Why is high string tension desirable?

[OOZMAN]

I have a question that might seem a little dumb to some of you guys... but why is a high string tension desirable?

Is it because you can lower the action more and not have any buzz?

I always see guys on TB debating about 34" vs 35" 5ers, and how 34" generally don't have enough tension.

I like my strings looser and my action is plenty low w/o buzzing, my guitarist even commented on the action of my bass the other day as being 'too' low to slap/pop (not a problem for me coz I can't/don't slap). And with higher tension, bends get exponentially difficult, e.g. I can bend 6 semitones when I tune to low C (.130, 30" short scale, 12th fret), but when I tune to E, I can barely do 3. I find bending more useful than slapping.

So can someone fill me in please?

Very sorry if there's a thread like this but I couldn't find one


Thanks guys!

[reedo35]

Depends on your playing style. Yes, you can have a lower string height with higher tension strings. Also, Some players feel they get a better tone because they can "dig in" more without getting fret noise.

[OOZMAN]

Originally Posted by reedo35

Depends on your playing style. Yes, you can have a lower string height with higher tension strings. Also, Some players feel they get a better tone because they can "dig in" more without getting fret noise.

The thing is, I just have really hard time believing that you can make the action significantly lower by having tighter strings. Maybe a little. As i said, my bass's strings are quite loose and the action is fangasmically low. Not trying to brag or anything but is that just because of my bass? hehe

Also, not sure what you meant by digging in...

Thats right, I said fangasmic.

[MartinBorgen]

i always tangle myself in low tension strings, and constantly pull the strings all the way down to the pickup.

[OOZMAN]

Originally Posted by psykopatsak

i always tangle myself in low tension strings, and constantly pull the strings all the way down to the pickup.

Do you mean when you pick? Because if so...

[Andyrew]

A lot of people dislike lower action because that releases tension on the string. I have found that these players have a tendency to put way more effort into their plucking, which some refer to as "digging in". watch John Paul Jones play, and you can see him swinging his right hand fingers from great distances toward the string. Then watch Matt Garisson, who has hardly any action on the instrument also keeps his hand motion to a minimum.
on fretted bass I prefer to have low action simply to reduce the amount of effort required to get a good thick tone from the instrument. However on fretless, I keep the action a little higher to somewhat simulate the attack of an upright bass, but still not so high that a ton of effort is needed.

I've also found the same phenomena to apply to the left hand.

[reedo35]

Originally Posted by OOZMAN

Not trying to brag or anything but is that just because of my bass? hehe
Also, not sure what you meant by digging in...

Nothing to brag about, really. Some Basses are naturally tight, some are loose, as has been noted before here, even the factory made ones differ from Bass to Bass. It is what it is. And By digging in, I just meant more aggresive plucking of the string.

[cassius987]

This is simple. A tighter string won't physically vibrate as much after receiving the same pluck as another string, and so it can be closer to the surface of the fingerboard without risk of background noise like buzzing, than if it were loose. That's just a basic fact.

It's really heavily dependent on your playing style, if you like to push the strings down to the pickups or whatever then obviously tight strings are not for you. You might want to invest in whatever they put on Ashbory basses or something else insanely floppy.

[OOZMAN]

Originally Posted by reedo35

Nothing to brag about, really. Some Basses are naturally tight, some are loose, as has been noted before here, even the factory made ones differ from Bass to Bass. It is what it is. And By digging in, I just meant more aggresive plucking of the string.

I think you might've misunderstood, I meant the low action on my bass despite loose strings.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by OOZMAN

As i said, my bass's strings are quite loose and the action is fangasmically low. Not trying to brag or anything but is that just because of my bass? hehe

How much experience have you had with lots of differently-set-up nice basses? It could simply be a matter of you not having experience enough with basses with lower action and/or basses with equally low action that buzz even less buzzing than you believe your bass is capable of. For example, you're saying you drop tune to a low C on a 30" short scale with loose strings and very low action. That right there is heavy evidence that you're either playing with an extraordinarily light touch, your bass has noticeable buzz or higher action than you think and you just don't realize it, or your bass "sounds" floppy (another aspect is that tighter strings can simply sound different.) Not that any of this is an attack on you, but the combination of all of the elements you mentioned don't add up.

[reedo35]

Originally Posted by OOZMAN

I think you might've misunderstood, I meant the low action on my bass despite loose strings.

As long as your Bass plays the way you like it, everything's cool.

[OOZMAN]

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

How much experience have you had with lots of differently-set-up nice basses? It could simply be a matter of you not having experience enough with basses with lower action and/or basses with equally low action that buzz even less buzzing than you believe your bass is capable of. For example, you're saying you drop tune to a low C on a 30" short scale with loose strings and very low action. That right there is heavy evidence that you're either playing with an extraordinarily light touch, your bass has noticeable buzz or higher action than you think and you just don't realize it, or your bass "sounds" floppy (another aspect is that tighter strings can simply sound different.) Not that any of this is an attack on you, but the combination of all of the elements you mentioned don't add up.

I am bewildered too, hence the thread. I'll admit I haven't played an epic amount of basses, but IMO, I've played enough to judge mine. My bass has no buzz whatsoever, but yes, I do play fairly light. Tbh, I've only really played both my guitarists' basses (one is a fretless) and everything that's at my (small) local music store. This might sound like few basses to some... but seeing as most of them had higher action than mine... I believe I have evidence to support my claims.

I dunno man... I dunno... This whole thing's got me stumped

[OOZMAN]

Originally Posted by reedo35

As long as your Bass plays the way you like it, everything's cool.

Pretty much, I suppose..

[Nashrakh]

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

That right there is heavy evidence that you're either playing with an extraordinarily light touch, your bass has noticeable buzz or higher action than you think and you just don't realize it

The latter can easily be found out...

How far are your strings away from the fret at the 12thfret?

My Fender P has 2 millimeters there (on all strings). My guitarist thinks that's too low though.

[Phalex]

I prefer higher tension strings and a medium high action. It seems everyone likes light strings laying right up against the fret board. I get nothing but fret clack when I try to play a setup like that.

To each his own.

[steve_rolfeca]

The way you achieve string tension is just as important as the overall amount. A short-scale 5-string, for example, would require heavy-gauge strings to achieve "normal" string tension, and B strings with too many wraps tend to have poor intonation.

Personally, I loved the tone I got out heavier strings (50's) on my 34" basses. I wasn't bothered by the higher tension, but when I switched from my P-bass to a 5-string, string gauge became a problem because of the dull tone and intonation problems I got from .135 and .140 B-strings.

In the end, I decided to switch to a 35" scale, so that I could achieve the string tension and action height I desired, with a lighter-wound .125 B-string. The result, at least on my bass, was exactly as expected: more even tonal balance from string to string, and better punch and intonation on the B string.

Unfortunately, I'll never really know how much of the improvement was due to the change in scale length, because I changed so many other factors at the same time: pickup type, wood, neck attachment, body style, bridge hardware, etc.

If the OP is happy with his rather unusual setup (and more importantly, his bandmates and audience like the result), then there's nothing wrong with it...

[OOZMAN]

Originally Posted by Nashrakh

The latter can easily be found out...

How far are your strings away from the fret at the 12thfret?

My Fender P has 2 millimeters there (on all strings). My guitarist thinks that's too low though.

Just measured... ~2.5mm here (all strings). That's not too bad is it?

[OOZMAN]

Originally Posted by steve_rolfeca

The way you achieve string tension is just as important as the overall amount. A short-scale 5-string, for example, would require heavy-gauge strings to achieve "normal" string tension, and B strings with too many wraps tend to have poor intonation.

If the OP is happy with his rather unusual setup (and more importantly, his bandmates and audience like the result), then there's nothing wrong with it...

SS 5 string? they makes those? Or are you referring to a 34"?

'Unusual setup'... hahaha I laughed. You are right though...

[guroove]

Originally Posted by Phalex

I prefer higher tension strings and a medium high action. It seems everyone likes light strings laying right up against the fret board. I get nothing but fret clack when I try to play a setup like that.

To each his own.

I like it the same way you do. I didn't realize it until someone played my p-bass and said "wow, you like the action high."

My precision is also one of those basses that needs higher action when you put light strings on it. My jazz can have crazy low action with really low tension strings. On the jazz bass, I like having the action low to coax some fret buzz out of it on slides. On the p-bass any kind of string to fret contact besides on the fretted frets, is bad.

[eyeballkid]

Im a wigwam! Im a Teepee!