String Gauge as it applies to Tension?

[Mike Brueske]

Question: I put lighter gauge strings on my RIC4004c thinking that they would be more "flexible" but it seems the opposite is true. They feel too "tight" for my taste. And tightness = deadness in my mind. If I go to a heavier gauge set will they feel "looser"? Not looking for flabby. Scale length is 33.25". TIA

 

[michael_t]

Are you talking about exactly the same brand and type of strings, except lighter in gauges?

 

[ardgedee]

Tension and gauge have a loose correlation. Construction method and materials are also contributing factors. Two strings of the same gauge from different product lines can have different amounts of stiffness when tuned to the same pitch.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Are you talking about exactly the same brand and type of strings, except lighter in gauges?

IME, flexibility beneath the fingertips is heavily-influenced by core wire type (round vs hex) and diameter, not the gauges printed on the packaging. You really need to do your homework prior to purchasing.

Riis

 

[PrimitiveMan]

Yeah it really depends on the type of string, but generally if it is the same set of strings, the lighter set should feel more flexible. Action and neck relief also contribute to how it feels.

Go with round core (DR Hi Beams, Sunbeams, or Pure Blues) or thin hex core (Dunlop Superbrights or SIT Foundations) if you want a looser feel.

 

[MynameisMe]

I put a set of Chromes, I think 55-110 and promptly took them off because they were bridge cables. I bought them on TB.
Put a set of 45-100 EB Slinkys on and what a difference. Same bass.

 

[FullumMusic]

Like @ardgedee said, gauge & stiffness are loosely correlated across all strings from all manufacturers.

If every other variable was exactly the same, it'll be less stiff/less tension. Think of tuning your E and A string to the same note. The A will be looser.

But there are so many other factors that go into it: overall gauge; core gauge; winding gauge; core shape; flat-wound/round-wound; material composition of the metals; number of internal winding layers; probably a million other things i don't even know. I have a few basses with the same gauge strings, all La Bella, but different types (flats, nickel rounds, stainless rounds, tapes, super-polished). Same gauge, vastly different stiffness.

If you have a brand & model of string you like but want looser feeling, get those same exact strings with a lighter gauge and it should* feel looser.
*Should. Hopefully.

 

[TheArchitect]

Question: I put lighter gauge strings on my RIC4004c thinking that they would be more "flexible" but it seems the opposite is true. They feel too "tight" for my taste. And tightness = deadness in my mind. If I go to a heavier gauge set will they feel "looser"? Not looking for flabby. Scale length is 33.25". TIA

1) Physically impossible to be true as stated. 2) Tightness /= deadness under any definition. I am not sure how to advise you

 

[BassBrass]

I put a set of Chromes, I think 55-110 and promptly took them off because they were bridge cables.

I use that gage on DGCF tuning and it feels great. Have that on a Jack Casady Epiphone, sounds awesome.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Yeah it really depends on the type of string, but generally if it is the same set of strings, the lighter set should feel more flexible. Action and neck relief also contribute to how it feels.

Go with round core (DR Hi Beams, Sunbeams, or Pure Blues) or thin hex core (Dunlop Superbrights or SIT Foundations) if you want a looser feel.

Fat beams are round core too? I think

 

[Jeff Scott]

I put a set of Chromes, I think 55-110 and promptly took them off because they were bridge cables. I bought them on TB.
Put a set of 45-100 EB Slinkys on and what a difference. Same bass.

Try their 40-95 set. I have a set that has been on a few different basses since '03; I replaced the .060 D string with a .055 to create a better feeling set.

 

[SunByrne]

I sensed a disturbance in the Force and have been summoned...

"Tension" is a physical quality that is relatively straightforward to calculate for bass strings. It's a function of scale length, frequency (i.e.,, what note the string is tuned to), and what is called "unit weight," which is essentially how much mass an inch of string has. Gauge is the primary determiner of unit weight, but construction plays a substantial role as well. If you have essentially the same construction, smaller gauge strings will indeed result in lower tension. Were the lighter strings the same kind and brand?

"Flexibility" is also a well-defined physical quality. It's the inverse of stiffness, which is resistance to deformation—that is, the amount of displacement of a body given a particular force on it. The more displacement for the same force, the more flexible a body is. For a bass string, this will be a function of both tension and construction. Higher tension decreases flexibility (think "floppy B" because of insufficient tension), but again, construction matters. For example, for the same tension and all other things more or less equal, a round core string will usually have higher flexibility than a hex core string. So, again, same construction on both sets of strings?

Fresh-out-of-the-pack Slinkys are bright as anything but you don't have to play them very long for them to sound pretty dead. There's no difference in tension or stiffness, so I don't know where "tightness = deadness" comes from.

 

[Nuisance]

In fairness, (with flats) once you get to a point (for me it's about 55-105) extra thickness does seem to "deaden" or choke the sound. Of course, thicker IS tighter given the same string/manufacturer, so I can see why the OP made the correlation.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

Fat beams are round core too? I think

They are, I just never liked them lol. I just used of examples of the strings I like. There are definitely other roundcore and low tension hex core sets out there.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

@SunByrne is telling you the physics correctly.

If two E strings are made with the exact same materials and one of the two just uses more of the same material to get the diameter (gauge) larger, the larger one will require slightly more tension to bring up to the same pitch as the smaller one. That’s due to law of inertia / motion & gravity.

Now, adding the extra material to make one string larger than the other might also affect flexibility. For example, an extra layer of winding will probably make the string stiffer, and stiffer usually means “deader” (less sustain), but more mass per unit length might counteract the added stiffness. There’s the difference in construction coming in to play.

I think your best bet is to get back to the strings you had on before the ones that feel stiffer to you.

 

[MynameisMe]

I use that gage on DGCF tuning and it feels great. Have that on a Jack Casady Epiphone, sounds awesome.

I miss my Jac Casady... I had Labella LTFs on it. Marvelous! Should have never sold it.

 

[iammr2]

You can always work out what you want with specs from most manufacturers and this website:

String Tension Calculator

Find the right string gauge for your guitar or bass to achieve the perfect tension.

www.stringtensioncalculator.com

 

[maturanesa]

In general, the bigger the gauge the more tension/stiffness you have.

 

[Yahboy]

Headstock design angle also effect on string stiffness too.

Ernie ball Cobalt flat 2814 ( 45-100 ) , feel stiffer on Yamaha TRBX504 than on Charvel Pro Mod PJ and Squier Matt freeman P .

Ti flat JF344 , stiffer feel ( especially the .070 A ) on Ibanez SR300E than Vintera 50sP, CIC Squier CV60P , Indo Squier CV50P and Bacchus BPB1RSM .

 

[Iristone]

Thinner strings of the same model will have less tension. You cannot directly compare across models, as they may have different construction and material.
Overall, I'd say that Rotosound Swing Bass is the least "dead" string out there. For a slightly warmer sound or smoother feel the Solo Bass or Roto Bass are good. I'd go with 40-100 or 35-95 gauge for balanced top and bottom tension.