Low tension vs high tension

[TBman]

I recently took off a good set of ProArt basses with Knobloch high tension trebles (Carbon 500 ACX) to put on a set of Hannabach 815 super low tension.

I was hoping I would get a nice mellow tone. Well not really. On my Cordoba C5 what I got was something that sounds at times more like a plastic toy, than a $500 classical guitar. Most likely user error, so something tells me I should stick with higher tension for a while until I get more playing experience with my finger picks and with nylon strings in general.

What are your thoughts regarding low vs high tension strings?

[rick-slo]

Depends in part on the guitar. On my Ramirez 1-A (fairly long scale) usually used normal tension strings.

[michaelm101]

I agree with rick-slo. My suggestion is to email or call Cordoba and ask them what they recommend for their C5 model.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by michaelm101

I agree with rick-slo. My suggestion is to email or call Cordoba and ask them what they recommend for their C5 model.

Their spec sheet for the C-5 says this:

Savarez Cristal Corum High Tension 500CJ

HE

[TBman]

I ordered a couple of sets of high tension. Thanks everyone.

[Taylor814]

Trying new strings can be fun (for a while) but it's also time consuming and expensive. In changing from the Knoblochs to Hannabach you went from HT carbon trebles to SLT nylon. That's a pretty significant change. If you look at the SBM classical selection it includes about 40 manufacturers (or at least brands) with some of them having up to 10-12 different varieties further subdivided into 2-4 tensions, plus a whole bunch of custom selections.That's a lot of strings. To me the biggest questions are MT vs. HT and nylon vs. some degree of carbon substitution. So why not just buy a set of D'Addario EJ45s plus two sets of hybrid trebles: CNN and CCN (g-b-e). Put on the EJ45 all nylons and play for a week or two, then replace the trebles with CNN, continue for another week and then replace with CCN for another week. Determine which combination you like best, then repeat with EJ46. That should tell you lot about what sounds best to your ear in a somewhat logical manner.

I'm beginning to think that the tonal variations that we perceive just in our playing from Monday to Tuesday are greater than the string variations we think we detect. I don't know how many times I've found "The String" just to replace it with a fresh set of the "The String" a few months later and it's just "meh".

But if you still want to try a larger variety of manufactures somewhat subjectively segmented by tonal characteristics, SBM has a selection called The Experiment Collections that has a number of packages varying tension and tone (warm, neutral, brilliant) over complete sets or separate basses and trebles. I've never tried them, but they look interesting. Good luck on your search.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Taylor814

Trying new strings can be fun (for a while) but it's also time consuming and expensive. In changing from the Knoblochs to Hannabach you went from HT carbon trebles to SLT nylon. That's a pretty significant change. If you look at the SBM classical selection it includes about 40 manufacturers (or at least brands) with some of them having up to 10-12 different varieties further subdivided into 2-4 tensions, plus a whole bunch of custom selections.That's a lot of strings. To me the biggest questions are MT vs. HT and nylon vs. some degree of carbon substitution. So why not just buy a set of D'Addario EJ45s plus two sets of hybrid trebles: CNN and CCN (g-b-e). Put on the EJ45 all nylons and play for a week or two, then replace the trebles with CNN, continue for another week and then replace with CCN for another week. Determine which combination you like best, then repeat with EJ46. That should tell you lot about what sounds best to your ear in a somewhat logical manner.

I'm beginning to think that the tonal variations that we perceive just in our playing from Monday to Tuesday are greater than the string variations we think we detect. I don't know how many times I've found "The String" just to replace it with a fresh set of the "The String" a few months later and it's just "meh".

But if you still want to try a larger variety of manufactures somewhat subjectively segmented by tonal characteristics, SBM has a selection called The Experiment Collections that has a number of packages varying tension and tone (warm, neutral, brilliant) over complete sets or separate basses and trebles. I've never tried them, but they look interesting. Good luck on your search.

Thanks, great info!

[Jamolay]

My understanding is that SLT and similar very low tension strings are really made for very specialized and or very old instruments.

I would not expect them to play well on standard modern classical guitars, of which the C5 is definitely one.

[Carey]

The Hannabach 815 "SLT" are not really super-low tension: the first string
is about .0285", which is the same as a D'Add EJ46 first string and the Augustine Classic first string. It's the bass strings only that change in the 815s, at least from SLT to HT, and that could account for the tinny sound you got from that set.

I don't think one can generalize about low v high tension from one particular set, and finding the right (mixed?) set for a guitar is often not straightforward.

[Feste]

Finding the right combo/set of strings is absolutely a journey. It took me a couple years to figure out that I prefer nylon over carbon and super high tension with an aluminum 3rd string. Of course in five years my ears may prefer something else

[michaelm101]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Their spec sheet for the C-5 says this:

Savarez Cristal Corum High Tension 500CJ

HE

I used these and they were fine on the relatively dark sounding C5s I owned in the past. However, I recently strung up a similar toned F7 Paco (Cedar & Rosewood) with Corum Basses and Alliance trebles and she sings a little clearer in the upper registers...

I also recently strung HT Cantiga basses with NT Alliance trebles on another cedar-rosewood guitar and I like the feel of the HT & NT combo.

Savarez has a bunch of different offerings that mix different bassees, & trebles and also tensions....

[TBman]

I put a set of Knobloch Actives Double Silver HT on today. I'll report back.

[Carey]

I'm interested in how they work for you. I had their Double Slver basses in normal tension with QZ trebles on my guitar for awhile, and thought
the basses had a nice weight to them.

[canuck7]

Originally Posted by TBman

I put a set of Knobloch Actives Double Silver HT on today. I'll report back.

I put this set on my Wolfgang Jellinghaus La Canada (Torres FE17) a couple of months ago, and I really like the sound. It's a spruce top/Maple b&S. I don't have a lot of experience with different classical strings (or acoustic for that matter), and on classical have always been a bit intrigued by the low - medium (normal) - high tension classification....then when you throw in people mixing high tension on the bases, low tension on the trebles, or vice-versa, it gets all the more confusing...not too mention carbon vs nylon (I've yet to try carbon, but have a set somebody gave me of Knobloch Actives Double Silver HT with carbon trebles...



anyway, I have enjoyed reading this thread and gaining some more info/knowledge!!

[Rudy4]

Somewhere in my readings about string selection I remember the writer saying that the tension selection was more critical to the FEEL of the strings as opposed to tonal difference, assuming that an instrument was built in a way that the slightly increased tension wouldn't adversely effect it staying together.