Low tension strings

[gregory70]

Another vote for Santa Cruz Low Tension. I absolutely love them.

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by jricc

I'll add GHS Thin Core Strings to the list above.

+1.

Steve

[joeappel]

Originally Posted by musicman1951

Straight Up Strings. Great sound, great feel, great longevity.

+1 on this. These are what I use on my Waterloo.

[jemartin]

Originally Posted by Twiddle Dee

Yes I keep GHS Thin Core Lights on my Martin OM18A which noticeably reduces the tension but still sounds on par with regular lights.

Yes! And the Mediums give me a lot of power tuned down 1/2 step, and work great on my Taylor and Guild 12 string guitars... @ 1/2 & 1 full step down!

[rmoretti49]

Originally Posted by jemartin

Yes! And the Mediums give me a lot of power tuned down 1/2 step, and work great on my Taylor and Guild 12 string guitars... @ 1/2 & 1 full step down!

I didn't know that GHS Thincore are available in 12 string sets. Is that right?

[Troubador]

I see that the Straight Up Strings 'Heavy' gauge are 20+ pounds less than the Martin Monel medium.

[colins]

Started on TI Plectrums but moved to Newtone Heritage and am very happy with sound and reduced damage to my finances.

Recently added GHS Thin Core to the mix, and like them a lot.

Neck length matters; I use them on 25.6 inch necks. I tried low tension strings on a guitar with a 25 inch neck and they felt a bit sloppy.

Guitar matters too; I found the Thin Core did not suit one of my guitars.

[birdsong]

I have one guitar (25" scale, 000 body size) with John Pearse Phosphor Bronze/Silk. It's like playing air guitar........ there are two "sizes" to these (light, and light/medium). I do not recall which these are but they are fun to play.

[colins]

Originally Posted by birdsong

I have one guitar (25" scale, 000 body size) with John Pearse Phosphor Bronze/Silk. It's like playing air guitar........ there are two "sizes" to these (light, and light/medium). I do not recall which these are but they are fun to play.

That sounds good compared to my experience with a shorter neck. I might give them a try!

[rokdog49]

Any round-core string and anybody that offers them.
Newtones
Curt Mangan
GHS
…and the list goes on and on.

[dnf777]

Originally Posted by gregory70

Another vote for Santa Cruz Low Tension. I absolutely love them.

I put a set on a Martin 00-17 Tweedy, and generally liked the way they sound. Can I feel a low-tension difference, or better tension equality across the 6 strings? Absolutely NO WAY JOSÉ!

Can you “feel” a difference?

I like them, but not two or three times as much as others.

[Troubador]

Would it be okay to put SUS 'heavy' on a Martin, since those are still 20 pounds less tension than medium gauge?

[colins]

Originally Posted by dnf777

I put a set on a Martin 00-17 Tweedy, and generally liked the way they sound. Can I feel a low-tension difference, or better tension equality across the 6 strings? Absolutely NO WAY JOSÉ!

Can you “feel” a difference?

I like them, but not two or three times as much as others.

I don’t have experience with SC strings but with the Newtone Heritage and the GHS Thin Core I can definitely feel the difference compared with standard strings by those makers.

I also use Earthwood Silk and Steel, which I have seen classed as low tension. I like the strings but I can’t feel any tension difference with them.

[Wellington]

Sunbeams aren't low tension but their round core makes it easier on the fingers a little bit. GHS thincore are quite low tension.

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by colins

I also use Earthwood Silk and Steel, which I have seen classed as low tension. I like the strings but I can’t feel any tension difference with them.

They are lower tension strings compared to regular steel strings of the same gauge, but they're also hex-core so the difference isn't so big.

I can't remember exactly what gauge GHS Thin Cores I tried. I found them fun to play, but the tension was too low so too much buzzing, and a metallic sound.

In general, just changing the 2 treble strings can make a lot of difference on playability, in my (huuuge ) experience. Both going down a gauge for easier and faster playing, or up for a fuller/rounder sound (though I have the impression lower tension trebles are better for getting sympathetic resonance contributions from them).