String Tension

[Doughboy]

I have a few warmoths, all which pretty much have the same specs: 25 1/2 strat necks, 16: radius, strat bodies & floyds. However, even though they're strung with the same brand & guage strings, the tensions are all different on each guitar. One in particular has such slinky tention that they feel like 8s, while another, which is it's exact duplicate, down to the wood & hardware, has much tighter tension. How can this be?

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

My guitars keep reminding me that they're made of wood.  While smart arsed sounding, I'm serious.  Grain direction and/or slight variations in a neck that's had human hands involved in the manufacture can all effect it.  Pickups too, they do have magnets afterall.  The strength, location, and amount of can all make a difference.  

Also, and I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen and felt it, amp EQ can make strings feel bigger or thinner.  I had a mad scientist help me tweak my tone and while he was turning stuff up and down he would say, "The strings feel fatter, don't they....or...They just got thinner didn't they?"

 

[mayfly]

Interesting observation.  A tele through an old marshall the strings feel like they have about 10,000 lb of tension.  A tele through an old AC30, they feel like they've got 1lb.

Interesting stuff.

 

[many typos]

Add a tiny bit of relief to the neck on the guitar with the heavy string tension..

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Make sure you have the same number of springs on the trem as well.
Patrick

 

[Soylent]

Interesting observation.  A tele through an old marshall the strings feel like they have about 10,000 lb of tension.  A tele through an old AC30, they feel like they've got 1lb.

Interesting stuff.

+ 30 billion. I've noticed that, as a lover of tele's, that's a very true statement.  :icon_thumright:

 

[-CB-]

If it were visual, it would be an optical illusion.  String tension is the same, when scale and gauge and pitch remain constant as well.
There maybe some mechanical things going on that make "bending" seem different based on how your Floyds are set up

 

[Mor Paul]

I've heard some string companies' guages are inconsistent.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Maybe that's why Eric Johnson does an intonation adjustment on every string change.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Maybe that's why Eric Johnson does an intonation adjustment on every string change.

No - that is because he has issues.

 

[AutoBat]

not all springs are created equal

 

[TJD]

Maybe that's why Eric Johnson does an intonation adjustment on every string change.

No - that is because he has issues.

++1

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

If it were visual, it would be an optical illusion.  String tension is the same, when scale and gauge and pitch remain constant as well.
There maybe some mechanical things going on that make "bending" seem different based on how your Floyds are set up

I would agree, but perception is reality.  We're all familiar with sustain caused by gain.

 

[-CB-]

Check the setup of your floyds really close.  check where they pivot, location of the parts.  Even if they're lic.by.floyd are they the SAME units?

This much I'll tell ya - angle of strings over saddles has a huge difference in feel.  Lot of guys like their stop bar low for "sustain" - or so they say - but I prefer it higher, for a more spongy feel, better bends.  It doesn't hurt sustain on iota says I.

 

[Doughboy]

I have 2 almost identical warmoths. Both have alder bodies, maple tops, birds eye maple necks, floyds, the same number of springs, same guage & brand strings with the different being one has 2 humbuckers & the other 1 humbucker & 2 single coils. One feels like it has 8s & the other like 9s. This is what has be baffled. I could understand if my all mahogany strat felt different than my ash soloist, but these 2 are identical & the tension & bending ease are worlds apart.

 

[-CB-]

Well since perception is reality......

 

[imminentG]

I would've never guessed this board would be so rich in subjective idealism.

 

[-CB-]

The concept of subjective idealism is just a bunch of vanilla vs chocolate to me!~

 

[JaySwear]

my two warmoths (both 25.5" scales) feel completely different, but of course they have different gauge strings on them. BUT i'll be replacing my "vintage" style saddles with some graphtech saddles. i'll do a comparison using garageband. not too relevant to this conversation, but it will be when i change the saddles and then get the same gauge strings on both. plus i'm interested in whether or not the saddles really do change anything sonically with my guitar.

 

[Cagey]

There are certain physical realities about string length, gauge and tension that can't be changed in order for a string to vibrate at a given frequency. However, the power of suggestion is tremendous.

Fret finish might be a factor, though. For instance, stainless steel frets are harder and often smoother, so bending strings against them is easier. Not much, but it's tangible. When I got my first SS fret setup, I was surprised at how slinky the strings felt. If there were a way to measure it, nothing would have changed. But, the feel certainly did.