Ernie Ball dishes out the low-end love with new 8-String Regular Slinky set

Ernie Ball 8-String Slinky
(Image credit: Ernie Ball)

String manufacturer Ernie Ball has announced a new set of its enduringly-popular Regular Slinky electric guitar strings, tailored to eight-string players.

The new 8-String Regular Slinky guitar strings set is “optimized for longer scale lengths and multi-scale instruments.” Each nickel-wound string is therefore 39 1/2” long and the gauges include .010 .013, .0165, .024w, .032, .044, .058, and .074”.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of news of John Petrucci's new signature eight-string Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty, so it makes sense that the firm is ensuring its flagship Regular Slinkys are available for its own instrument range.

It’s also another clear sign that – as most guitarists have known for a while – the seven- and eight-string guitar trend is not going anywhere fast. Heavy players remain, to paraphrase Meghan Trainor, all about that bass.

Ernie Ball Medium Bass Slinky

(Image credit: Ernie Ball)

Speaking of bass, the firm has also announced the arrival of a new set of Medium Scale Regular Bass Slinkys. Again, they’re based around the usual nickel-wound, steel core construction but have scale-lengths tailored to medium-scale-lengths (up to 32 1/2”), as well as short-scale, string-through models like the Fender Mustang.

Head to ErnieBall.com for more information.

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Matt Parker

Matt is a staff writer for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.