Different tension on different basses!

[beyondat]

I had a set of DR Sunbeams strung through the body on my Lakland 55-01 and they felt perfect for me, really soft and flexible. I decided to buy a 4- strings set for my Fender mexican jazz bass but before they arrived I took the old ones off of my lakland and tried them on my jazz bass first. For some reason the tension feels much higher and the strings are just not a softan flexible as when they were on the lakland. Is it all in my head or do certain basses cause strings to feel different?

[Parabolic Box]

Same action and neck relief on both?

[bongomania]

Certain basses do cause strings to feel different. Not only because the setup overall may be different (in many subtle ways) as mentioned above, but also because basses themselves are not perfectly rigid planes. They flex and vibrate in response to the plucking of the string, and they all respond just a little bit differently.

[knuckle_head]

The difference is usually in the neck. Even if you have identically carved and radiused necks they will respond differently to tension and vibration because wood is inconsistent, even if cut from the same tree.

The body is a factor, but less so because there is very little flexing of the body.

Another culprit would be neck attachment.

[GeneralElectric]

The biggest thing here, IMO, is that you're going from string through body to through bridge stringing.

[4StringTheorist]

The exact same string tuned to the exact same pitch across the exact same scale length requires the exact same tension.

From the referred article:
T = (2Lf)²μ

For the same string, μ is the same. If you're tuning to the same frequency, f is the same. If the string is stretched across the same scale length, L is the same. Therefore, the tension T is the same.

Bongomania is right on when stating that the reason for the difference in feel is due to the influences of the instrument. It isn't the string tension, that's for sure. You could put that string up across a 34" pile of bricks and it'd have the same tension it has on your Lakland.

[Stanley Pugh]

This could be a exception.
The Schaller roller bridge does not have a fixed point where the string locks before terminating it can move on the roller freely.
Same bass , different bridge, softer feel because it moves.
I only use this type of bridge for that reason.
The equation at fixed points is true as mentioned.

[Jazzerbone]

Dude, I just noticed the same thing today. A set of Sunbeams on my 35" scale bass feels much looser than on my 34" scale. Its like night and day.

Side note... what strings can I look for that will have a looser feel/tension on a 6 string 34" scale?

G

[Parabolic Box]

Originally Posted by Jazzerbone

Dude, I just noticed the same thing today. A set of Sunbeams on my 35" scale bass feels much looser than on my 34" scale. Its like night and day.

Side note... what strings can I look for that will have a looser feel/tension on a 6 string 34" scale?

G

Light gauge, round core strings... something like Lite Sunbeams, Hi-Beams, or Fat-Beams.

[beyondat]

Does this mean that the wood that my Lakland is made out of is more flexible than my fender mexican jazz bass? I always tried some Labella DT flats on my lakland and they felt much more flexible than when they were on my mexican.