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Topic: Fender Deluxe 8 String Tension |
Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 1 Dec 2006 11:29 am |
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I've been playing around with the string tension formula and figured out that Scotty's C6th set has a tension of 197 lbs on the Deluxe 8 22.5" scale. Individual string tensions vary from about 20 lbs to about 28 lbs.
If you compute the tension for the same strings for a 25" scale it comes out to 243 lbs, an increase of 23%. The maximum single string tension is 41 lbs.
Does anyone have a feel for the safe string tensions for this instrument? I understand that tuner failures are related to excess string tension.
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Lynn Oliver
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 1 Dec 2006 1:19 pm
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I'm not sure what you mean by "a feel for the safe string tensions for this instrument." Are you asking if anyone knows what the safe range is for string tension on the Fender Deluxe 8?
The guitar is certainly designed to support the string tension of a C6th tuning without any problem.
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 1 Dec 2006 2:34 pm
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That same set that has 197# of tension on the 22.5" scale would have 233# on the 24.5" scale, or 263# on the 26" scale. The highest individual string tensions are 28#, 34#, 38#.
If the tuning assemblies are the same on all three versions, can we assume that the design will handle any of those tensions without problems? Do the longer scale instruments have more tuner failures than the short scales?
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Bob Stone
From:
Gainesville, FL, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2006 3:01 pm
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Influential sacred steel veteran Henry Nelson (1930-2001), and Aubrey Ghent's father, played a Deluxe 8 strung with six strings. He played the same instrument regularly for about 30 years. He once told me his string gauges. I can't remember Nelson's exact gauges, but clearly recall they were heavier than a typical set of bluegrass Dobro strings. Nelson used standard high-bass Dobro tuning (1-3-5-1-3-5), but pitched it to B-flat. Those heavy strings were really tight, but that's the way he liked them! To my knowledge he never had a tuner failure.
I had his steel here for a few days while a friend repaired the a loose threaded fitting on one of the legs.[This message was edited by Bob Stone on 01 December 2006 at 03:03 PM.] |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2006 3:38 pm
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Sheesh, I've got G# on high with a 16 gauge on my short scale Magnatone 8 string Varsity with crummy Kluson(?) tuners.
No problem.
What's the big worry? |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 1 Dec 2006 4:05 pm
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At the very least I know that 200# of tension should not be a problem. Designing a low G6 set to give equal tensions gives:
Plain 0.016 d3 25.63
Plain 0.019 b2 25.56
NickelRound 0.026 g2 25.51
NickelRound 0.030 e2 24.54
NickelRound 0.034 d2 24.39
NickelRound 0.042 b1 25.79
NickelRound 0.052 g1 24.21
NickelRound 0.062 e1 25.16
Total 200.79
Even this "low tension" set uses higher gauges than the typical prepackaged set.
What am I missing?
The "worry" is that I've been told excessive string tension will cause Fender tuners to fail. I'm just trying to find out what "excessive" is, in this context. [This message was edited by Lynn Oliver on 01 December 2006 at 04:15 PM.] |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 2 Dec 2006 6:42 am
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I think tuner failures in these old guitars are more related to a lack of lubrication. The tuners, usually devoid of any lubricant, get stiff - and people just keep cranking away! I've actually seen several players turning keys with a pair of pliers!
(And yes, they still had the buttons on 'em!)
Do yourself a favor and take the guitar apart and lube the tuners with some light grease that will stay in place, like "Lubriplate." |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 2 Dec 2006 4:10 pm
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| What Donny said. Who is the last person you know who lubes their tuners? Most folks pay no attention until they fail. |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Dec 2006 6:29 pm
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| Following Frank Ford's advice I lubed the tuners with Tri-Flow before reassembling the guitar. |
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