I'm no luthier or guitar physicist, but the notes are a function of tension and string length for a given tension. The reason you can't use just one string gauge is that the lower strings use less tension and need a be of heavier gauge in order to be playable. Imagine an E (1st) string used in the E (6th) position........................it would just flop around.
That 7 string setup is fairly typical. You need a beefy gauge string in the 7th position to keep it playable.
I hope this makes sense, and maybe someone else here can explain it better.
EDIT......looks like ChO has chimed in with the good word.
Last edited by Plank_Spanker; March 12th, 2010 at 05:09 PM.
Guitars: 2008 Gibson SG Classic, 2006 Gibson Les Paul Standard LE, 2002 Gibson SG Supreme, 2001 Gibson Les Paul Studio Plus, 1996 Les Paul Studio Gem, American Deluxe Double Fat Strat, Bluesville "Super" Strat Copy, MIK Fender "Limited Edition" Tele, JD Bluesville "Night Pilot", Yamaha AES 820, Steinberger Spirit GT Pro, Taylor 355CE, Ovation 1897 Adamas, Ovation CC057 Celebrity
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