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strings - low, medium , hard tension ?   You are logged in as Guest
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sorin popovici

 

Posts: 427
Joined: Jan. 7 2005
From: Iasi, Romania

strings - low, medium , hard tension ? 
Hi ! Sorry to ask this ...but I really dont know after ten years of playing :D.

My question is what is the difference between low, medium and hard tension?
I guess hard tension strings reach A at 440 hz at a harder tension than medium and so on.

So far at my local store I only got mediums so I dont really know. From my point of view ...I guess the lower the tension the easiest I play and faster. But if this is true why do they manufacture hard tension strings?

I am planning to order strings from internet from now on ...and I want to know this. I usually play a lot of things on my classical guitar so my question is not just about flamenco.

I have a ramirez classical guitar ( aprox 600 euro S smth ( dont remember right now :) ).
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jul. 27 2009 5:55:43
 
Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
quote:

I guess the lower the tension the easiest I play and faster. But if this is true why do they manufacture hard tension strings?


i tried all, i think its all a matter of personal choice wich u feel u perform better with...also depends on your guitar and what it responds best too

they all have advantages and disadvantages...higher tenshion, its more secure..requires more force, u feel it on litlle things eg.. pulloffs, guitar dosent feel as responsive, expecially after the new strings start wearing off ( also depends on the guitar , some guitars love high tenshion) but since they not moving around under your hand as much its more secure, cleaner imo..also feels eazyer and more secure to do clean picado

lower tenshion feel nice under your right hand when doing rasqueados, feels responsive..u feel like u have alot of power...but its also eazyer to make mistakes or sound unclean and feel unsecure...its all down to personal taste, feelings, preference, what guitar u use and whats most important to you..if you someone whos a very nervous when playing in front of people i recommend high tenshion..your hands have to be very relaxed when playing low tenshion in front of people imo...your chances of making mistakes due to nervs are somewhat higher...since more precisse and relaxed and even more clinical finger placing is required, expecially on the left hand.....but then again it could suit someones guitar and playing perfectly ...u never know

really until you try all noone could tell you wich you would prefer and responds best to your guitar...they all have their own advantages and disadvantages depending on what u looking for

i use high tenshion atm but i still havent decided whats 100% my favourite....i keep trying diff tenshion every now and then

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jul. 27 2009 6:05:17
 
sorin popovici

 

Posts: 427
Joined: Jan. 7 2005
From: Iasi, Romania

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
wasnt there a myth about flamenco guitarist preferring low tension and classical high tension ? (sort of like ...flamenco guitarists playing a lot more notes and the quality for every note usually not being that important they prefer low tension and classical players preferring higher tension cause they do not stand fret noise and they want to be extremely clear.)
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jul. 27 2009 6:39:52
 
Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
quote:

wasnt there a myth about flamenco guitarist preferring low tension and classical high tension ? (sort of like ...flamenco guitarists playing a lot more notes and the quality for every note usually not being that important they prefer low tension and classical players preferring higher tension cause they do not stand fret noise and they want to be extremely clear.)


i dont know...if there was then its just a myth cause each is different with many different tastes...this might have been the case when flamenco guitar was at the beggining and it was mostly an accompanying instrument but as the level of player went up and guitarists developed into respected soloists the needs changed imo

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jul. 27 2009 6:54:31
 
XXX

Posts: 4400
Joined: Apr. 14 2005
 

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
If you want snapping notes you just pluck harder, the tension is secondary imo. More importantly you want to find a tension which works with all your techniques... on alzapua and rasgeados i prefer hard tension, on picado and pulgar medium tension, and on arpegios i feel most comfortable with low tension :)

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Фламенко
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jul. 27 2009 7:03:48
 
sorin popovici

 

Posts: 427
Joined: Jan. 7 2005
From: Iasi, Romania

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
I guess if some people ask what would Jesus do....then in flamenco I must ask what is Paco using :) ?
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jul. 27 2009 7:07:21
 
Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
quote:

then in flamenco I must ask what is Paco using :) ?





even that wont help when it comes to this imo...what he uses and does works for him and his technique and style...u have to experiment until you find the one that works best for you

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Jul. 27 2009 7:19:44
 
M.S.A.

 

Posts: 493
Joined: Mar. 10 2009
 

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 23 2009 3:43:07
 
xirdneH_imiJ

Posts: 1890
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to M.S.A.) 
i have to say i don't know anyone that plays flamenco who doesn't play high tension...after trying medium i went for high tension too, to me it's cleaner and sounds more crispy-flamencoish...
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 23 2009 11:34:48

ToddK

 

Posts: 2961
Joined: Dec. 6 2004
 

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
I use normal tension D'addario's for flamenco.

And hard tension for classical.

TK

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 23 2009 12:28:10
 
M.S.A.

 

Posts: 493
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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 23 2009 12:52:41
 
xirdneH_imiJ

Posts: 1890
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to M.S.A.) 
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 23 2009 14:07:48

ToddK

 

Posts: 2961
Joined: Dec. 6 2004
 

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to M.S.A.) 
quote:

exactly. én is mondom


mondom? what is that? Hungarian or something?

Never heard that word before. Just wondering.

whoosh, right over my head. :)

TK

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 23 2009 19:17:20
 
xirdneH_imiJ

Posts: 1890
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to ToddK) 
yeah, it's hungarian for "i say that too"...
i think i'll buy a set of mediums just to know again what it feels like...
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 24 2009 3:27:16
 
beno

Posts: 881
Joined: Nov. 3 2006
From: Hungary

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
I think You should check mostly the full amount of tension of the six string (each as well) as some brands' 'low or medium tension' sets are much harder than other's 'high or medium' tension ones. Think of Savarez
If You may take a look at Lbella's 820 red or black sets that's one of the lightest 34kg If i remeber while some savarez goes up to 40 or 41 kg. That's a HUGE difference I think..and my romero prefers the light ones.
They also differ in thickness let's try a Hannabach to say.
Surface of the strings..
A lot of things determine the full-playing feel - I think, and one can only know what works best for him through experience.
én meg ezt mondom.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 24 2009 14:12:28
 
xirdneH_imiJ

Posts: 1890
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to beno) 
correct - although i'm a bit confused now, because you said Savarez was hard, and just recently i played a guitar with hard Savarez strings on it and they were much-much lighter than my Hannabach ones...perhaps Hannabach hards are harder than the "normal hards"?
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 25 2009 11:34:48
 
M.S.A.

 

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 25 2009 11:51:46
 
M.S.A.

 

Posts: 493
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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 25 2009 11:59:12
 
beno

Posts: 881
Joined: Nov. 3 2006
From: Hungary

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
exactly. It depends on the guitar, this is why I wrote to experience. Right now I'm very happy with my nylgut trebles, can't get enough of them
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 25 2009 13:19:50
 
M.S.A.

 

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 26 2009 13:36:26
 
beno

Posts: 881
Joined: Nov. 3 2006
From: Hungary

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
Yes, it depends on a lot of things..
by the way here You can check the tension of several popular set:
http://www.bigcitystring.com/classic.htm
and Daddario also have a pdf catalog to download with detailed infos.
I didn't find any for savarez yet, but the individual sets may contain some more info
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Aug. 27 2009 12:27:58
 
affect

 

Posts: 39
Joined: Mar. 17 2009
 

RE: strings - low, medium , hard ten... (in reply to sorin popovici) 
I just noticed this post and I recently had some experience stringing my student Francisco Navarro with Spruce top.

I tried D'addario (Normal and Hard; classical with composite), Savarez (520p; flamenco), as well as Augustine. But none did it for this guitar except the LaBella flamenco (I haven't tried the classicals). I tried both LaBella 2001 (light tension; flamenco) and the LaBella 820 (Normal?; flamenco). The light tension is a bit noisy and is probably best kept for a delicate instrument that is loud enough. I will be trying the LaBella 2001 high tension soon. Meanwhile, the 820 set that I have is very good for this instruments.

D'Addario classical just didn't cut it for this guitar. I know a professional guitarist in town (Montreal) who only uses extra hard tension d'addario! Another proof that what string is most suitable is highly contextual and probably subjective.

Good luck!
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Oct. 4 2009 0:04:18
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