There are other tension calculators out there, how is this different?
String tension calculators will return the tension of a given string in a given tuning. If you want the same string tension in a different tuning or on a different guitar, you need to work backwards to find the optimal string gauges. Then you need to find a set of strings that match all the optimal gauges. Now you can skip all these steps.
You could just ask AI?
Maybe, but drop-downs are quicker than writing a prompt.
I play in a Sonic Youth cover band. Why is my tuning not on here?
I wanted to keep the tool as simple as possible and not have you enter everything for each string, so I went with a selection of most common tunings. If you play in alternate tunings, you most likely thought about this a lot and have it worked out already.
Why is my favourite string set not included?
I tried to cover most common electric guitar string sets from major brands. If there is a brand I have omitted, please contact me and let me know. And if you use a custom set of strings, you probably also have it all figured out already (see above).
Aren't there differences in tension between manufacturers?
There definitely are. Different string types from one brand or strings made by different manufacturers will have different unit weights and will result in different tensions for the same gauge. It is not really feasible to account for all these differences in the tool, mainly because most manufacturers do not provide this level of detail about their strings.
All the calculations are based on information from the the good people at D’Addario, who published the most comprehensive documentation of tensions and unit weights. So the tool will work best for their XL nickel wound electric strings. The results should however still be broadly accurate as long as you are comparing the same string type from the same manufacturer. Otherwise the results will be a bit off, but this is also the case for other string tension calculators, unless you use the exact strings the calculations are based on. Finally, whenever the tool refers to strings from a specific brand, this recommendation is based only on the gauges available in a given set, not the construction of those particular strings.
I play a fretless guitar with flatwounds, will this still work?
As mentioned above, the tool will work best for D’Addario XL nickel wound electric guitar strings. The results for similar strings from other manufacturers shouldn’t be that different. If you use very different strings, the calculations will be off, but the results should still be useful.
Why is there a multiscale preset for Strandberg guitars, but not for other manufacturers?
Other than Strandberg, it is difficult to find information from the manufacturers about the effective scale length for each string. So Strandberg is the only multiscale guitar manufacturer where I was able to input numbers provided by the company. For the other multiscale options, the effective scale lenghts for each string are estimated. The results can therefore differ slightly depending on string spacing.
How do you compare guitars with different number of strings?
If you are moving to an instrument with more strings, I assume you want the additional string(s) to have the same feel as your current lowest string. If you are moving from a seven or eight string down to a six or seven the tool only compares the top strings common to both instruments.