I have 3 guitars whose string tension flies in the face of standard wisdom, any idea why ?
All strung with 10g string sets, same brand, the tiniest bit of relief on the neck, low action and nicely set up
Telecaster - 25.5" scale, standard bridge, 3 saddles
Gibson SG - 24.75" scale, Nashville TOM bridge, standard tail piece and strings overwrapped
Nik Huber Krautster II - 25" scale, wraparound stop bar tail piece
The string tension on the tele is noticeably less than on the other 2 which are similar in feel to each other...this flies against conventional wisdom of Fenders having higher string tension due to the longer scale length...I don't get it ?
Top wrapping the SG did ease tension a touch.
Thoughts anyone ......
Comments
Headstock design and string break angles should be considered.
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This.
You're not feeling the tension, you're feeling the resistance to bending, especially on the plain strings, which is not the same thing. The Tele will feel the easiest because it has the longest string path beyond the sounding length, on the top two strings in particular.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Thanks.....Interesting, and it is the top two strings where it's most noticeable...so are you saying that it's the length of string from tuner through to ferrules on the back of the tele that affects the bending ? Everything you read says that a Gibson style guitar should be easier than a Fender ?
But some people actually think it's *harder*, because you have to push the string further, and find a short steep pitch bend easier. There doesn't seem to be any hard and fast 'correct' answer, it's just down to personal perception.
I find the wider bend/softer feel easier as you do.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
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