Is "medium" tension the same as "normal" tension?

[ewalling]

I recently bought a set of Hannabach medium tension strings to try out on my classical. I bought them assuming that "medium" and "normal" tension meant the same thing - a sort of mid-ground tension between "low" and "high". Is this the case, or is there a difference?

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by ewalling

I recently bought a set of Hannabach medium tension strings to try out on my classical. I bought them assuming that "medium" and "normal" tension meant the same thing - a sort of mid-ground tension between "low" and "high". Is this the case, or is there a difference?

I can't speak about Hannabach strings per se, but your assumption is probably correct.
D'Addario, for instance, has 3 different tensions labeled normal, hard, extra hard as shown here:

http://daddario.com/DADProductDetail...&productid=234

Click on Family Tension Chart and you'll see each string in each set with individual and total string tension listed.

HE

[ewalling]

Thanks, Howard.

[JannieA]

Usually but once I spotted a stringset that has light normal, medium and high

[ewalling]

I put the Hannabach mediums on this afternoon, and they did turn out to be pretty much normal tension. Perhaps they are a little tighter, but that's a good thing, as I found D'Addario normal tension to be just a tad too slack for my tastes.

[WaddyT]

Hannabach strings, generally speaking, are higher in tension than other strings within the same category. i.e., Medium/Normal in Hannabach is higher tension than Medium/Normal in D'Addario or Savarez. As I recall, the difference would put Hannabach Mediums at about the same tension as D'Addario High tension strings.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by WaddyT

Hannabach strings, generally speaking, are higher in tension than other strings within the same category. i.e., Medium/Normal in Hannabach is higher tension than Medium/Normal in D'Addario or Savarez. As I recall, the difference would put Hannabach Mediums at about the same tension as D'Addario High tension strings.

Is that right? They sound and feel just about perfect on my Tak.

[WaddyT]

Here is the comparison for the strings.

Hannabach Medium Tension in pounds = e - 16.41, b - 13.94, g - 14.39, D - 16.17, A - 15.74, E - 15.74

D'Addario EJ-46(High Tension Nylon) = e - 15.8, b - 12.0, g - 12.4, D - 16.3, A - 15.9, E - 14.5

EJ44 (Extra Hard Tension) are 16.4, 12.5, 12.9, 16.3, 15.9, 15.7

So, based on that, they are nearly as high as D'Addario Extra Hard Tension.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by WaddyT

Here is the comparison for the strings.

Hannabach Medium Tension in pounds = e - 16.41, b - 13.94, g - 14.39, D - 16.17, A - 15.74, E - 15.74

D'Addario EJ-46(High Tension Nylon) = e - 15.8, b - 12.0, g - 12.4, D - 16.3, A - 15.9, E - 14.5

EJ44 (Extra Hard Tension) are 16.4, 12.5, 12.9, 16.3, 15.9, 15.7

So, based on that, they are nearly as high as D'Addario Extra Hard Tension.

Interesting. It really does surprise me, though. I remember putting D'Addario Extra Hards on a Godin ACS SA Slim and a Takamine TC135SC and they felt much more taut than these. The last strings I had one this guitar, which is a TH5C, were La Bella 2001 Medium Hard Tension, and these feel about the same - sort of hardish tension, but slack enough to keep the rich tone and to enable fairly effortless fretting.