Fat strings & Skinny strings & G strings........

[redstriper]

[OutToPlayJazz]

Quite true, it is much easier to intonate an instrument running on thinner strings. The man has a point

I must admit though, I'd never heard of the idea of pulling the bridge setting further back for extra string tension. Anyone else heard of that one before?

Edited May 17, 2010 by OutToPlayJazz

[Telebass]

No, and the laws of physics say otherwise. The tension increases when the length of string that is under tension is increased, not the 'speaking' length of the string. Hence string-thru-body does have a small increase in tension, and basses with separate tailpieces might also have similar. The one way I know of to make intonation easier without moving the bridge physically is to use contact-core strings, as it's the diameter of what goes over the saddle that makes the difference. For example, on my 51RI, if I were to string it with Rotosound 99s, even its 2-saddle bridge is easy to intonate, because the strings are, as far as the bridge is concerned, just about the sme diameter - the core wires.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Telebass

[pete.young]

[quote name='Telebass' post='840530' date='May 18 2010, 09:15 AM']No, and the laws of physics say otherwise. The tension increases when the length of string that is under tension is increased, not the 'speaking' length of the string. Hence string-thru-body does have a small increase in tension, and basses with separate tailpieces might also have similar.[/quote]

Are you certain about this?

My recollection of the laws of physics, or at least the laws of applied mechanics, is that the tension in a string depends purely upon the force applied, and is independent of the length of string. Tension is also constant when it passes over a smooth pulley, in this case the string saddle or the nut.

String-through doesn't increase the tension, but it is likely to increase the downward force on the saddle because the angle of string is generally steeper with string-through.

[Clarky]

Its time for BC's resident nuclear physicist, Alex Claber!

[Huge Hands]

I'm not an expert what he is saying on the technical aspects of strings, but for those who haven't already seen it, Bob runs a really informative site about James Jamerson [url="http://www.bassland.net/jamerson.html"]here[/url].

I chatted to him a few of times a couple of years ago on Myspace after I had highlighted his site and he seems like a really top fellow.

[tauzero]

[quote name='Telebass' post='840530' date='May 18 2010, 09:15 AM']No, and the laws of physics say otherwise. The tension increases when the length of string that is under tension is increased, not the 'speaking' length of the string. Hence string-thru-body does have a small increase in tension, and basses with separate tailpieces might also have similar.[/quote]
Note: I can't see the video, I'm at work.

That definitely doesn't seem right. The tension in the string and the speaking length determine the pitch, regardless of how much string there is elsewhere. Where it might make a bit of difference is that as the string is displaced in the process of plucking it [*] or fretting it, it is also lengthened, which will increase the tension in the string. Assuming a friction-free nut and bridge, the longer the overall unclamped length of string is, the lower will be the increase in tension due to string displacement. However, considering the ratio of displacement to speaking length, the effect will be negligible - it's perhaps 1%, so that's the increase in tension, and if you extended the string to double its length, you'd at the most halve that, and given friction losses in the nut and bridge saddle, it's very unlikely that you'd feel any difference at all, except that your bass would be six feet long.

[*] or slapping it, if you really must

[Conan]

Interesting subject matter, but that is one of the dullest videos I have ever seen!

[redstriper]

[quote name='Conan' post='840604' date='May 18 2010, 10:30 AM']Interesting subject matter, but that is one of the dullest videos I have ever seen! [/quote]

Try watching it after a few beers and it's suddenly one of the funniest videos you've ever seen!

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='redstriper' post='846989' date='May 24 2010, 10:42 PM']Try watching it after a few beers and it's suddenly one of the funniest videos you've ever seen! [/quote]

TBH I found the guy quite good company anyway. Makes a change from the usual nerdy white bearded American types you get hawking bass gear on the internets.

Edited May 24, 2010 by thisnameistaken

[Bigwan]

What he's saying about tension is technically correct, but total nonsense in practice. He's basically talking about a different scale length increasing the tension of the string. Identical strings on 34 and 35" scale lengths will have different tensions (the 35" scale length having the higher tension). It's exactly the same when you pull the bridge setting back, but it makes little sense since your intonation will probably be totally out of wack, although heavier gauge strings will typically need the bridge moved back further than lighter strings for correct intonation.