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Something Cool
How much force does it take to bend the high E string to F (one step)
and how much force does it take to bend the G string to A (two steps)?
The point here is to compare an Explorer and a Les Paul, where both
have about the same string length on the G string, but the high E
string is much longer on the Explorer due to the in-line tuners.
The base data of lengths is:
Bending force required in Newton:
So that means that roughly the 10% longer string means 10% less force required for bending. Theory actually arrives in practice. The other results with +/- 1.5% are in the testing noise.
Testing notes:
Testing method:
It's important that you use the same angle of pencil towards fretboard
every time. If you change the angle the force displayed on the scale
changes without the force actually required for the string changing
(due to lever force).
Conclusion:
- having a longer string by extensing the string between nut and tuner
turns into a real bending advantage. It should be, and in practice
actually is (who-hoo), linear to the effective length of the string
from anchor point (stop piece etc.) to the tuner.
Remarks:
- longer scale doesn't mean lighter bending, it means heavier
bending. For lighter bending, you want to reduce the length from
bridge to nut and at the same time increase the length from anchor
point (stop piece or whatever you use) to tuner.
and how much force does it take to bend the G string to A (two steps)?
The point here is to compare an Explorer and a Les Paul, where both
have about the same string length on the G string, but the high E
string is much longer on the Explorer due to the in-line tuners.
The base data of lengths is:
Code:
Lengths in inches:
--- nut to tuner
nut to bridge Explorer Les Paul
high E: 24.75 6.0 2.5
G: 24.8125 4.5 5.0
------------------------------------------------- LP->Explorer
total high E: 30.75 27.25 +12.8%
total G: 29.3125 29.8125 -1.7%Bending force required in Newton:
Code:
Force required for: Explorer LP LP->explorer ratio
------------------------------------------------------------------
high E to F: 7.1 7.85 -9.5%
G to A: 8.3 8.40 +1.2%So that means that roughly the 10% longer string means 10% less force required for bending. Theory actually arrives in practice. The other results with +/- 1.5% are in the testing noise.
Testing notes:
- the Explorer has a slightly higher action, high E string at 12st is 2.0mm on the Les Paul and 2.2mm on the Explorer
- strings are Dean Markley Nickle Steel Custom Lite .009, .011, .016, .026, .036, .046 on both guitars
- both guitars freshly tuned and intonated, but not too paranoid
- graphite in corian or plastic nut
Testing method:
- get a pencil, old scool wood one with an eraser at one end and a flat end on the other side (not sharpend)
- get a kitchen scale like used for baking
- tune the guitar and intonate it on the 12 string, precisely
- leave guitar in tuner
- hold the kitchen scale with your left hand, a pick in the right
- brace the pencial against the target string on the 12th fret with the non-rubber end. And against scale with the rubber end, from below the neck
- use the smallest angle required to make the string "work", to have it make a tone on the 12th fret
- then push up the scale until the frequency is the target frequency
- read the scale. 102 grams = 1 Newton
It's important that you use the same angle of pencil towards fretboard
every time. If you change the angle the force displayed on the scale
changes without the force actually required for the string changing
(due to lever force).
Conclusion:
- having a longer string by extensing the string between nut and tuner
turns into a real bending advantage. It should be, and in practice
actually is (who-hoo), linear to the effective length of the string
from anchor point (stop piece etc.) to the tuner.
Remarks:
- longer scale doesn't mean lighter bending, it means heavier
bending. For lighter bending, you want to reduce the length from
bridge to nut and at the same time increase the length from anchor
point (stop piece or whatever you use) to tuner.
