String Tension Super Thread (Got a string question? Post it here!)

[Devyn Eclipse Nav]

So, I’ve been banging my head on the proverbial wall…

(See Q above, replying to notif Tree & minimize clutter)

Honestly the same set would get you pretty damn close to the same ballpark. Tension on the high strings is v similar, your third string being a smidge lighter, and the wound strings each have about 2-3 pounds less tension overall. Provided you’re not gorilla gripping this thing, it should play just fine & not be too different in tension

Even a custom set with each string up a singular (available) gauge would be a noticeably stiffer feeling than your fanned guitar, so yeah, same exact set is your best bet

Fear not the loose strings, my strat is strung up with an EB 8-38 set & I *LOVE* it

 

[Chri]

(See Q above, replying to notif Tree & minimize clutter)

Honestly the same set would get you pretty damn close to the same ballpark. Tension on the high strings is v similar, your third string being a smidge lighter, and the wound strings each have about 2-3 pounds less tension overall. Provided you’re not gorilla gripping this thing, it should play just fine & not be too different in tension

Even a custom set with each string up a singular (available) gauge would be a noticeably stiffer feeling than your fanned guitar, so yeah, same exact set is your best bet

Fear not the loose strings, my strat is strung up with an EB 8-38 set & I *LOVE* it

That’s what I’ve been doing so far, same set and same brand. It’s not bad at all, just missing a little something something.
I guess that’s just the trade off of Multiscale vs straight. I may bump up the two low strings to a 49 and 62 and see how that treats me. I’m no stranger to using lighter strings, though. When my old band was using Drop C pretty exclusively I was using a regular 10-46 set and loved it.

 

[Winspear]

I added a little segment to my gauge translator to suggest a feel match when working with different scale lengths (previously, it suggested based purely on tension match, which isn't always the best approach when changing scale lengths!) https://www.winspearinstrumental.com/pages/string-calculator

 

[Chri]

I added a little segment to my gauge translator to suggest a feel match when working with different scale lengths (previously, it suggested based purely on tension match, which isn't always the best approach when changing scale lengths!) https://www.winspearinstrumental.com/pages/string-calculator

This is really nice. Thanks for posting!

 

[ixlramp]

I added a little segment to my gauge translator to suggest a feel match when working with different scale lengths

Nice. I assume this works as you have mentioned elsewhere, multiplying the tension by the scale ratio?

 

[Winspear]

Nice. I assume this works as you have mentioned elsewhere, multiplying the tension by the scale ratio?

Indeed! I find that guideline to be very reliable having tested it across a few guitars now - so its working on a square root of the difference between the scale lengths to adjust the tension, rather than the full difference.

 

[MFB]

As I've been looking at new guitars, one thing I've been constantly checking is what off the shelf string sets seems to have the best/most uniform tension, and man, is it me or does it seem like baritone sets are absolute hogshit? 27" for B standard, and the first two strings seem OK albeit a little under what you'd see with say a set of 10's in E standard, but after that it skyrockets way the fuck up in terms of lbs/string; a 30 for the D (3rd) string, what the hell are they thinking, that's legit almost 30lbs of tension on the string?

The rest aren't much better from there, it's like playing with aircraft cables, and that's on a set that's supposedly designed FOR them. I ended up having to make a custom set of 13/17/26W/36/48/62 that matches what you'd see keeping it equal to 10's in E standard on a 25.5" scale. Don't even get me started on what it's like downtuning a 24.75" scale guitar for an even set.

 

[Winspear]

As I've been looking at new guitars, one thing I've been constantly checking is what off the shelf string sets seems to have the best/most uniform tension, and man, is it me or does it seem like baritone sets are absolute hogshit? 27" for B standard, and the first two strings seem OK albeit a little under what you'd see with say a set of 10's in E standard, but after that it skyrockets way the fuck up in terms of lbs/string; a 30 for the D (3rd) string, what the hell are they thinking, that's legit almost 30lbs of tension on the string?

The rest aren't much better from there, it's like playing with aircraft cables, and that's on a set that's supposedly designed FOR them. I ended up having to make a custom set of 13/17/26W/36/48/62 that matches what you'd see keeping it equal to 10's in E standard on a 25.5" scale. Don't even get me started on what it's like downtuning a 24.75" scale guitar for an even set.

Yes, the ground between about 11s and 13/14s(which do have some reasonable selections both for acoustic and electric sets branded 'baritone') is completely awful. There are sets like you described though such as the Daddario 13-62, which is a 10-46 minus the 10 plus a 62. Which brings into question why their 7 string set doesn't also have a 62...
Labella also make a version of this with a 70 for drop A.
But yeah, that middle ground for tunings like C, C#, is absolutely terribly covered.

 

[profwoot]

I've always thought that even the standard sets must have been chosen at random. The B and G strings in a 9-42 have 11.0 and 14.7 lbs of tension, respectively. Do most people just not notice?

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I've always thought that even the standard sets must have been chosen at random. The B and G strings in a 9-42 have 11.0 and 14.7 lbs of tension, respectively. Do most people just not notice?

I think most people notice that the (even if only subconsciously), as guitarists have routinely taken advantage of the lower tension in the B string for easier bends ever since electric guitars were invented.

 

[MFB]

I've always thought that even the standard sets must have been chosen at random. The B and G strings in a 9-42 have 11.0 and 14.7 lbs of tension, respectively. Do most people just not notice?

I didn't realize it was that much of a drop on those strings, even for the light top/heavy bottom sets I've used it's at least somewhat noticeable, but again not to the degree I thought it was.

You're not wrong though, even looking at some standard sets, the tension is just absolute dogshit and it's like, can y'all put out a statement as to why this is so staggeringly different from string to string?

 

[Tom odd 7]

You're not wrong though, even looking at some standard sets, the tension is just absolute dogshit and it's like, can y'all put out a statement as to why this is so staggeringly different from string to string?

I'm still wondering also & I won't come up with the answer, but ,
9/42 9/46 10/46 10/52 & 11/52 have invariably: B string as the weakest ; A string as the strongest... Just as if it was a rule of thumb.
For players looking for a more balanced set according to their feel & preference, singles are helping a lot (though not the cheapest way).
I noticed it's even worse with 7strings & dedicated downtuning/drop sets, as if manufacturers were going exactly in the opposite direction to the one that was supposed to be taken...

 

[NoodleFace]

Kinda feeling lazy - I use D'addario 10-59's (EXL110-7) on my 26.5" 7 in A standard. I want to match that feel on my 25.5" 7. The same set feels slightly flubby. I really wanted to find a standard set that would feel the same, but I might need to go custom.

How closedo you think this set will be in terms of feel (Ernie Ball 7-String Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Slinky Cobalt Electric Guitar Strings, 10-62 Gauge)? Amazon product ASIN B009XNP2NA

 

[Tom odd 7]

Kinda feeling lazy - I use D'addario 10-59's (EXL110-7) on my 26.5" 7 in A standard. I want to match that feel on my 25.5" 7. The same set feels slightly flubby. I really wanted to find a standard set that would feel the same, but I might need to go custom.

How closedo you think this set will be in terms of feel (Ernie Ball 7-String Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Slinky Cobalt Electric Guitar Strings, 10-62 Gauge)?

This could be a good overall feel with this 10-62.
But you might see/feel some noticeable differences "string to string", like still a little flubby for some & a bit tight for the others.
If going 100% custom isn't mandatory, buying a 6 strings set with an added single can solve everything such as 10,5-48 and a 62.
(D'addario exl 110+ / Ernie ball mega slinky 10.5,48 / GHS gb 10.5 and the single or your choice)
To me : 10-62 7 strings set is fine, 10,5-48 & 62 is the perfect match.

 

[BMFan30]

Many questions that often comes up on the boards are those involving string gauge. This thread will help to create a knowledge base of sorts to help guitarists with their string gauge woes.

To aid me in creating this, I have chosen to use this string tension calculator: String Guage and Tension Calculator - Version 0.1.4 - 26 apr 1998. It's not 110% accurate but it's accurate enough to positively answer MANY, if not most questions involving gauge, scale, etc.

Let's start with some basics involving the factors at play.

Scale Length
This is the estimated distance from the string's two termination points. One being at the nut, the other being at the bridge. What does that measurement have to do with string gauge? Well, look at it like this: say you take a rubber band and stretch it 12" and feel the tension that the rubber band is exerting. Now, stretch that same rubber band to about 18", now feel the tension. You should be able to easily tell a difference in tension. Now, in order to sound a given note, a string of a certain gauge must be under a certain amount of tension. The tighter, the higher the pitch. The looser, the lower the pitch.

Tension
Here, we'll be looking at tension as a measurement in lbs. Thus, for instance, if the scale of the guitar is 25.5" and a .009 gauge string is tuned to a standard 6-string guitar's high E (E4), the tension would be 13.13lbs. If we reduced that tension to 10.42lbs, then the note would ring out as a D, or one step down (D4).

Gauge
The gauge of the string, is it's thickness, or the diameter of the string itself. For instance, the commonly referred to "9s", are .009", or nine one-thousandths of an inch. The thicker the string, the more tension it'll need in order to reach a higher pitch. For instance, where a .009 at E4 is at 13.13lbs of tension, a .010 (just 1/1000 bigger) would have a tension rating of 16.21lbs at E4 on 25.5" scale.

Why is tension so important?
Well, to best illustrate this, lets perform an experiment. Take your guitar and down tune the low E (6th string, E2) and tune it down to B (B1). Notice how loose the string is, and how it buzzes and overall, just doesn't sound so great? That's why having proper tension is so important. It's why all the strings on your guitar aren't the same exact size, but a calculated, ever increasing gauge as the tuning of the strings gets lower.

If we can just keep using bigger strings, why bother with longer scales?
The lower you tune, the thicker the string will need to be to still have that ideal tension (which is different for everyone), eventually the string will have to be so wide around, that it's feel and timbre (tone) will start to suffer.

So why hunt down the proper strings?
To give your self the ideal feel, tension, and timbre on your chosen instrument taking scale and tuning into consideration. Look at it as finding the right sauce to put on your pasta.

Thank you so much for throwing this together a decade ago cause a decade later I find this info extremely useful!

 

[NoodleFace]

This could be a good overall feel with this 10-62.
But you might see/feel some noticeable differences "string to string", like still a little flubby for some & a bit tight for the others.
If going 100% custom isn't mandatory, buying a 6 strings set with an added single can solve everything such as 10,5-48 and a 62.
(D'addario exl 110+ / Ernie ball mega slinky 10.5,48 / GHS gb 10.5 and the single or your choice)
To me : 10-62 7 strings set is fine, 10,5-48 & 62 is the perfect match.

Thanks! A 6 set plus a 7 might be the way to go. Going to look into this. For whatever reason the thought never crossed my mind.

I don't mind custom but I get tired of the 15ish bucks it costs.

 

[Tom odd 7]

I don't mind custom but I get tired of the 15ish bucks it costs.

Yes, that's the point.
Enjoy your future new set.
Cheers

 

[-snake]

Stringjoy Guitar String Tension Calculator

The Stringjoy Guitar String Tension Calculator is the easiest and best tool to build the perfect balanced tension set of strings for your guitar or bass.

tension.stringjoy.com

 

[BenjaminW]

Just threw some 9.5s onto my Les Paul since all of my other electrics have 9.5s on them and wanted to have the same string gauge across all my electrics. I was kinda familiar with the whole string tension thing and kinda started to get interested in it recently on a whim honestly.

As far as tension and string gauge go, should I be prioritizing the same string gauge or tension across all my guitars? I like that 9.5s have the slinkiness of 9s but the heaviness of 10s (if that makes sense) but I also know that with shorter and longer scale lengths comes different tensions when using the same gauge.

 

[NoodleFace]

Just threw some 9.5s onto my Les Paul since all of my other electrics have 9.5s on them and wanted to have the same string gauge across all my electrics. I was kinda familiar with the whole string tension thing and kinda started to get interested in it recently on a whim honestly.

As far as tension and string gauge go, should I be prioritizing the same string gauge or tension across all my guitars? I like that 9.5s have the slinkiness of 9s but the heaviness of 10s (if that makes sense) but I also know that with shorter and longer scale lengths comes different tensions when using the same gauge.

I prefer the same tension on all my guitars but that's totally up to your preference. I know guys that don't give a shit at all and play wildly different tensions for different guitars