Ernie Ball 2625

The Ernie Ball 2625 string set for was one of the first on the market for 8 string players, and as with all EB strings they are bright, smooth and long lasting. Upon purchase of an eight string I was reasonably skeptical regarding one of the major manufacturers getting the gauges right, and resigned myself to mixing and matching to get the desired tensions. I was therefor pleasantly surprised to find the 2625 set absolutely bang on! That said, scale length and tuning become serious factors... tuning too much below standard on anything under a 27inch scale length may present a very floppy 8th string. However, swapping out the supplied .74 for a .80 single string is no huge inconvenience.
Recording with Slinky‘s is always a joy, and this set is no exception, retaining a natural feel and long lasting tonality. When swapping out the 8th string (another manufacturer - no names mentioned!) that string becomes dull and indistinct on average twice as quickly as the rest of the set.
So Ernie Ball does it again - although on reflection perhaps the .74 could be increased a little to cover all bases...

I’ve been using the Ernie Ball 2625 set on my 8-string, and it’s a solid choice for players looking for a balance between playability and tonal clarity across an extended range.

Playability & Feel:
The lighter treble gauges (.010–.017) make bends and fast passages comfortable, while the heavier bottom (.064–.074) provides enough tension to keep the low F# (or even drop tunings) from flopping around. On a 674 mm (26.5") scale, the set feels tight enough for riffing without being overly stiff — a good middle ground for both rhythm and lead players.

Tone:
Classic Ernie Ball Slinky character: bright, snappy highs with a strong midrange presence. The wound strings deliver a punchy low end without losing clarity, even in high-gain settings. Chords retain definition, and single notes cut through well. The nickel wound construction gives a slightly warmer feel compared to stainless, which works great for both metal and progressive styles.

Durability:
As expected from Ernie Ball, the strings hold up well under regular practice and gigging. They stay in tune reliably and resist corrosion decently if wiped down after sessions.

Overall:
This set is an excellent starting point for most 8-string players. It offers a versatile gauge spread that works for standard tunings, progressive metal, or experimental extended-range playing. If you’re looking for a dependable, balanced 8-string set with the familiar Slinky feel, the 2625s won’t disappoint.

As a long time user of D*#@* 6-string set, wasn't sure about what to chose for a set of my new entry level 8-string guitar in the same order from Thommann's to restring, but these Ernies custom gauge in their site sounded just neat. Perfect clean tones, and semi-wild distorted crunch with omnipresent subtle sparks of obertones was just a right choice for passive humbuckers. Over all great strings and plays great for my playing style of metalcore with occasional clean passages. The only cons - the highs are just little a bit too soft on lower action in Eb tuning, next time I 'll be preparing my fingers for some heavier gauges for sure, but these custom gauges create interesting and a bit unexpected feeling for play as well. Some different kind of balance.