TroyBaer]

IIRC the stock 7th string on a CU24-7 is either a 0.056 or a 0.059, probably the latter. That's a bit light for anything lower than 7=B, so on the CU24-7 I have in drop-A, I use a 0.064 for the 7th string.

If you use heavier strings and upgrade to locking tuners, be warned that you may have to drill out the 7th tuner to accomodate the heavier string. I put Grover 406s in my CU24-7 in drop-A, and my tech had to drill down the locking cam on the 7th tuner slightly to get the 0.064 string to fit properly.

 

[shinksma]

Sorry to necro-thread, but I thought this might be of relevance to this particular thread, and possibly others. D'Addario has a new (-ish) micro-site for calculating string tensions, using either existing D'Addario sets and modifying as needed, or creating from scratch:

http://www.stringtensionpro.com/

Using that site, the tensions of EXL110s (regular [not balanced] 10s, a.k.a. Lights) at 25.5" Scale vs 25", and then EXL115s (11s, medium jazz/blues/rock) on 25" scale, are:

e 16.2 15.6 18.9
B 15.4 14.8 17.1
G 16.6 15.9 17.9
D 18.4 17.7 20.3
A 19.0 18.3 20.1
E 16.9 16.3 18.2

You can see that you will over-compensate slightly by going to 11s, but not to an impossible degree - tighter by a bout a pound or two. So if the 10s on a 25" scale are just a little too flabby, then 11s will at first seem a little too stiff, but you will probably adjust and accept it. And maybe you can find a Medium (11-based) set that is a bit different, like the balanced-tension sets out there.

(I did this comparison for six strings, because it was easier, better string set selection, but you get the idea.)

AFAIK, the PRS SE Custom 24-7 comes with D'Addario EXL110-7, which are 10 13 17 26 36 46 59. I find the bass strings to be a bit floppy, so I've ordered EXL140-8 (10 13 17 30 42 54 64 74) (I will reserve the 74!).

 

[Coldvisions34]

I've got both a MM JP7 and an SE 7 and play in G# and I have to run heavier string on the PRS to get the same tension and feel as the MM. I run 62-10's on the MM and 68-11's on the PRS. To me they feel about the same tension wise and both are very comfortable to play. That 68 on the PRS definitely gives it some extra boom! If you're thinking about changing tuners than look no further than the PRS phase II tuners. They will require drilling to install and the old tuner pilot holes will be exposed on the back of the headstock but they will be easy to fill in. You WILL NOT have to route out the 7th string tuner to fit bigger strings tho.. I have them on my SE 7 and on 2 of my baritones and they will fit 74 gauge strings.

 

[TroyBaer]

AFAIK, the PRS SE Custom 24-7 comes with D'Addario EXL110-7, which are 10 13 17 26 36 46 59. I find the bass strings to be a bit floppy, so I've ordered EXL140-8 (10 13 17 30 42 54 64 74) (I will reserve the 74!).

The 0.064" might be a smidge too big for the stock PRS SE tuners. I put a 0.064" on one of my SE 7s, the one I keep in drop A, and I had to have my tech drill out the 7th tuner a bit to get it to fit. (Then again, that guitar also has Grover 406s instead of the stock tuners.)

 

[Coldvisions34]

Stock PRS tuners will accommodate anything up to at least a 74 pretty easily. The Grover's are hard pressed to get anything more than a 60 through them without mod.

 

[shinksma]

The 0.064" might be a smidge too big for the stock PRS SE tuners. I put a 0.064" on one of my SE 7s, the one I keep in drop A, and I had to have my tech drill out the 7th tuner a bit to get it to fit. (Then again, that guitar also has Grover 406s instead of the stock tuners.)

Stock PRS tuners will accommodate anything up to at least a 74 pretty easily. The Grover's are hard pressed to get anything more than a 60 through them without mod.

So I put the new strings on my SE-7 today. The 64 fit through the tuner hole OK. It didn't feel like there was much room left, though. If 74s fit, it must be awfully tight.

And, with the new strings (10 13 17 30 42 54 64), the guitar feels like I want it to: nice tight bass strings, but good bendability on the e, B and G strings. I've got a slightly different coming in for the next string change, Ernie Balls Cobalts, same string gauges except the 64 becomes a 62. Those won't go on for a while, unless I lose a couple fat strings, but it will be a good comparison. Never used Cobalts, AFAIK.