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Why are balanced tension sets so uncommon?

#22
#25
Here is what Stringjoy says about their strings:

"Our bass guitar strings are made from American nickel alloy windings and hexagonal steel core wire. They have a full, resonant low end and a medium top end—not too bright, not too mellow — giving these strings a balanced sonic profile with optimum output."

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#28
ZenG said:
Looking for balanced sets for shortscales.....

D'addario has a few in nickel roundwounds.....
Labella has a few...

Any other brands ?
Click to expand...

I balance my own sets by checking out the single strings at bass strings online and using the circle k / kalium tension chart to get the most balanced set I can make.

That chart won't give you what the tension of your strings is, but it will allow you to see the difference between a .100 E string and a .080 A string, or a .100 E string and a .075 A string, etc.
 
#29
Matthew_84 said:
I balance my own sets by checking out the single strings at bass strings online and using the circle k / kalium tension chart to get the most balanced set I can make.

That chart won't give you what the tension of your strings is, but it will allow you to see the difference between a .100 E string and a .080 A string, or a .100 E string and a .075 A string, etc.
Click to expand...

And if you co-relate that with the D'Addario and GHS charts you can be really close in balance with the strings you choose (if the string maker offers those gauges).
 
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#31
JustForSport said:
And if you co-relate that with the D'Addario and GHS charts you can be really close in balance with the strings you choose (if the string maker offers those gauges).
Click to expand...

Yeah, but you can also do some calculations...

Let's say the tension chart only showed you a .080 A string at 39.7 lbs, and a .075 A string at 36.2, but your string of choice had a .078 A string, then subtract the difference (39.7 - 36.2 = 3.5), divide the result by the difference in gauges (80 - 75 = 5, then 3.5 / 5 = 0.7) then multiply that result by the difference from the lowest charted gauge and your string gauge and add that to the charted tension (78 - 75 = 3, 0.7 x 3 = 2.1, 36.2 + 2.1 = 38.3 lbs).

Sounds like it may take awhile, but it really doesn't... Also, a lot of people could just estimate it, but I'm a bit anal with it.
 
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#32
Depending on the maker and the string type, an .080 tuned to A could be anywhere from 35# to 57#, so if a particular string is not avail, one cannot just get one of the same gauge from a different source. For me, 3-5# doesn't much matter, but 20# difference between adjacent strings does.

Edit: should've been "from 35# to 47#"- typo or wrong column.
 
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#33
JustForSport said:
Depending on the maker and the string type, an .080 tuned to A could be anywhere from 35# to 57#, so if a particular string is not avail, one cannot just get one of the same gauge from a different source. For me, 3-5# doesn't much matter, but 20# difference between adjacent strings does.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, I'll only buy single strings from the same string type (DR Hi-Beams, etc).
 
#34
Actually back in the old days string sets WERE balanced and "odd", but there were few manufacturers (think about the classic Labella sets, or Pyramid)
The same with guitar strings: once the sets were balanced in tension, but when ernie ball and other string makers came out, they standardized the gauges.
I dig the Super Light set of Fender Pure Nickel strings (for guitar), that was a leading set in the 70s, but no other brand makes that exact gauge, in particular noone does the lighter G string that set has, except a few.

Rotosound "standard gauge" set is actually NOT a simple 45-105, and measured with a digital caliber (on five different sets from different periods) is always 48-63-82-103, so it's well balanced.

D'addario, GHS and Ernie Ball have precise gauges for every string, because they were born as "string makers for others" and sold singles. Ernie Ball was the first to sell singles.

I think that at a certain point (probably the 80s) the habit took place, and players got used to "even sets with not balanced tension", until today, that internet let us buy sets we usually couldn't find in stores.

I discovered "balanced tension" when I tried Thomastik flats four years ago, then fell in love with Pyramid Gold short scale set and labella 1954, and few months ago the Thomastik jazz round set all perfectly balanced with almost the same tension for every string.
 
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#37
I think my next string may be D'Addario balanced, or my own custom set. All these years I notice a floppier E string, a sweet A, and then a D and G that are too tight. But never had the inspiration to mix my own string sets. I'm interesting in tapping more and that appears to lead to lighter, balanced strings.
And especially with ABG, this is a real problem. If inherently unbalanced sets are the result of magnetic pickup compensation, how dumb it is to follow that convention with a piezo acoustic? I don't see a wide array of single bronze bass string gauges, so I may have to ditch the bronze tone I prefer on my acoustic.
 
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#38
bearfoot said:
...All these years I notice a floppier E string, a sweet A, and then a D and G that are too tight....
Click to expand...

Yeah, these are quite common findings. I also hate a super floppy E string (or B string for that matter), and I hate a tight G string. I believe that a looser G string will sound less twangy (sort of like why short scale basses tend to have a thumpier tone).

Usually a balanced set is enough, but if possible, I'd always try to get a slightly lower tension G string than the rest of the strings.
 
#39
The optimum for tapping is a gentle and steady fall in tension from low to high, that's also optimum for multiple guitar techniques like chords, string bending etc. and essential for ERBs with a high F or higher.
Balanced tension is becoming the 'new thing' but after that the next 'new thing' is inverted tension, but it's too shocking for most players currently.
 
#40
ixlramp said:
The optimum for tapping is a gentle and steady fall in tension from low to high, that's also optimum for multiple guitar techniques like chords, string bending etc. and essential for ERBs with a high F or higher.
Balanced tension is becoming the 'new thing' but after that the next 'new thing' is inverted tension, but it's too shocking for most players currently.
Click to expand...
what is "inverted tension" supposed to mean? Even in interweb does not know.

The D'Addario balanced sets are close to what I want, though I may adjust a few of those gauges. I'm really curious to see also if there is much improvement in tonal balance on the ABG I own which does have a 6" body depth, with a balanced string set.
 

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