why is there so much tension on some guitars?

[Coma]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

I know the truss rod doesn't really affect tension, but rather, adjusts tension in the neck.

Still, adjusting it should affect tension, since you are altering the length of the string.

[uOpt]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

Do the test with turning the guitar, while it makes a sound, on it's face. Then you know how flexible the truss rod is. In a good guitar.

[King IzzO)))]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

I do think a more rigid truss rod would affect tension by not allowing the neck to flex at all during bends, kinda like a floating trem effect, I don't think you'd notice any difference while not bending though.

The length past the bridge to the tailpiece, bridge to tailpiece height and headstock angle all do affect tension.

[Coma]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

Oh, and put some nines on it. I used to be able to pull of 3 whole-step bends on my LP with 'em

[drew_half_empty]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

It's a jazz guitar--I don't bend, I slide. The tension problem is mainly, well, a problem, because of the hand fatigue it causes doin big chords. I can only play that guitar for so long before I have to pick up a different one

[King IzzO)))]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

Does it have tall frets?

[IanBallard]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

Effective string-tension length plays a part in it. My guitar's feel got way looser when I installed a Floyd. Instead of continuous tension from the tuners to the end of the block, it's from the locking nut to the saddle blocks, considerably shorter. I've played some Jazzmasters and they are TIGHT compared to other Fenders and that's because the effective tension length is crazy long and because that guitar has almost no break angles worth mentioning. Of course, typical emo kids who play JM's don't do much bending anyway...

[JOLLY]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

It's because of the moon.

[aleclee]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

Action and relief have a big impact on perceived string tension.

[saladin]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

Telecasters always seem tighter to me then Strats even with the same guage and make of strings.

[Coma]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

That's funny, most of the time, I've experienced the opposite.

[Chad]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

I go pretty deep into the "whys" in this thread:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=202676

I'm not aware of another source on the internet that goes into that level of depth on the subject.


As far as the two exact guitars you are comparing....got links/pics/full specs? I can most likely explain what's going on.

[ImmortalSix]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

Boom!

[Chad]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

I never heard back, but I'll take a stab at it based on the limited info in the first post.

First of all, looking at measurable tension, are the strings the exact same brand/model/gauge? If not, then one set of the strings may have higher mass (usually from a thicker core wire), which will have higher tension.

Looking at perceived tension:

How does the break angle from the bridge to the tailpiece on the Tempest compare to the break angle from the bridge to the Bigsby on the Gretsch? The one with the steeper break angle will play tighter.

How much string length is there from the bridge to the tailpiece on the Tempest compared to the string length from the bridge to the Bigsby on the Gretsch? The one with shorter string length will play tighter.

I can give a tip to ease tension on Bigsby equipped guitars: I went from the factory 7/8" spring to a 1" spring on my B5 equipped Tele. The longer spring has more give and makes the guitar play slinkier. It also makes the bar sit higher, which works better for me in an ergonomic sense.

How big are the frets on the Gretsch? Bigger/taller frets tend to play slinkier because you get the semi-scalloped neck feel. i.e. your fingers don't touch and drag on the fretboard like it does with shorter frets.

How do action and relief compare on the two guitars?

There are other possibilities, but that's a few as a starting point.

[drew_half_empty]

Re: why is there so much tension on some guitars?

Tempest is long gone, but I'll compare with my Les Paul, which aint goin anywhere and has really nice fluid tension. EB 11's are about perfect on it

more of the string is spanned out on the gretsch

the angle is less drastic on the gretsch

frets are a little taller on the LP but not a ton

Bigsby has the 1" spring