D'Addario Tape wound tension on Acoustic

La Faro

La Faro

Jun 20, 2016
1,175
2,999
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Da Nang, Viet Nam
#1
D'Addario ETB92 Tapewound are rated at 146in/lb. I'm thinking of these for my Takemine Acoustic Bass Guitar. Are these likely to be higher tension that the stock roundwounds? Or is there no way of really telling? The truss hardly seems engaged to put some relief in the neck on the stock strings, which wasn't playable when I got it (maybe not set up, or just the heat of Vietnam on the rod), with the strings flat against the frets.

I live in Vietnam and it's just roundwounds here. I'm looking for GHS flats for my Squire JBass and tapes for my acoustic. I'm put off by GHS tapes as they are roundwounds with tape. I'll be ordering from Thomann, so will take about a month to receive.
 
#2
I took the Rotosound 66s off my 4 string, and put on a set of D'Addario tapes.

Same gauge, far less tension.

I use the same strings on my acoustic with no problems.
 
#6
La Faro said:
Thanks for the reply. My concern is more about too little tension, than too much. I'm hoping they are higher than the stock strings. Being stock I have no idea of the tension on them.
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I'd guess that the stock strings are D'Addarrios of some kind. I can't think of a tape that would be higher tension than most rounds.

If you are interested in higher tension, look at flats.
 
#7
yodedude2 said:
be on the lookout for bridge lift.
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Not knowing what a bridge lift is, I'm guessing they simply raise the bridge in the same way that shims do under the peizo pickup. I've actually done the opposite here and removed two of the shims to lower the action.,I think it's the relief in the neck I'm more concerned about as it's seems set up well enough for me to play I like with the current bridge height and strings and just a little of truss rod tension.
 
#8
tfer said:
I'd guess that the stock strings are D'Addarrios of some kind. I can't think of a tape that would be higher tension than most rounds.

If you are interested in higher tension, look at flats.
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Pretty new to the bass, so no experience other than the stock round wounds strings on both my bases. I was hoping the tension would be similar on tapes and round wound, depending on variable. The GHS are round wound it seems with tap on top, but the DAddario flatwounds with the tape on top, so was thinking the Daddario would be higher that the GHS tapes. and being based on flats, higher than some rounds.

I guess I'm going to pull of stacks of tension charts to compare and maybe the strings and truss rod tension and have a good look at the bass itself.
 
#11
La Faro said:
Not knowing what a bridge lift is, I'm guessing they simply raise the bridge in the same way that shims do under the peizo pickup. I've actually done the opposite here and removed two of the shims to lower the action.,I think it's the relief in the neck I'm more concerned about as it's seems set up well enough for me to play I like with the current bridge height and strings and just a little of truss rod tension.
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i had issues with tapewounds on a cheaper acoustic bass guitar causing bridge lift. edit: a.k.a. bellying... the spruce top of the bass bowed upward just a bit, and the bridge begin to lift away from the body, due to too much string tension for the instrument to handle. here is a brief primer on the condition...just something to be aware of:

Sound Advice: Fixing a Faulty Bridge

edit 2: they were la bella tapewounds.
 
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#12
La Faro said:
D'Addario ETB92 Tapewound are rated at 146in/lb. I'm thinking of these for my Takemine Acoustic Bass Guitar. Are these likely to be higher tension that the stock roundwounds? Or is there no way of really telling? The truss hardly seems engaged to put some relief in the neck on the stock strings, which wasn't playable when I got it (maybe not set up, or just the heat of Vietnam on the rod), with the strings flat against the frets.

I live in Vietnam and it's just roundwounds here. I'm looking for GHS flats for my Squire JBass and tapes for my acoustic. I'm put off by GHS tapes as they are roundwounds with tape. I'll be ordering from Thomann, so will take about a month to receive.
Click to expand...
Daddario tapewounds are very low tension (around 140 ibs total if i remember correctly)
 
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#13
La Faro said:
D'Addario ETB92 Tapewound are rated at 146in/lb. I'm thinking of these for my Takemine Acoustic Bass Guitar. Are these likely to be higher tension that the stock roundwounds? Or is there no way of really telling? The truss hardly seems engaged to put some relief in the neck on the stock strings, which wasn't playable when I got it (maybe not set up, or just the heat of Vietnam on the rod), with the strings flat against the frets.

I live in Vietnam and it's just roundwounds here. I'm looking for GHS flats for my Squire JBass and tapes for my acoustic. I'm put off by GHS tapes as they are roundwounds with tape. I'll be ordering from Thomann, so will take about a month to receive.
Click to expand...

I can't speak to tension but the D'Addario tape wounds sound great on an AEB. I put them on my Breedlove and the tone and timbre are suggestive of an upright but still sounds like a bass-guitar. Highly recommended. I've since put them on my 5-string Fodera as well.

I agree with the other reply - if you are new to bass playing than neck tension is not the biggest concern and don't forget it can be adjusted for if needed.
 
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#14
I was recommended the Rotosound tapewounds when I had an ABG. They sounded great and caused no physical problems with the instrument. I have also used the D'Addario tapes on a solidbody. I think the Rotosound strings were lower tension. They did bring out a great, woody sound on that ABG.
 
#15
BassManKK said:
I can't speak to tension but the D'Addario tape wounds sound great on an AEB. I put them on my Breedlove and the tone and timbre are suggestive of an upright but still sounds like a bass-guitar. Highly recommended. I've since put them on my 5-string Fodera as well.

I agree with the other reply - if you are new to bass playing than neck tension is not the biggest concern and don't forget it can be adjusted for if needed.
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I feel my concern is still being taken the wrong way. My concern is that it won't be able to be adjusted if the tension is too low.

On the current strings. the truss rod is barely engaged. If I put strings of lower tension on it, then there is less required from the truss rod. I need to ensure the tension is the same, or higher, so that the truss rod is engaged.

I am not looking for less tension than the current strings, but more. So at least I can adjust.
 
#16
La Faro said:
I feel my concern is still being taken the wrong way. My concern is that it won't be able to be adjusted if the tension is too low.

On the current strings. the truss rod is barely engaged. If I put strings of lower tension on it, then there is less required from the truss rod. I need to ensure the tension is the same, or higher, so that the truss rod is engaged.

I am not looking for less tension than the current strings, but more. So at least I can adjust.
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If that is the case then Tapewounds are not going to provide you with what you are looking for , they are generally very low tension
 
#18
La Faro said:
The GHS are round wound it seems with tap on top, but the DAddario flatwounds with the tape on top, so was thinking the Daddario would be higher that the GHS tapes. and being based on flats, higher than some rounds.
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La Faro said:
Looking thourgh D'Addario's tensions charts for round wound seems to confirm that roundwonuds are higher tension. I though flats were higher that rounds, but GHS Precision Medium flats are just 40 lbs higher. They don't list their tapes for comparison though
http://www.ghsrep.net/uploads/2/2/2/5/22258814/ghs_bass_string_guide.pdf
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No tapewounds are metal flatwounds underneath. That they're (almost) all rounds has been kindly demonstrated here, with photographic proof, and no one has produced any evidence otherwise:
Black Nylon Tapewounds

As reported in the same link, GHS actually are the only ones (along with Status tapes, according to one poster here) which are anything other than rounds under the nylon tape, namely groundwounds. They're not on their current string tension guide anymore because they've been recently discontinued (can still be found in stores for now). Their tensions are included in the first version, attached here:
GHS Tension Chart is Available
What you could do, and what I'm about to try myself (already have the strings, only waiting for some free time to do it), is try them without the .105 E (I'm using it elsewhere) and uptuning the B to E: at 46 pounds, tension for that string would be tight but absolutely maneageable - comparable to a .110 roundwound - and nowhere near breaking point. You could try the same trick with other tapewound Bs such as the D'Addario one, but in that case we're talking 55 pounds' tension. And of course you should be willing and ready for some work on the nut and bridge pins, if there, and/or holes.
 
#19
La Faro said:
Thanks, I think you are right, I don't want you to be though, but I think you are
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I used to use Tapewounds but recently stopped using them as the low tension meant I had to raise the action high to counter the fret buzz, loosened the truss rod but the lack of tension made it difficult to get the neck relief right. Tapes are usually roundwound underneath the tape, shame as the extra tension flats would provide would make them a more viable option
 
#20
Some really good info there guys, thank you. I was starting to think I should just prove myself wrong and get the Daddario tapes. At least that way I'd remove the concern of 'what if I'm wrong?' just by dealing with it directly. Being I'm not alone in this concern adds some weight to my thinking. Finding out that when GHS are stating that they are rounds under the tape isn't contrary to the norm, just them stating the fact, changes my perspective. Thomann still stock the GHS tapes. It's a shame that GHS don't publish the tension states for these. if they were noticeably higher, I'd take the jump.
 
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