How much pressure is a bass neck subject to?

[Soniq7]

Im a new bass player and a science nerd. I was curious what kind of string pressures exist in the neck of 4,5,6 string instruments?

Anybody have a simple number in pounds or kilos?

Just wondering...

[PBass101]

My Thomastiks had on the package that they put about 157 lbs. on the neck. Rotosound emailed me after I asked them and the Rotosound Swing Bass strings put about 187 lbs on. Both of these were four stringers.

[xgator4u]

YUP there is no stock answer. depends on brand/style/gauge of the strings, as well as the scale length, as well as the tuning used =standard/drop D etc. each variable will factor in to determine torque.

[Soniq7]

Understood. Just looking for a range, roughly speaking.

[john turner]

yeah, i'd say approx 180-200 pounds on a 4 string. in a standard set of strings, the highest tension is usually the d string, ime.

[debassr]

Originally Posted by john turner

yeah, i'd say approx 180-200 pounds on a 4 string. in a standard set of strings, the highest tension is usually the d string, ime.

I wonder why it's the D string?

[kjpollo]

Originally Posted by john turner

yeah, i'd say approx 180-200 pounds on a 4 string. in a standard set of strings, the highest tension is usually the d string, ime.

Just curious, why would you think the D has the highest tension?
I would think it would be either of the end strings on a standard-tuned 4, either the E or G. I would lean toward the E because of its greater thickness but hey, I'm not a science guy. I'm sure some of our more physics-oriented guys will chime in on THIS one.

[john turner]

-shrug-. don't know why, but it's been the case with every standard gauged 4 string set i ever bought, back in the day.

the lower strings tend to exert less tension - the e string is the least on a standard 4 string set.

i'll see if i can find some mfg numbers and link em.

[john turner]

ok, here's a list from the d'addario website for their strings...

http://www.daddario.com/Resources/JD...sion_chart.pdf

it's a little tricky to read, but here's the deal with it.

if you notice, starting on page 9 they have their bass strings listed, by gauge, and the tension for each string when tuned to different notes.

taking a standard set gauge of 105-85-65-45 , for instance, with the long scale prosteels, and you have tensions at appropriate 4 string tuning of E'-A'-D-G of 37.3 - 44.9- 47.3- 41.9 . often you will have sets with lighter tops, where the tension is even less on those strings, and the difference with the d string is even more pronounced.


this is why, with my own personal sets from sit, i get smaller gauge d's and g's.

[john turner]

oh, and since this is a strings discussion, we're going to move it to strings. .

[Bongolation]

Originally Posted by Soniq7

Im a new bass player and a science nerd. I was curious what kind of string pressures exist in the neck of 4,5,6 string instruments?

Anybody have a simple number in pounds or kilos?

It varies a lot, as mentioned, but I was looking at some of the figures posted on an Internet string dealer's site last year and some makes and gauges do indeed put well OVER 200# on a standard-scale four-string's neck.

TI's are known to be extremely low-tension strings.

[jasper383]

Originally Posted by john turner

ok, here's a list from the d'addario website for their strings...

http://www.daddario.com/Resources/JD...sion_chart.pdf

it's a little tricky to read, but here's the deal with it.

if you notice, starting on page 9 they have their bass strings listed, by gauge, and the tension for each string when tuned to different notes.

taking a standard set gauge of 105-85-65-45 , for instance, with the long scale prosteels, and you have tensions at appropriate 4 string tuning of E'-A'-D-G of 37.3 - 44.9- 47.3- 41.9 . often you will have sets with lighter tops, where the tension is even less on those strings, and the difference with the d string is even more pronounced.


this is why, with my own personal sets from sit, i get smaller gauge d's and g's.

The D string usually sticks out as the highest tension string of the set. B strings tend to be really floppy, tension wise. I remember reading that the D tension was chosen back in the day to compensate for shortcomings in cab technology. Not sure why this was the case.

At some point, all bass players should put together an even tensioned set of individual strings and put it on their bass, just to see what's it's like.

I did this a while ago, buying individual D'Addario strings. If I recall, I ended up with lighter than ususal A and D strings. 45-60-80-105, I think. All pretty close to 40 pounds per string. To add a B string would have meant a .145, which D'Addario makes.

The difference in feel is subtle, but the D string doesn't stick out as really tangy as it does usually to my ears.

[markdavid]

Originally Posted by kjpollo

Just curious, why would you think the D has the highest tension?
I would think it would be either of the end strings on a standard-tuned 4, either the E or G. I would lean toward the E because of its greater thickness but hey, I'm not a science guy. I'm sure some of our more physics-oriented guys will chime in on THIS one.

I have actually looked this up using the Daddario tension chart (sad as i am) and using the chart I found that the D has the highest tension with the A string coming second , the G coming third and the E string has the least tension. I found that to get an ideal tension balance (tension similar across all 4 strings) you would need a set of strings with a heavier E and G (eg 105,80,60,45 or 110,85,65,50)

[ashtray9]

These numbers are very impressive. Hard to believe the necks can handle it. Sure makes one think twice about buying a shoddy one piece neck, eh?

[ehque]

Originally Posted by kjpollo

Just curious, why would you think the D has the highest tension?
I would think it would be either of the end strings on a standard-tuned 4, either the E or G. I would lean toward the E because of its greater thickness but hey, I'm not a science guy. I'm sure some of our more physics-oriented guys will chime in on THIS one.

The reason the D has the highest tension is due to physics.

If you plan your string gauges based on some arbitrary arithmetic progression instead of tension, (especially the 105-85-65-45 that is so popular) the tension clearly won't be as "neat".

[Joe Nerve]

I don't know anything about the actual tension, but I do know that the extra 2 screws on the sides of the Ernie Ball bridge plates are there for added insurance that it doesn't snap off and knock your teeth out.

[ceedj]

Originally Posted by ehque

The reason the D has the highest tension is due to physics.

Well, ok. That's like saying leafs fall to the ground because of gravity.

Could you perhaps expand on this a bit? Honestly curious myself.

[dj150888]

Originally Posted by ehque

The reason the D has the highest tension is due to physics.

[ehque]

Originally Posted by ceedj

Well, ok. That's like saying leafs fall to the ground because of gravity.

Could you perhaps expand on this a bit? Honestly curious myself.

Ripping an equation off somewhere

MPL is proportional to TENS/[(FREQ^2)(LENG^2)]

where TENS is tension,
FREQ is frequency,
LENG is length,
and MPL is mass per unit length.

According to the equation, where length (scale length) is fixed and frequency (open string tuning) is also fixed, the only variable left is tension, and it varies according to mass per length.

If you choose your string diameters to be neat and easy, for example, 105-85-65-45, it determines (and fixes) the MPL. A thicker string has more mass per length.

Since string manufacturers (or perhaps, bassists?) prefer neat looking string gauges rather than even tension, the tension of each string is thus ARBITRARILY defined by the string equation (since as i mentioned, length and frequency are also fixed).

Hope that wasn't too much maths.

[dj150888]

Makes much more sense, cheers