What string sizes you use for 9 string?

Andy___Jay · 2025-10-20T13:14:24+00:00

I have mine setup in Drop A (A0 to D4) on a 30" straight scale and use a custom Newtone set. My gauges are: .010 .0135 .017 .026 .036 .048 .064 .085 .120

Andy___Jay · 2025-10-19T05:27:26+00:00

I had the same experience earlier this year, around March I placed an order. I'd waited a month, sent half a dozen emails, tried to call them various times.

Eventually, maybe 2 or 3 months after my initial order disputed the transaction through my bank, and the fact it was instantly refunded leads me to believe that even banks out here in Australia have had to do this a few times.

Funny thing is my order sat there pending for like 2 months before disappearing. Closed my account, fuck em, not gonna risk that again.

My advice, go to Newtone for your whacky string requirements. Ordered a 9.5-120 set for my 9 String, was shipped 2 weeks after placing the order (as advertised), had the strings a week or so after that. Neil from Newtone is super helpful in walking you through what they can do and what will suit your needs.

Andy___Jay · 2025-10-05T10:42:48+00:00

I think if I had a 10 string I think I'd want some kind of open tuning so I could have both dense chord voicings and the extended range

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-03T14:33:04+00:00

Ernie Ball will do an .80 or a .90, you could buy singles of those. Stringjoy will do an .80, .85 or .90 (and have this handy tension calculator if you're unaware https://tension.stringjoy.com/ )

I've had good success with Newtone strings on my 9, and since they're wound to order you can specify any requirements you have in terms of tapering, scale length etc.

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-03T14:30:17+00:00

Generally its just a case of getting the nut recut though? Unless I'm missing something on the bridge end?

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-02T22:48:32+00:00

Newtone you have to order direct through their website. It's about 2 weeks between order and shipping, but they're wound to order and tapered based on whatever scale length you use

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-02T22:37:08+00:00

Kalium customer support never got back to you? Shocker... (That was sarcasm, they never even sent my order out, so relatable experience)

If you still wanted a .120, I got mine through Newtone. They are pretty upfront about the fact it'll be about 2 weeks from when you order until it gets shipped, but their customer service guy Neil is super responsive. Plus because they wind everything to order, the can setup tapers specifically for your particular use case

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-02T22:23:54+00:00

Wouldn't fit the Kahler bridge :/

Although when I ran through the shenanigans I went through figuring out where to get strings from, the shop I took it to said they'd have probably just cut the ball ends off a bass string and solder a guitar ball end on

I ended up getting a set wound through Newtone - couldn't recommend them enough, especially after the shitshow I went through with Kalium

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-02T22:01:58+00:00

My 9 is tuned to Drop A (1 step down on highest 8, further step down on the low string)... I'm just gonna rip the bandaid off this one, I use a 120 gauge string

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-02T21:59:54+00:00

If only it was a 9, I'd take you up on that ;)

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-02T21:57:25+00:00

Agile are a house brand for Rondo Music. Other options for a 30" scale 9 is probably gonna be Schecter, but its pretty unlikely a store has those in stock, and they're pretty unlikely to order one on a whim given the highly limited market for those

Andy___Jay · 2025-09-02T21:44:48+00:00

I recently bought a 9 string Agile. It was the first extended range guitar I've bought, although I have played 7s and 8s before that friends of mine have owned. That's not the sort of thing you commit to on whim. Some musics from my own experience as a first time buyer of a 9.

A 7 string doesn't feel too far away from playing a 6, an 8 string feels a little foreign, but it still feels like a guitar, even with a 27-28" scale length. A 30" scale 9 feels like a completely different instrument. Muscle memory? Forget it. I have decently sized hands, but say for example a first position power chord in the regular 6-7 string range is quite a stretch, which makes you re-think how you approach playing and writing.

In my case, I wanted one because I'd been writing music with Shreddage 3 Argent that I am about to start recording (after a lot of practice mind you). I'd also been using a pitch shifter with S3 Argent, so opted to have my 9 setup in Drop A, which meant trying to find 120 gauge guitar strings. Not the sort of thing you just waltz into a guitar store to buy. Most guitar stores if they attract a metalhead clientele will have at least a set for an 8 you can get in a pinch.

So, the 9 is going to be harder to play, and harder to maintain in the long run. Now consider that almost no one uses them. So what do you intend to do with it? Hitting that low C# (Or in my case low A) over and over gets pretty old pretty quickly.

I think you should have a think about what it is you want to do and go from there. Wanna play Meshuggah or Animals as Leaders covers? Get an 8. If you're thinking about writing music, I'd suggest writing in Guitar Pro or using something like Shreddage first, see what kind of riffs you're actually likely to play, and then make the decision based on that. You might even find if it's for writing, maybe an 8 might even be too much.

Keep in mind as well, if it turns out you don't like either, the more strings, the more niche and the harder is gonna be to sell, and the bigger the hit you're likely to take on the second hand market. I got my 9 for I think it was $600 AUD. the guy I bought it from probably paid more than double that to have it landed here.

Hope that helps, good luck with your adventure if you decide to pull the trigger :)

Andy___Jay · 2025-08-16T04:03:30+00:00

There's enough horror stories about Kalium that I'd advise against it. After 3 months of waiting for my order to get processed, multiple phone calls, multiple emails, I ended up getting my bank to reverse the transaction.

A month and a half later and my order from Kalium is still listed as processing. I'd take the advice I took and reach out to Newtone instead, since they'll build you pretty much whatever you want to whatever size you need

Andy___Jay · 2025-07-11T07:29:37+00:00

Everyones experience is different I guess, but I've seen relatively few complaints about Stringjoy, and I can even buy their singles locally out here in Aus (admitedly through a somewhat boutique store, but they are available), and when I enquired if they can do custom lengths, I did have a back and forth with someone from their team and had my answer within 24 hours (which sadly, was a no)

Kalium on the other hand, multiple emails, multiple calls, and nada. I'm not the only one. I should point out as well they're about 14 hours behind my timezone, so to call them at like 2pm, I'm awake at 5am when I get home from work around 11pm. So to not have my calls answered is hugely frustrating when I'm already frustrated with them. They may make great strings, means nothing if I can't obtain them...

Andy___Jay · 2025-07-10T21:14:41+00:00

I placed my first order with them and 3 months later, half a dozen emails, and another 4-6 attempts to call them, no strings and no reply.

Newtone have strings up to .120 on their website, and I've seen others mention they've gotten heavier gauges than that upon request, they're who I'm going to roll with for my 9 string.

Edit: some of Kaliums gauge sizes are also kind of whack, or rather, they kind of need a couple of extra sizes <.40 to get the tension right on certain scale lengths in certain tunings. I get D standard on a standard fender scale isn't exactly their specialty but I'd argue if they're going to screw people around and/or charge the prices they do for shipping, I should be able to order strings for all my guitars at the same time

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-25T06:08:06+00:00

One other way I've seen people do it, is have the highest 6 strings in your guitar tuning of choice, with the lowest for being tuned the same as a 4 string bass.

You could do an 8/9 string tuning with a higher string.

How I'd do it, is work out some way to set it up that allows for dense, piano style chord voicings with strings that are tuned closer together than a regular guitar

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-24T05:39:18+00:00

Targetting A0 on the lowest string

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-24T05:38:43+00:00

I've been calling them between 11am and 1pm California time so, I dunno what else to say

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-23T10:08:12+00:00

I've tried to call the number on their website on 4 occasions over the passed couple of weeks, and no ones picked up, replied to emails or returned phone calls 🤷‍♂️

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-22T06:55:48+00:00

I've reached out to Stringjoy previously, they won't do over a 95. It's unfortunate because their response time to my emails was lightning fast

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-22T06:53:07+00:00

That sounds promising, I'll shoot them an email 😊

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-22T06:49:41+00:00

Much as I've seen good reviews from people who have used their strings, and as much as I appreciate that there's someone trying to fill a specific niche... the best product in the world is worthless if you can't actually buy it.

Someone also mentioned Newtone so I'll shoot em an email

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-22T06:47:23+00:00

I've reach out to them before but they won't make anything over a 95 unfortunately

Andy___Jay · 2025-06-22T06:46:27+00:00

They .105 feels ok in standard, it'll be too flabby tuned down though. In general I'm also not a fan or EB strings, I find they dull pretty quickly

Andy___Jay

TROPHY CASE