Guitar string tension and scale length
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A simple question: you have an acoustic guitar with a 20 inch scale and tune it to say E. Now transfer the string to a 25 inch scale and retune it to E. By what percentage would the tension increase?
guitar
edited yesterday
Tim
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asked 2 days ago
john
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up vote
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down vote
favorite
A simple question: you have an acoustic guitar with a 20 inch scale and tune it to say E. Now transfer the string to a 25 inch scale and retune it to E. By what percentage would the tension increase?
guitar
edited yesterday
Tim
89.9k1091227
asked 2 days ago
john
261
New contributor
john is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
You are assuming the same string gauges? A related question would be how to compensate (retain the same tension) by changing the string gauge.
– Tim
yesterday
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
favorite
up vote
5
down vote
favorite
A simple question: you have an acoustic guitar with a 20 inch scale and tune it to say E. Now transfer the string to a 25 inch scale and retune it to E. By what percentage would the tension increase?
guitar
edited yesterday
Tim
89.9k1091227
asked 2 days ago
john
261
New contributor
john is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
A simple question: you have an acoustic guitar with a 20 inch scale and tune it to say E. Now transfer the string to a 25 inch scale and retune it to E. By what percentage would the tension increase?
guitar
guitar
edited yesterday
Tim
89.9k1091227
asked 2 days ago
john
261
New contributor
john is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited yesterday
Tim
89.9k1091227
asked 2 days ago
john
261
New contributor
john is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited yesterday
Tim
89.9k1091227
edited yesterday
Tim
89.9k1091227
edited yesterday
Tim
89.9k1091227
89.9k1091227
asked 2 days ago
john
261
New contributor
john is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
john
261
asked 2 days ago
john
261
261
New contributor
john is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
john is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
john is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
You are assuming the same string gauges? A related question would be how to compensate (retain the same tension) by changing the string gauge.
– Tim
yesterday
add a comment |Â
You are assuming the same string gauges? A related question would be how to compensate (retain the same tension) by changing the string gauge.
– Tim
yesterday
You are assuming the same string gauges? A related question would be how to compensate (retain the same tension) by changing the string gauge.
– Tim
yesterday
You are assuming the same string gauges? A related question would be how to compensate (retain the same tension) by changing the string gauge.
– Tim
yesterday
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
7
down vote
The square of the frequency of a vibrating string is directly proportional to the tension, and inversely proportional to the square of the length of the string. So, for two strings of identical composition vibrating at the same frequency:
T2 = (L22 / L12) * T1.
For L1 = 20in and L2 = 25in, we have L2 = 1.25 * L1, or L22 = 1.5625 * L12. This means that:
T2 = 1.5625 * T1 = (1 + 0.5625) * T1.
The tension in the 25 inch string is 56.25% higher than the tension in the 20 inch string. Hmmm, in retrospect, you probably should have asked this over at the SE Physics site.
edited yesterday
Dietrich Epp
1054
answered 2 days ago
David Bowling
3,54011030
does a 25 inch scale exist on acoustic?
– Neil Meyer
2 days ago
@NeilMeyer -- Stewie Mac shows some Nationals as 25" scale length, and some other acoustics as longer. I have a Taylor 12-string with a 25.5" scale length.
– David Bowling
yesterday
@NeilMeyer - My Fender, Epiphone and Yamaha acoustics are all pretty close to 25" scale. 25.5", 25.65" and exactly 25" respectively. Scale lengths are averaged across the strings, as the saddles are not parallel to the nut. Epi measured from the zero fret.
– Tim
yesterday
In laymans' terms, I'd have said the sting is 25% longer, so it'd need 25% more tension. Guess it's not simply a straight line graph... +1
– Tim
yesterday
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
7
down vote
The square of the frequency of a vibrating string is directly proportional to the tension, and inversely proportional to the square of the length of the string. So, for two strings of identical composition vibrating at the same frequency:
T2 = (L22 / L12) * T1.
For L1 = 20in and L2 = 25in, we have L2 = 1.25 * L1, or L22 = 1.5625 * L12. This means that:
T2 = 1.5625 * T1 = (1 + 0.5625) * T1.
The tension in the 25 inch string is 56.25% higher than the tension in the 20 inch string. Hmmm, in retrospect, you probably should have asked this over at the SE Physics site.
edited yesterday
Dietrich Epp
1054
answered 2 days ago
David Bowling
3,54011030
does a 25 inch scale exist on acoustic?
– Neil Meyer
2 days ago
@NeilMeyer -- Stewie Mac shows some Nationals as 25" scale length, and some other acoustics as longer. I have a Taylor 12-string with a 25.5" scale length.
– David Bowling
yesterday
@NeilMeyer - My Fender, Epiphone and Yamaha acoustics are all pretty close to 25" scale. 25.5", 25.65" and exactly 25" respectively. Scale lengths are averaged across the strings, as the saddles are not parallel to the nut. Epi measured from the zero fret.
– Tim
yesterday
In laymans' terms, I'd have said the sting is 25% longer, so it'd need 25% more tension. Guess it's not simply a straight line graph... +1
– Tim
yesterday
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
The square of the frequency of a vibrating string is directly proportional to the tension, and inversely proportional to the square of the length of the string. So, for two strings of identical composition vibrating at the same frequency:
T2 = (L22 / L12) * T1.
For L1 = 20in and L2 = 25in, we have L2 = 1.25 * L1, or L22 = 1.5625 * L12. This means that:
T2 = 1.5625 * T1 = (1 + 0.5625) * T1.
The tension in the 25 inch string is 56.25% higher than the tension in the 20 inch string. Hmmm, in retrospect, you probably should have asked this over at the SE Physics site.
edited yesterday
Dietrich Epp
1054
answered 2 days ago
David Bowling
3,54011030
does a 25 inch scale exist on acoustic?
– Neil Meyer
2 days ago
@NeilMeyer -- Stewie Mac shows some Nationals as 25" scale length, and some other acoustics as longer. I have a Taylor 12-string with a 25.5" scale length.
– David Bowling
yesterday
@NeilMeyer - My Fender, Epiphone and Yamaha acoustics are all pretty close to 25" scale. 25.5", 25.65" and exactly 25" respectively. Scale lengths are averaged across the strings, as the saddles are not parallel to the nut. Epi measured from the zero fret.
– Tim
yesterday
In laymans' terms, I'd have said the sting is 25% longer, so it'd need 25% more tension. Guess it's not simply a straight line graph... +1
– Tim
yesterday
add a comment |Â
up vote
7
down vote
up vote
7
down vote
The square of the frequency of a vibrating string is directly proportional to the tension, and inversely proportional to the square of the length of the string. So, for two strings of identical composition vibrating at the same frequency:
T2 = (L22 / L12) * T1.
For L1 = 20in and L2 = 25in, we have L2 = 1.25 * L1, or L22 = 1.5625 * L12. This means that:
T2 = 1.5625 * T1 = (1 + 0.5625) * T1.
The tension in the 25 inch string is 56.25% higher than the tension in the 20 inch string. Hmmm, in retrospect, you probably should have asked this over at the SE Physics site.
edited yesterday
Dietrich Epp
1054
answered 2 days ago
David Bowling
3,54011030
The square of the frequency of a vibrating string is directly proportional to the tension, and inversely proportional to the square of the length of the string. So, for two strings of identical composition vibrating at the same frequency:
T2 = (L22 / L12) * T1.
For L1 = 20in and L2 = 25in, we have L2 = 1.25 * L1, or L22 = 1.5625 * L12. This means that:
T2 = 1.5625 * T1 = (1 + 0.5625) * T1.
The tension in the 25 inch string is 56.25% higher than the tension in the 20 inch string. Hmmm, in retrospect, you probably should have asked this over at the SE Physics site.
edited yesterday
Dietrich Epp
1054
answered 2 days ago
David Bowling
3,54011030
edited yesterday
Dietrich Epp
1054
edited yesterday
Dietrich Epp
1054
edited yesterday
Dietrich Epp
1054
1054
answered 2 days ago
David Bowling
3,54011030
answered 2 days ago
David Bowling
3,54011030
answered 2 days ago
David Bowling
3,54011030
3,54011030
does a 25 inch scale exist on acoustic?
– Neil Meyer
2 days ago
@NeilMeyer -- Stewie Mac shows some Nationals as 25" scale length, and some other acoustics as longer. I have a Taylor 12-string with a 25.5" scale length.
– David Bowling
yesterday
@NeilMeyer - My Fender, Epiphone and Yamaha acoustics are all pretty close to 25" scale. 25.5", 25.65" and exactly 25" respectively. Scale lengths are averaged across the strings, as the saddles are not parallel to the nut. Epi measured from the zero fret.
– Tim
yesterday
In laymans' terms, I'd have said the sting is 25% longer, so it'd need 25% more tension. Guess it's not simply a straight line graph... +1
– Tim
yesterday
add a comment |Â
does a 25 inch scale exist on acoustic?
– Neil Meyer
2 days ago
@NeilMeyer -- Stewie Mac shows some Nationals as 25" scale length, and some other acoustics as longer. I have a Taylor 12-string with a 25.5" scale length.
– David Bowling
yesterday
@NeilMeyer - My Fender, Epiphone and Yamaha acoustics are all pretty close to 25" scale. 25.5", 25.65" and exactly 25" respectively. Scale lengths are averaged across the strings, as the saddles are not parallel to the nut. Epi measured from the zero fret.
– Tim
yesterday
In laymans' terms, I'd have said the sting is 25% longer, so it'd need 25% more tension. Guess it's not simply a straight line graph... +1
– Tim
yesterday
does a 25 inch scale exist on acoustic?
– Neil Meyer
2 days ago
does a 25 inch scale exist on acoustic?
– Neil Meyer
2 days ago
@NeilMeyer -- Stewie Mac shows some Nationals as 25" scale length, and some other acoustics as longer. I have a Taylor 12-string with a 25.5" scale length.
– David Bowling
yesterday
@NeilMeyer -- Stewie Mac shows some Nationals as 25" scale length, and some other acoustics as longer. I have a Taylor 12-string with a 25.5" scale length.
– David Bowling
yesterday
@NeilMeyer - My Fender, Epiphone and Yamaha acoustics are all pretty close to 25" scale. 25.5", 25.65" and exactly 25" respectively. Scale lengths are averaged across the strings, as the saddles are not parallel to the nut. Epi measured from the zero fret.
– Tim
yesterday
@NeilMeyer - My Fender, Epiphone and Yamaha acoustics are all pretty close to 25" scale. 25.5", 25.65" and exactly 25" respectively. Scale lengths are averaged across the strings, as the saddles are not parallel to the nut. Epi measured from the zero fret.
– Tim
yesterday
In laymans' terms, I'd have said the sting is 25% longer, so it'd need 25% more tension. Guess it's not simply a straight line graph... +1
– Tim
yesterday
In laymans' terms, I'd have said the sting is 25% longer, so it'd need 25% more tension. Guess it's not simply a straight line graph... +1
– Tim
yesterday
add a comment |Â
john is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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You are assuming the same string gauges? A related question would be how to compensate (retain the same tension) by changing the string gauge.
– Tim
yesterday