Tension and Scale length vs. string length

[Cagey]

The amount of tension and therefore pitch change from string to string is not the same due to different diameter strings (mass), so there's no such thing as playing a chord and lowering the whole thing a 1/2 step (or whatever) and staying in tune. This is somewhat illustrated by Graphtech's "ratio" tuners, where they use different gear ratios on each tuner to change tension a musical amount rather than equal amounts of tension for each string. I think someone may have attempted to do that with a vibrato bridge, but I suspect it would be a pretty tricky thing to get dialed in properly, so nobody bothers.

 

[mayfly]

I think someone may have attempted to do that with a vibrato bridge, but I suspect it would be a pretty tricky thing to get dialed in properly, so nobody bothers.

Actually Jeff Beck manages to do this.  He can bend chords with the whammy and they stay in tune.  I suspect he's playing silly-buggers with the individual saddle heights.

 

[Seamas]

I think someone may have attempted to do that with a vibrato bridge, but I suspect it would be a pretty tricky thing to get dialed in properly, so nobody bothers.

Actually Jeff Beck manages to do this.  He can bend chords with the whammy and they stay in tune.  I suspect he's playing silly-buggers with the individual saddle heights.

Plus he is Jeff Beck.

 

[Cagey]

Plus he is Jeff Beck.

I understand he knows Victoria's secret.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Steve Morse is another insane chord bender, but with a stop tail.
He's got some mad chops.

 

[bagman67]

See also:  Jerry Donahue.


[youtube]9MTVsd3f8r8[/youtube]

 

[amigarobbo]

The Steinberger TranTrem was designed to warble/dive bomb in tune:



http://www.steinbergerworld.com/tt_tips.htm


Never used one myself.  :icon_scratch:

 

[cthroatgtr]

D'Addario has a site that cover tension:

http://stringtensionpro.com/

It's cool as you can change scale and string gauge as well as tuning.  Longer scales are typically higher tension.  You would go to a longer scale in order to get reasonable tension on lower strings (why bass is often longer scale).  Gibson's 24.75 is a little softer than Fender's 25.5.  There are other factors as well though.  Height at the bridge and height at the nut can play into that as well.  If your nut is too high, it will feel harder to play.  People always lower the bridge but often don't look at the nut.  Further what is the curvature of the neck.  This too impacts how easy to play. 

I have thought of getting a longer scale 7 string as I think it makes sense.  You see that also with fanned frets where the bass side is longer than the treble side.