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Old 02-28-2018, 04:14 PM
guitar344 guitar344 is offline
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Default Why do Bass strings have more tension than guitar strings

Bass strings are tuned lower, yet they have twice the tension? To me bass strings feel just as lose as guitar strings. Does it have something to do with the scale length? Why does the hi E on a guitar feel tighter than bass strings even though it's under less tension?

Last edited by guitar344; 02-28-2018 at 04:24 PM.
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Old 02-28-2018, 05:23 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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I don’t know for certain, but it’s probably because they have significantly more mass than the unwound strings.


whm
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Old 02-28-2018, 05:33 PM
tomiv9 tomiv9 is offline
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http://www.daddario.com/DADMobilePro...__Light__12_53

See above, bass strings do not have twice as much tension. All the strings have pretty similar tensions I suspect that's why the guages are chosen for each string.
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Old 02-28-2018, 05:39 PM
RustNeverSleeps RustNeverSleeps is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomiv9 View Post
http://www.daddario.com/DADMobilePro...__Light__12_53

See above, bass strings do not have twice as much tension. All the strings have pretty similar tensions I suspect that's why the guages are chosen for each string.
OP's talking about bass guitar strings vs guitar strings.

I'm with WHM on this one.
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Old 02-28-2018, 06:36 PM
tomiv9 tomiv9 is offline
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Oh, yeh for basses, it def has to do with scale length. Basses are typically 34" vs 25.5" on guitar. For what it's worth I can def feel the additional tension. Sometimes I like to warm up on my bass, then switch to guitar. After playing the bass the guitar feels like a breeze to play
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Old 02-28-2018, 06:50 PM
Jeff Scott Jeff Scott is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomiv9 View Post
...I can def feel the additional tension. Sometimes I like to warm up on my bass, then switch to guitar. After playing the bass the guitar feels like a breeze to play
I find the opposite to be true, for me.
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Old 02-28-2018, 07:19 PM
Sam Guidry Sam Guidry is offline
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Bass strings have more stiffness than smaller strings. It is why there is more compensation of string length on thicker strings
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Old 02-28-2018, 08:09 PM
Birdbrain Birdbrain is offline
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Default Not my new bass...

... it plays effortlessly, even bending strings, because it has a 28-inch scale. Plays like a guitar, with a little stretch. It's an Ibanez Mikro, a solidbody made of undistinguished planks of wood with no ornamentation, befitting it's below-$200 price tag. I'm having a ball with it, fingerpicking it like a guitar. From the first night, I could play for hours- and my hands are neither large or strong.

For that reason alone, I'd always thought the bass just wasn't an option for me. What a nice 65th birthday present for myself, proving that wrong.
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Old 02-28-2018, 08:14 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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I'm posting a quote from another thread that might point you in the right direction:

Quote:
Originally Posted by hillin View Post
I found this formula to calculate string tension:
(from http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf)

Code:
T = (UW x (2 x L x F)²) / 386.4
where
UW- Unit Weight expressed in pounds per linear inch (lb/in).
L- Scale Length. This is the vibrating length of the string. This is determined by
measuring the distance from the nut to the bridge of the instrument in inches (in).
F- Frequency or pitch. This is the pitch at which you will be tuning the string
expressed in cycles per second (Hertz)
So the idea is, modify F and M to keep T in a safe range
- the operative principle here being to keep T in a safe range...
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