Do heavier gauge strings have higher output?

[prokfrog]

curious

thanks

 

[knuckle_head]

No.

They excurd less because of the higher tension, but they also have a more complete tonal structure (higher harmonic content as compared to the fundamental).

You may or may not notice a difference in output, but you will indeed notice a tonal shift. Wrap count is a concern - 4 wraps tend to dampen harmonics.

 

[prokfrog]

how does that apply to scale length? Any general guideline?

 

[slugworth]

Depends on what you mean by output, and if you're comparing apples to apples.

 

[knuckle_head]

how does that apply to scale length? Any general guideline?

Scale length allows a thinner gauge for the same note at a similar tension - a thinner string is livlier/has more harmonic content because it can vibrate more freely.

 

[Jim Breece]

Is excurd the verb form of excursion? Cool. Or is my understanding discrepant?

 

[slugworth]

Scale length allows a thinner gauge for the same note at a similar tension - a thinner string is livlier/has more harmonic content because it can vibrate more freely.

True, but the trade off is you generally speaking, lose some bottom end...It's all about finding the happy medium, I suppose, and it takes quite a bit of experimentation. I experimented with strings for over 20 years. Hundreds and hundreds of different string sets before finding what I consider to be my favorite string.

 

[slugworth]

Is excurd the verb form of excursion? Cool. Or is my understanding discrepant?

I believe he meant excurt.

 

[prokfrog]

True, but the trade off is you generally speaking, lose some bottom end...It's all about finding the happy medium, I suppose and takes quite a bit of experimentation. I experimented with strings for over 20 years. Hundreds and hundreds of different string sets before finding what I consider to be my favorite string.

So what is the winning combo?

 

[funkalicious101]

Nobody knows yet.... that wouldnt be any fun.

 

[greenboy]

I don't particularly understand why anybody would be concerned with string output anyway; only tone. Why? Because pickup adjustment and the input gain on any decent head/preamp can deal with the need for front-end gain, and ultimately it is a power amp and speaker/enclosure selection that determines what acoustic output will be available.

 

[knuckle_head]

Scale length allows a thinner gauge for the same note at a similar tension - a thinner string is livlier/has more harmonic content because it can vibrate more freely.

True, but the trade off is you generally speaking, lose some bottom end...It's all about finding the happy medium, I suppose, and it takes quite a bit of experimentation.

I suggest that what goes on isn't a diminishing of the bottom end, but a more pronounced presentation of the higher side. If you have a longer scale length and go with a thinner string you can make use of a less-than-tight string that will have a stronger fundamental as compared to harmonics.

I don't particularly understand why anybody would be concerned with string output anyway; only tone. Why? Because pickup adjustment and the input gain on any decent head/preamp can deal with the need for front-end gain, and ultimately it is a power amp and speaker/enclosure selection that determines what acoustic output will be available.

Too true - any difference in output will be minimal and can be more than made up for by any front end/pre section in a rig or desk. The bigger concern is the tonal shift and whether that is to your taste.

Edit; no idea which form is correct - excurt or excurd.

 

[slugworth]

So what is the winning combo?

(Singing) These are a few of my favorite strings.....

Rotosound SM66 Stainless roundwounds 40-100
I use these about 85% of the time. The remaining
15% of the time I'll go to heavier gauges of Rotosounds,
45-105 or even 50-110 depending on the instrument and/or tuning. Then come the flatwounds, tapewounds or other miscellaneous brands like Thomastiks or various freebie samples, etc.

 

[slugworth]

I suggest that what goes on isn't a diminishing of the bottom end, but a more pronounced presentation of the higher side. If you have a longer scale length and go with a thinner string you can make use of a less-than-tight string that will have a stronger fundamental as compared to harmonics.

QUOTE]

I dunno...I've got 2 identical instruments sitting in my studio right now. One has 40-100 Rotos and the other has 45-105 Rotos. The 105 E string clearly has more thump than the 100 E string... Can it be made up for thru my amps? Sure..

 

[slugworth]

I could be wrong, but I think a simple law of physics as it applies to Kinetic Energy would apply here, no? KE = 1/2 (M * (V * V))
M = KE / (V * V)
V = KE / (1/2 * M)

 

[slugworth]

I'm no physicist, hell, I'm a bass player! I'd rather rely on my ears than a calculator!

 

[slugworth]

I don't particularly understand why anybody would be concerned with string output anyway; only tone. Why? Because pickup adjustment and the input gain on any decent head/preamp can deal with the need for front-end gain, and ultimately it is a power amp and speaker/enclosure selection that determines what acoustic output will be available.

It's probably a more legitimate concern with acoustic basses or with our upright/orchestral playing bretheren..The OP didn't specify what application
he was working with..

 

[knuckle_head]

The cool thing about a more complete/complex harmonic content is that there is ultimately more sound because you can actually hear and make better use of the harmonics that would otherwise be drowned out.

Devil's in the details - without analyzing excursion against signal strength out of the bass, and scoping the sonic content to see how much of what is being presented one just never knows.

It's a feel/sound good thing when push comes to shove - all this stuff is merely meant to put us in the ball park so we can do what we do and have it work.

 

[slugworth]

The cool thing about a more complete/complex harmonic content is that there is ultimately more sound because you can actually hear and make better use of the harmonics that would otherwise be drowned out.

Devil's in the details - without analyzing excursion against signal strength out of the bass, and scoping the sonic content to see how much of what is being presented one just never knows.

It's a feel/sound good thing when push comes to shove - all this stuff is merely meant to put us in the ball park so we can do what we do and have it work.

In layman's terms... For guys like Slug

There's a lot of musical information in the over/undertones.
Lighter guage strings are perhaps more pronounced in this department.

Without sophisticated equipment, it's tough to determine, and should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.

If it feels good, and sounds good...It is good!

The moral to the story, if there is one..
Experiment a bit with your strings, bass, and amp, and let your fingers and ears be the judge.

 

[cnltb]

Isn t one here saying that thinner strings "have more harmonic content" and another is saying that this is true of thicker ones?