The Search for Strings

A complete technical reference for fretted instrument string tensions Catalog Supplement/String Tension Specifications

Their version of the magic formula features a mysterious constant (386.4). If you use it, the string density results seem plausible.

Anyway: I was trying to find out if I could put guitar strings on an octave-viola. So I wrote a python program to generate this table:

c2: (e2) 1.66 (a2) 1.90 (d3) 2.01 (g3) 2.02 (b3) 1.61 (e4) 1.61 g2: (e2) 1.61 (a2) 1.85 (d3) 1.96 (g3) 1.97 (b3) 1.57 (e4) 1.57 d3: (e2) 1.71 (a2) 1.96 (d3) 2.07 (g3) 2.08 (b3) 1.66 (e4) 1.66 a3: (e2) 1.33 (a2) 1.53 (d3) 1.61 (g3) 1.62 (b3) 1.29 (e4) 1.29

Each row describes a string of the octave-viola. Each entry in a given row corresponds to a guitar string (so first entry in c2 row corresponds to to e2 string of guitar). Each entry gives

(tension using this guitar string) / (desired value)

where desired value is string tension for a normal viola. So for first entry in first row, 1 would mean string tension is exactly what it ought to be. Instead it's 1.66 -- too much tension I think, not a good idea to these guitar strings on my axe.

But my guitar strings are light weight steel strings -- classical guitar players use strings with much less tension (like 50%). So I'm going to get some flat-wound classical guitar strings and see if I can use them for c2 and g2 on octave-viola.

https://youtu.be/uP9WvRHIUsw