How high can you tune double bass strings

[guitar344]

On a standard scale. I heard those strings are almost impossible to break. No wonder they are expensive. Can the Low E go up a whole octave?

[Teleman52]

Cmon man

Your asking a question that no body here knows the answer to again. You know your gonna do it no matter what we say. So why not just go do it and tell us what happens

[Rudy4]

The entire double bass is engineered to maximize the tone and volume in relation to the body / neck construction and geometric relationship of the string over the bridge.

At $200+ for strings and the cost of a good bass why would anyone attempt to increase string tension? (Unless they are trolling... )

If you're trying it on a cheap import bass, heck, they don't stay together at STANDARD tuning...

[guitar344]

I have no desire for a upright bass at this time. I want to know how high can you go above standard before breakage. I heard Double Bass strings are hard to break.

[JLT]

Originally Posted by guitar344

On a standard scale. I heard those strings are almost impossible to break. No wonder they are expensive. Can the Low E go up a whole octave?

I highly doubt it. Bass strings are usually set to be at around 40% of their breaking strength. Tuning it up entire octave would increase it to around 180% of its breaking strength, according to a calculation I made. (Actually, the string would fail at about the point where it was tuned up to G.) The solution would be to use a lighter-gauge string, such as the "D"string.

Even if the string itself could take the load, the strain on the instrument would probably be fatal to it, as Rudy4 pointed out.

[guitar344]

Originally Posted by JLT

I highly doubt it. Bass strings are usually set to be at around 40% of their breaking strength. Tuning it up entire octave would increase it to around 180% of its breaking strength, according to a calculation I made. (Actually, the string would fail at about the point where it was tuned up to G.) The solution would be to use a lighter-gauge string, such as the "D"string.

Even if the string itself could take the load, the strain on the instrument would probably be fatal to it, as Rudy4 pointed out.

So at 40% That means I get the low E up to B or C at most. E up at to B Flat would be 50% of breaking tension. E to B Flat is a tritone half an octave.

[posternutbag]

I know you are really interested in investigating string breakage, and nothing I say online will dissuade you, but I will try. Testing the limits of double bass strings is a terrible idea for at least three reasons:

1) Bass strings are expensive, like $300 for a set expensive.

2) I have seen a bass string break (a very old string, several years old); it is violent.

3) If you are using good strings on a cheap bass, the bass will break before the string does, specifically the bridge will collapse and/or the tailpiece will tear away from the body of the instrument. Double bass tailpieces have a tailgut, a nylon or steel strand cable that holds it on. Cheap nylon tailguts can and will fail catastrophically long before the string fails. Another possibility is that the tuner itself could bend/break; tuners on cheap basses are of poor quality.

The tension on a standard tuned double bass string is about 50% more than on a standard guitar, but the cross sectional area of a double bass string is proportionally much greater. The amount of force it would take to break one is considerable, and like I said, you will probably break the bass before you break the string, and when something breaks, it will be violent.

[JLT]

Originally Posted by guitar344

So at 40% That means I get the low E up to B or C at most. E up at to B Flat would be 50% of breaking tension. E to B Flat is a tritone half an octave.

I took a closer look at those calculations, and you're right. The breaking point is between C and C#, actually. It looks like I made a mistake when I said G. Of course, the spreadsheet I'm using to calculate this was originally designed for harps, so the model may be a bit off. (Harp builders are very sensitive to tensions; the spreadsheet tells me that there's over a half a ton of tension on the frame of a 34-string harp (1043.9 pounds, to be exact).

My revised calculations say that if you tuned the E1 string to E2, you would be at 140% of breaking strength, not 180%. Still broken, though.

[guitar344]

Originally Posted by JLT

I took a closer look at those calculations, and you're right. The breaking point is between C and C#, actually. It looks like I made a mistake when I said G. Of course, the spreadsheet I'm using to calculate this was originally designed for harps, so the model may be a bit off. (Harp builders are very sensitive to tensions; the spreadsheet tells me that there's over a half a ton of tension on the frame of a 34-string harp (1043.9 pounds, to be exact).

My revised calculations say that if you tuned the E1 string to E2, you would be at 140% of breaking strength, not 180%. Still broken, though.

Sounds right. That where the guitar low e is at. The a would break between e flat and e.

[Steve DeRosa]

1] You've had this under control for a month now...

2] Let it go...

3] If you think you can't, refer to #1...

[Rudy4]

If you're wondering about breaking strength of a string for musical instrument purposes a MUCH more important factor is how tension effects produced tone. Increasing the tension on a string designed to be used at a given scale length and pitch will literally choke it's ability to generate complex tonality. It will turn an otherwise beautiful instrument into an ugly duckling quite quickly, but if you're going for dull and lifeless tone you're going in the right direction.

[blue]

Google "will it blend". knock yourself out...

[guitar344]

As a general rule I can safely tune the bass string up to the next one. Like E up to A,A up to D, and D up to G.

[Teleman52]

Originally Posted by blue

Google "will it blend". knock yourself out...

They blended a double bass?! They've gone too far!