How to make a Kite Guitar: Difference between revisions
→String Spacing: mostly finished. Also reworked the saddle compensation section |
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== String Gauges == | == String Gauges == | ||
A 6-string Kite guitar tuned in 3rds can be strung with a standard set of strings, but it's not ideal. The high strings will be somewhat slack, and the low strings will be somewhat tight. To find the appropriate gauges, use the D'Addario method: calculate each string's tension from its unit weight, length and pitch (frequency) by the formula T = (UW x (2 x L x F)<sup>2</sup>) / 386.4. For open strings, the length is the guitar's scale. The frequency in hertz of the Nth string of 8 strings tuned in the standard downmajor 3rds with a low string of vD is 440 * (2 ^ (-7/12 + (21 - 13*N) / 41)). For a 6-string guitar in mid-6 tuning, N ranges from 2 to 7. Or use the frequency table below. The unit weight is pounds per inch, and is a function of string gauge and string type (plain vs. wound, etc.). D'Addario has [https://www.daddario.com/globalassets/pdfs/accessories/tension_chart_13934.pdf published] their unit weights, thus the individual tensions can be calculated for a given set of strings. One can work backwards from this and select string gauges/types that give uniform tensions using this spreadsheet: | A 6-string Kite guitar tuned in 3rds can be strung with a standard set of strings, but it's not ideal. The high strings will be somewhat slack, and the low strings will be somewhat tight. To find the appropriate gauges, use the D'Addario method: calculate each string's tension from its unit weight, length and pitch (frequency) by the formula T = (UW x (2 x L x F)<sup>2</sup>) / 386.4. For open strings, the length is the guitar's scale. The frequency in hertz of the Nth string of 8 strings tuned in the standard downmajor 3rds with a low string of vD is 440 * (2 ^ (-7/12 + (21 - 13*N) / 41)). For a 6-string guitar in mid-6 tuning, N ranges from 2 to 7. Or use the frequency table below. The unit weight is pounds per inch, and is a function of string gauge and string type (plain vs. wound, etc.). D'Addario has [https://www.daddario.com/globalassets/pdfs/accessories/tension_chart_13934.pdf published] their unit weights, thus the individual tensions can be calculated for a given set of strings. One can work backwards from this and select string gauges/types that give uniform tensions using this spreadsheet: [https://tallkite.com/misc_files/StringTensionCalculator.ods TallKite.com/misc_files/StringTensionCalculator.ods] The desired tension depends on the instrument, and of course personal taste. A steel-string acoustic guitar might have 25-30 lbs. tension for each string. A 12edo 25.5" electric guitar strung with a standard 10-46 set has 15-20 lbs. With a 9-42 set it has 13-16 lbs. | ||
* A longer scale means a higher tension or a smaller gauge or a lower pitch (frequency) | * A longer scale means a higher tension or a smaller gauge or a lower pitch (frequency) | ||
* A higher tension means a longer scale or a bigger gauge or a higher pitch | * A higher tension means a longer scale or a bigger gauge or a higher pitch |