https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:15:18 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-347117 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:37:49 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-347117 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-347098 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:41:40 +0000
I have always thought that the 46 was too much "Nashville" for my idea of the E-string. It feels and sounds like it is from a different instrument than other strings.

The high e was too tight. I could not bend it the similar way than I bend b. I have to change hand position and take deep breathe to play the same thing than I did so easily with b.

The D string felt also too tight.

There are many players who have changed the bass string from heavier sets, but I would not like to use extreme settings on guitar, the average is ok with me.

I read an article about optimized string tensions and checked out if that had something to do with the way I feel about this string set. It seemed very consistent to the way I had thought.

So I checked out, if there is any possibility to "optimize" this set, and yes there is.

By changing the 10 --> 9.5 and 46 --> 49 I kew I could play the music as I hear it in my head.

So my Strat set is 9.5 13 17 26 36 49

A bit overcompensated according to the idea, but people suggest it is "better" than the regular one. For me, it is just what I wanted, I am happy that they released this 9.5. Anyway, compared to optimized sets, my set is simply too progressive and the accuracy on progression could be better.

the D string still remains tight, since D'addario does not offer string gauge 25 and 35, if that is "correct".

On blues bending on short scale I shall have

10.5 14 18 28 38 52

I do not know the basics behind the progressive tension, but for some reason slightly more tension on thicker string feels same as the less-tensioned thin string.

Is it so that the thicker string simply stretches more easily? Even though the tension is more in the free level, it is similar when string is touching the fret compared to the thinner one? The surface of the fingertip tissue is also biger with thicker gauges.

The heavier string also vibrates with lower frequency, so, with similar energy, the wave is bigger,

I do not care what gauges people have used and use. I want to play my own music and have my own sound. The progression principle just seems the only way to go.

Anyway, I have thought about this, the progression does not possibly fit, or could be more moderate for

1) traditional guitar styles, when certain familiar licks and sounds are important
2) vintage (small) radius guitars, with heavy gauges
3) guitars with very narrow neck, with light gauges
4) guitarists who play solo based on a pick hand

These are just guesses and opinions, no facts or experimental knowledge.

There are some old licks I can not play anymore, or at least they sound different, but there are some new licks out there...]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Jean Martin https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-347098 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346378 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:37:59 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance applebuilder https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346378 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346343 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:47:04 +0000 of course the ear is the final arbiter, but using 'perfect on paper' Downhome Physics for Everyman to describe string vibration is somewhat akin to judging Lee Harper's storytelling and prose from reading the Cliff Notes for To Kill a Mockingbird. if the mathematical models were not more advanced, it would be impossible to emulate magnetic pup guitars of various makes and scales by processing (no samples) a piezo signal from a mediocre guitar, as done in a Variax. arguably, the Variax models could be better, but those axes are fairly market-priced inexpensive implementations, and therefore rudimentary examples.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance gnease https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346343 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346338 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:40:56 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346338 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346335 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:56:40 +0000
I'm not a physicist, but I understand at least some of the basic concepts that relate to the guitar. Here's what I think they're trying to say, and what I think it means:

1. The pitch a string produces depends on its length, mass, and tension. Change any one and you'll have to change another one, or you won't be in tune. To get more bass tension, you have to use strings with more mass - they're all approaching this by changing the string gauges to make 'em heavier. And that part is dead on in agreement with physics.

2. If you vary the tension you'll get a different tone. I think that's also right - higher tension provides resistance to the vibration, creating a smaller vibrational arc. If your strings have different arcs along their speaking lengths it's logical you're going to create differences in the distribution of the overtones, resulting in a different tone. (You won't actually change the overtones, but you'll be supressing the higher ones a bit more, and it's the relative strength of each overtone that gives you a particular timbre). I see lots of references in the pages I looked at that talk about the "muddy" sound of the traditional bass string gauges, and reducing the overtones will give you more of a "pure" sound.

Now for the consequences I see....

1. Speaking length ain't the same as scale length. The reason we have to angle the bridge saddle, making our bass strings longer, is that as strings become less flexible the end points can't react as much. The speaking length - the part of the string that's vibrating (for practical purposes) is shorter than the actual length. As a result, the midpoint of the string isn't the midpoint of the speaking length.

That presents a problem - because we don't angle the nut (on most guitars - progressive nuts are available, but hard to find). Our speaking length is reduced at BOTH ends of the string, and that means that without a bridge adjustment the 12th fret won't quite be an octave. Using strings with higher tension and heavier gauge means you'll have a less flexible string, and you'll have to move the saddle back more to get the 12th fret in tune.

But that doesn't address what's happening at the other frets. I think it's logical that progressive strings lead to the notes below the 12th fret being progressively more flat (the 1st fret being off the most) and above the 12th fret progressively more sharp. The only solutions my little mind can see are using a progressive nut as well, or fanning the frets. If the string changes are extreme, fanning the frets would do a better job of giving you correct intonation across the range.

2. Because the speaking length is shorter, the antinodes (the points of greatest vibration at a particular overtone) are also going to move. Pickups are generally placed under an antinode of the open string. Drastically changing the mass of some strings might require a slight move of your pickups as well, angling them away from the bridge a bit more for the lower strings.

But my final thought: does it matter? A guitar sounds like a guitar because we've heard guitars before... so we know what they're supposed to sound like. "Optimizing" any aspect in terms of physics changes the sound, and the more you change it the less you'll sound like a guitar. We've grown to expect the sound that comes with the same gauges, tensions, and pickup placement/type our predecessors used.

For example, there are now optical pickups available that sense the entire vibration of the string, and translate that into current. "Traditional" pickups sense only a portion of the vibration - the small area above the pickup where the string motion induces current through the wound magnets. I tried out an optical pickup system when they first came out, because I was intrigued to hear what strings "really" sound like - and I didn't like them. They didn't sound quite like a guitar to me. So stuff like this I have to judge with my ears - physics won't tell me what the result will sound like, no matter how theoretically perfect it might be on paper.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance NoteBoat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346335 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346327 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:36:00 +0000
As for torsional imbalance, most standard sets create it. I can only give D'Addario figures, because that is the only table that I have.
9-42 have 38.8lbs on the high strings and 46.4lbs on the low strings 9 - 11 - 16 - 24 - 32 - 42 13.1 - 11 - 14.7 - 15.8 - 15.8 - 14.8 (85.2lbs) 10-46 have 48.2lbs on the high and 55.4lbs on the low. 10 - 13 - 17 - 26 - 36 - 46 16.2 - 15.4 - 16.6 - 18.4 - 19.5 - 17.5 (103.6lbs) 11-49 have high 56.0lbs and low 62.6lbs. 11 - 14 - 18 - 28 - 38 - 49 19.6 - 17.8 - 18.6 - 21.3 - 21.6 - 19.7 (118.6lbs) Changing the 9-42 into a 9-44, you get 9 - 12 - 16 - 24 - 32 - 44 13.1 - 13.1 - 14.7 - 15.8 - 15.8 - 16.1 (88.6lbs) High - 40.9lbs, low 47.7lbs.

It creates a more progressive tension and reduces the torsional imbalance (from 7.7 down to 6.8 )

Changing the 10-46 set gives: 10 - 14 - 18 - 26 - 36 - 49 16.2 - 17.8 - 18.6 - 18.4 - 19.5 - 19.7 (110.2lbs) High - 52.6lbs, low - 57.6lbs

Whilst not truly progressive, due to the D being lower in tension than the G, it does reduce the torsional imbalance from 7.2lbs to 5lbs.

The 11-49 set could be changed to: 11 - 15 - 19 - 28 - 38 - 52 19.6 - 20.5 - 20.7 - 21.3 - 21.6 - 22.0 (125.7lbs) High - 60.8lbs, low 64.9lbs

It creates both a progressive set and reduces the torsional imbalance from 6.6 lbs to 4.1lbs (high - 60.8, low 64.9)

Whilst they all increase the overall tension, they also reduce the imbalance in torsion between the low and high sides of the fretboard. There is some method in the progressive stance as against the current "standard" sets.

This is, however, all theoretical - exactly how these different gauges would feel in practice, I don't know.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance greybeard https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346327 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346319 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:37:30 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance applebuilder https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346319 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346316 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:28:08 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346316 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346301 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:37:22 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance applebuilder https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/anyone-know-about-progressive-string-tension/#post-346301