Yes! I am consistent in my pseudonymity.

The daddario 110 is not taper-core but their 120 is so I might try that. Kalium also does taper cores. It’s a new instrument so I am expecting to play around with strings for a bit.

I do not find the U8 set lower tension than comparable bass strings, and in fact it feels stiffer than the Sunbeams I use on 4-string (not surprising since Sunbeams are round core).

I was struck by the uneven string tension. I think the idea was to achieve some uniformity of volume across strings but since the U8 has pretty different construction and electronics, I can’t really have an opinion there. I might also try experimenting with a more balanced custom Kalium set.

Just for your interest, here are the Warr Guitars official gauges for the Crafty 8 string tuning:

.128-.085-.065-.035-.016-.012-.010-.009

Still using a .016 but not so much of a tension increase from that towards the top D.
Slightly heavier wounds and a much heavier Bb.
Again an unusually heavy C.

Thanks. I think I'm headed to Kalium territory but we'll see down the road.

For completeness, i'll list the gauges of the Touch Guitars Medium 8 string set, which has just appeared on their Reverb page.

Bb – .110 roundwound/tapered
F – .085 roundwound/tapered
C – .065 roundwound/tapered
G – .030 roundwound/tapered
D – .016 plain
A – .012 plain
C – .011 plain
D – .010 plain (2x)

So as the light set but with .005 added to the lowest 3 strings.
Hmm the jump in tension from the G to the C is now even more extreme.

I've been messing with the Touch Guitars set. There are also setup issues I haven't resolved (you know, sometimes I actually want to just play the thing!).

I broke the .010 string tuning it up. I have since learned that the way to tune the D string is install it, tune it up to C stretch it, tune it back to C, leave it sit overnight, and then tune it up more.

I'm using a D'Addario .095. Seems fine. I'm using the second .010 they sent me for the high C (they gave me 2, probably expecting that I had no idea what I was doing--nice touch!).

The plain D and A strings are nice and bendable, so no complaints there, and I like the feel of the G string as well. Low C is a little tight for my tastes, but the low Bb was so floppy that I was getting unacceptable inharmonic overtones even in the E-F# range, which I kind of need since the next string's first usable note is G. So now I've got a D'Addario .120T on there and it is much better.

I am thinking of ordering a pile of Kalium strings next to see how I like them, and shoot for more balanced tension, though there are also advantages to unbalanced tension on an instrument like this: you essentially get up to 8 different timbres and if you're playing up and down 1 string a lot (as one does in 2-handed playing in a 5ths tuning, especially on the bass side), you can decide on the "sound" of the notes you want in the midrange of the instrument to achieve different effects. Intellectually I like the idea, but I'm not good enough yet to realize the benefits (whereas I know exactly where to plant my hands to get which effects on my basses).

On another note entirely, the hardest things for me playing this so far are:

1. the flat radius. My hands have a hard time in the middle of the fingerboard figuring out where they are supposed to be. I'm used to at least some to feel my way around from string to string.

2. Legato. A lot of basslines in the music I play require repeated notes that sustain from one to the next (thing of a bassist holding down a fret and playing 8th notes). Even alternating fingers on one fret gives a more staccato sound. Any videos, tips or suggestions?

I guess technically I'm talking "reverse legato" since the sustain comes from the bassist's left hand rather than the right (or perhaps that's "no bow" legato).

I've just strung up one of my 6 string basses in all fifths Eb Bb F C G D using .080 .050 .030 .016p .011p .008p.
The gauges of the lower 5 strings are similar to an all-fifths section of the Touch Guitars Light set.
The .080 .030 and .016p are identical and i think Touch Guitars chose those gauges well.
My .050 creates a steadily progressive change in tension from .080 to .030 instead of the unusually tight .060 Touch Guitars use.

A .012p would be equal tension to the .016p when tuned a fourth up (by the 4:3 gauge rule), so a .012p a fifth up is tuned 2 semitones higher than equal tension. I considered that too much of an increase so used a .011p which is only slightly tighter than the .016p.

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Anyway, the Touch Guitars Light set is:

Bb – .105 roundwound/tapered
F – .080 roundwound/tapered
C – .060 roundwound/tapered
G – .030 roundwound/tapered
D – .016 plain
A – .012 plain
C – .011 plain
D – .010 plain (2x)

By the 3:2 gauge rule for a fifth interval, your .120 is equal tension to the .080, seems a good choice.

I like to visualise tensions so here is the graph of the Touch Guitars Light set, tensions approximated using a Kalium tension calculator.
The loose Bb, tight C and significant increase in tension across DACD are clear: