Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Equal String Tension/Guage
- Thread starter alexit
- Start date
Nope. Your strings' thickness are not supposed to be the same, or else the nut won't fit. Unless the nut is made to hold 4 equal strings.
Of course it's possible, but I don't see any real reason for it. I mean, the strings in most sets are already fairly close in tension; I can't imagine that perfectly equal tension would be an advantage.
Perhaps if you had some midi program that would transpose all the strings from A to the desired pitch....sure. But....why???? Any time I have messed with transposing software/effects, I have almost always run into some sorts of tracking issues.A bass with all strings the same guage/tension. Just wondered if this has been done. Is it possible to do this and tune the strings via some sort of post-processing, or is there some other way?
Oh, and don't say "yes, but they'll all be A-strings"
Rob Allen's select blend of LaBella Deep Talkin' Bass Strings are very balanced in terms of tension. I don't know if they're perfectly balanced, but they feel really balanced.
One advantage of balanced tension is on a Fishman-type piezo. The balanced tension gives a more even response from string to string.
The Novax fanned fret system employed by Dingwall and others gives you more even string to string tension than a standard bass.
The normal Deep Talkin' Bass have a lighter G and much lighter D than average which feels very balanced to me when bending. Looking at the tension charts for D'Adarrio's their D's tend to have the most tension and I think the LaBella DTB fixes that.
Perhaps this discussion should be moved to the Strings forum.
For strings to be equal gauge, they'd have to function as mere triggers for some kind of pitch-interpreting software. I think the SynthAxe of yore used this technology, but it had the usual latency problems.
Alex, the highly contentious luthier at Zachary Guitars, sells r/w as well as f/w sets that are supposed to have equal tension between strings. He is very vociferous on the subject here: Invalid Link Removed (do not read if you resent being called an idiot).
For strings to be equal gauge, they'd have to function as mere triggers for some kind of pitch-interpreting software. I think the SynthAxe of yore used this technology, but it had the usual latency problems.
Alex, the highly contentious luthier at Zachary Guitars, sells r/w as well as f/w sets that are supposed to have equal tension between strings. He is very vociferous on the subject here: Invalid Link Removed (do not read if you resent being called an idiot).
I haven't played the normal DTB strings, but I have heard they are fairly wimpy when it comes to tension. The string gauges on the Rob Allen versions seem odd, but work really well.
OK let's get this straight... tension is a function of 2 things... scale length of that particular string (taking into account where the saddles sit on each string) and string guage (and of course the open note on that string and string construction... both givens)
Equal tension does not necessarily mean equal tone. A dingwall has close tone across the strings because of it's differing scale lengths. Now they might actually have more even string tension too but that is not the MAIN reason why the tone seems even across the strings.
String sets would have to be optimised differently for a fanned fretted neck and a regular neck.
Equal tension does not necessarily mean equal tone. A dingwall has close tone across the strings because of it's differing scale lengths. Now they might actually have more even string tension too but that is not the MAIN reason why the tone seems even across the strings.
String sets would have to be optimised differently for a fanned fretted neck and a regular neck.
But the strings work...they are fantastic, in fact. The even/graduated tension across the strings/fretboard just make the instrument easier to play and it just "works" better. It will require you to resetup your instrument....your action/truss rod/intonation will all need adjusting. I found that my instruments really benefited from using these strings.
Of course, the even/graduated tension just makes sense from a physics and balance standpoint.
Just my .02,
Jay
Yes, I fully expect they do. I need to order a set to try out. As you say, it makes a lot of sense, and if Alex didn't have such a short temper I think his ideas would be very much more widely adopted.
Sure, it's possible. But again, the strings in most modern sets are fairly close in tension as it is. I truly doubt you'd notice if all strings were *perfectly* even in tension.
Forget about "all equal gauge strings", that's irrelevant to the discussion... it's the worst way to achieve equal tension unless you tune all strings to the same note. Doing what you suggest with the Dingwall would worsen the difference in tension between the strings: the E string would be way too floppy and the G string way too tight (no comments, plz...
)When scale length stays the same, tension is determined by two things: gauge and pitch. A fatter string tuned lower (say, E) can have the same tension as a skinny string tuned higher (say, G).
If you wanted (can't see why you would however) I'm pretty sure you could get a bass, tune it up with 4 identical strings to identical pitches (say, A for example), fit out the bass with a roland v-bass and program the v-bass to do pitch shifting of each individual string so that it was tuned like a normal bass, or however you wanted it.
However, for the price of doing that you could probably buy yourself several decent basses... And the v-bass doing tuning of nearly an octave up might sound not so good.
I would personally suggest just playing regular basses with decent, regular strings.
Steve
However, for the price of doing that you could probably buy yourself several decent basses... And the v-bass doing tuning of nearly an octave up might sound not so good.
I would personally suggest just playing regular basses with decent, regular strings.
Steve
A bass with all strings the same guage/tension. Just wondered if this has been done. Is it possible to do this and tune the strings via some sort of post-processing, or is there some other way?
Oh, and don't say "yes, but they'll all be A-strings"
The closest I've seen to this is the Chapman Grid Stick. The strings were all the same guage but everything went through a GK pickup and then processed.
