hard, medium, or regular

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[Poll]

hard, medium, or regular

Hard tension

50% (10)

medium tension

40% (8)

regular tension

10% (2)

Total Votes : 20

(last vote on : Jan. 6 2020 17:41:22)

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AngelsFlight13

Posts: 10
Joined: Oct. 11 2019
From: Los Angeles, California USA

hard, medium, or regular

Greetings All

Have very recently started playing again I wanted to see what tension strings you all use in regards to string tension. In my younger days I would swear by hard tensions, now a days I find that my hands and fingers are not as limber as they used to be attributed to working for many years in my youth with ice. anyway just wanted to see where you all stand.

Have a blessed day.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 22 2019 18:31:52

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

Depends on the guitar setup. Some guitars need high tension to sound good, they usually feel fine with high tension too. Low tension is too buzzy and weak volume.

Other guitars will feel stiff and difficult with hard tension strings, probably not bright and snappy enough sound wise either.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 22 2019 21:54:11

tri7/5

Posts: 570
Joined: May 5 2012

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

As Ricardo said it's really the guitar. Pulsation plays into what strings are needed.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 22 2019 23:37:22

etta

Posts: 342
Joined: Jan. 20 2010

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

I like high tension; it allows for a more comfortable and faster lower action without any or much buzzing. My set up is usually about 2.4-2.6 on bass at 12th fret and 2.0/2.3 mm or close on the treble at 12th fret. The tension ratings on different brands of strings do vary.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 23 2019 17:33:20

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

On different guitars I use different tensions: high, medium, low. It depends on the instrument.

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 24 2019 16:04:14

Echi

Posts: 1132
Joined: Jan. 11 2013

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

On my guitars HT D’addario work the best for me.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 24 2019 17:46:44

dartemo1

Posts: 76
Joined: Apr. 21 2010

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

One of my guitars is really sensitive to humidity. In winter (now) the action is low and in summer it gets higher. Rather then changing the saddle height I simply use high tension strings when dry and switch to normal when high humidity settles.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 25 2019 2:31:17

Fred Klinge

Posts: 100
Joined: Aug. 1 2013
From: Abita Springs, Louisiana

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

What complicates the matter even further is the fact that there's no uniformity among the manufacturers regarding the specific tension assigned to "hard", "medium/normal" etc. Like most of us, I have one guitar that responds well to a "lighter" tension (Savarez Tomatito medium) and one to harder tension (D'Addario EJ45C) - both of these sets are designated medium/normal, but there's a noticeable difference in overall tension.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 25 2019 13:54:06

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

I worry about using hard tension strings because I'm afraid they may damage my guitar.

I often think about using light tension because of that awesome player (the guy who lives in France but is I think Spanish - can't remember his name, LOL, but I think he uses light tension strings) who makes the strings sound so great.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 26 2019 17:45:08

Echi

Posts: 1132
Joined: Jan. 11 2013

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

I think you mean Pepe Fernandez; he plays with a light touch, plenty of hammer-on and pull off in the style of Diego del Morao, isn’t it?
The guitars he plays on the tube for Solera and Mundo flamenco are almost always mounting luthier 30 strings.
Anyway I don’t think hard tension strings can make any harm to any average guitar.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 26 2019 19:06:38

BarkellWH

Posts: 3458
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

Depending on the guitar, I have used high tension and medium tension. I've never used low tension.

Bill

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 26 2019 21:13:03

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to Echi)

quote:

I think you mean Pepe Fernandez; he plays with a light touch, plenty of hammer-on and pull off in the style of Diego del Morao, isn’t it?

Nope, but still can't remember the guy's damn name...

EDIT - just looked it up: Juan Carmona.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 26 2019 21:19:32

Piwin

Posts: 3559
Joined: Feb. 9 2016

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to rombsix)

Samuelito maybe? (but he's French, not Spanish)

edit: lol, too late AND I'm wrong

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 26 2019 21:26:44

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to rombsix)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rombsix

quote:

I think you mean Pepe Fernandez; he plays with a light touch, plenty of hammer-on and pull off in the style of Diego del Morao, isn’t it?

Nope, but still can't remember the guy's damn name...

EDIT - just looked it up: Juan Carmona.

If you’re going to throw your guitar into the swimming pool you should definitely use low tension strings.

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 26 2019 22:07:23

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

Jason McGuire also uses D'addario low tension, or did last I heard at least.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 27 2019 1:09:09

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to Piwin)

quote:

edit: lol, too late AND I'm wrong

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 27 2019 3:39:36

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to Richard Jernigan)

quote:

If you’re going to throw your guitar into the swimming pool you should definitely use low tension strings.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 27 2019 3:51:59

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

Johannes Inhoffen of Mundo Flamenco says "I always sent extra low tension strings to Moraito in Jerez in the 90s, because he could not get them there and wanted to play on stage with the most low tension strings that existed. Other pros prefer hard tension."

You can read the whole thing here (scroll down the page to "Which strings for a flamenco guitar?" near the bottom of the pate): https://www.mundo-flamenco.com/en/infos/faq-about-guitars/about-guitars.html

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 27 2019 7:59:20

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to Echi)

quote:

Samuelito maybe? (but he's French, not Spanish)

I played his guitar and was surprised at how soft it was string tension or pulsation wise. Didnt ask what strings he used though.

quote:

The guitars he plays on the tube for Solera and Mundo flamenco are almost always mounting luthier 30 strings.

Is that what Solera puts on all their guitars? I find that Luthier 20's are a medium-high tension as it is. Higher than say Dadario EJ45

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 27 2019 15:24:09

Echi

Posts: 1132
Joined: Jan. 11 2013

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

Hi, in the specs of the Guitar they also say the strings used for the video and mostly are luthier 30 with nylon trebles.
Luthier 30 should be medium-hard. As per feeling under the fingers, they are in between D’addario Ej45 and EJ46.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 28 2019 14:35:46

Ricardo

Posts: 14801
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to rombsix)

quote:

ORIGINAL: rombsix

quote:

If you’re going to throw your guitar into the swimming pool you should definitely use low tension strings.

Happy new year brother!

Your in box is full.

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 2 2020 1:45:45

etta

Posts: 342
Joined: Jan. 20 2010

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to AngelsFlight13)

And, if you want your guitar to sound like a ukulele, use low tension strings (at least to my ears). The Carmona video seems to verify this.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 6 2020 17:24:14

JasonM

Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore

RE: hard, medium, or regular (in reply to Echi)

quote:

Luthier 30 should be medium-hard. As per feeling under the fingers, they are in between D’addario Ej45 and EJ46.

I can not find string diameter measurements for Luthiers anywhere. But Luthier 20’s have always felt medium hard to me. I measured .030 inches for the high e string versus .028 for EJ45 and Labella 427 medium tension strings. So Luthier 20’s are slightly thicker but maybe not noticeable to some people

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 6 2020 19:12:34