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What kind of strings should I use if I want maximum power?

I'm using a puredrive cortex and I wanted to know which strings can give me maximum power out of my flat shots. I used to love playing at base but ever since I started experimenting with hybrids and all of these string sets that were supposed to give me an "adequate" amount of power and spin I tended to end up volleying more often and adding spin (to the point that I added too much spin). I like to play like Roddick, back when his strokes were flatter, and I USED to play with his style when I used polyester strings. Anyways, I just wanted to know what strings could give me maximum power without having to put in too much effort into my strokes.

Oh yeah, please don't comment with "you should worry about control more than power" because I know that control and placement is more essential to the game than power but I just want to play like how I used to (I like to kill with my forehands and slams =P)

Natural gut is the "Rolls Royce" of tennis strings. Put it in the mains, and put Luxilon ALU in the crosses. You'll need to adjust the tension of the natural gut to something you can handle. To get "maximum power" out of flat shots, you need to work on your contact point more (higher), and following through across your body. To hit the ball with less effort, you're just going to have to hit cleaner shots and hit through the ball without trying to muscle up on the ball. The more relaxed you are, the faster your stroke will get, and you will get amazing power with less effort. String tension is very important. Strung too loosely, and you get a trampoline effect with plenty of effortless power, and zero control.

D'Addario EFT13 Flat Top PB Resophonic Acoustic String Set $9.99 D'Addario EFT13 Flat Top PB Resophonic Acoustic String Set

D'Addario FT76 Flat Top PB Mandola String Set $14.99 D'Addario FT76 Flat Top PB Mandola String Set

D'addario Eft13 Flat Top Pb Resophonic Acoustic String Set $9.99 D'Addario EFT13 Flat Top PB Resophonic Acoustic String Set

D'addario Ft76 Flat Top Pb Mandola String Set $14.99 D'Addario FT76 Flat Top PB Mandola String Set

Shostakovich: The String Quartets [Box Set] $60.88 Disc 3:String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108: 1. Allegretto - attacca:String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108: 2. Lento - attacca:String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, Op. 108: 3. Allegro - Allegretto - [Adagio]String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110: 1. Largo - attacca:String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110: 2. Allegro molto - attacca:String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110: 3. Allegretto - attacca:String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110: 4. Largo - attacca:String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110: 5. LargoString Quartet No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 117: 1. Moderato con moto - attacca:String Quartet No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 117: 2. Adagio - attacca:String Quartet No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 117: 3. Allegretto - attacca:String Quartet No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 117: 4. Adagio - attacca:String Quartet No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 117: 5. AllegroString Quartet No. 10 in A flat, Op. 118: 1. AndanteString Quartet No. 10 in A flat, Op. 118: 2. Allegretto furiosoString Quartet No. 10 in A flat, Op. 118: 3. Adagio - attacca:String Quartet No. 10 in A flat, Op. 118: 4. Allegretto - Andante

String Quartet E Flat Major Op. 127 $33.95 The E-flat Major String Quartet, Op. 127, is a key work not only in Beethoven's Oeuvre but in the entire history of the genre. The first of the late quartets, it "transfers the formal and symbolic aspects of his two major works for chorus and orchestra [the Missa solemnis and the Ninth Symphony] to the more intimate domain of chamber music" (William Kinderman). For years, music lovers have been waiting for a new edition based on the scholarly text from the new Beethoven Gesamtausgabe. The wait has paid off! The highly complex source situation was examined for the first time and thus Beethoven's "final intentions" are now available in an urtext edition. The set of parts (HN 740) and the score (HN 9740) both come with a detailed preface and editorial notes.

String Quartets - Op. 127 In E-Flat Major $7.79 String Quartets - Op. 127 In E-Flat Major

String Quartet In E Flat Major (Vogler) $8.99 String Quartet In E Flat Major (Vogler)

String Quartet 1 E Flat Maj $5.99 String Quartet 1 E Flat Maj

String Sextet Op 18 B Flat Major $15.99 String Sextet Op 18 B Flat Major

D'Addario J97 Bouzouki String Set $4.99 D'Addario J97 Bouzouki String Set

D'addario J97 Bouzouki String Set $4.99 D'Addario J97 Bouzouki String Set

La Bella Autoharp String Set $159.99 String your instrument securely with this ball-end string set for most autoharps.

D'Addario Prelude Cello String Set Set, 1/8 $43.99 D'Addario Prelude Cello String Set Set, 1/8

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Mozart string quartet 16 in E flat major (Mov 1/4)

Guitar and Bass Repair: Beyond Basic Tuning - Intonation, What is it and How Does it Work?

Have you ever had a guitar or bass that didn’t quite play in tune no matter how many times you tuned it up? If so, it is quite possible that your instrument’s intonation is incorrect. If you’ve never heard of intonation, read further because it may be the key to making your instrument play in tune. This article will discuss what intonation is, why it needs to be set properly, how to read it and how to make basic adjustments to your instrument’s intonation.

Please follow this link to view the figures for the article.

What is Intonation?

The intonation of a guitar or bass has to do with how accurately the instrument voices its notes. A perfectly intonated guitar or bass will play all of its notes with perfect accuracy. An A will be exactly 440hz, and the octave of that A will be exactly 880hz, no matter where it is played on the fretboard. A guitar or bass that is not properly intonated may still sound a perfect A in the open position, but play an A in any other position and it will be slightly out of tune.

On a properly intonated guitar or bass, the length of the string between the nut and saddle will be slightly longer than the instrument’s stated scale length (the theoretical distance from the nut to the saddle). As you fret a string to sound a note it stretches a little, causing its pitch to go slightly sharp. To counteract the change in pitch caused by the stretch, the saddle is placed slightly further back from the fretboard, effectively increasing the length of the string and lowering the pitch. This extra distance the saddle is placed beyond the scale length is called compensation.

A string under lower tension will stretch more than a string under higher tension and will require more compensation to be properly intonated. All things being equal, a guitar or bass with high action, a high nut or lower tension strings will require more compensation than an instrument with low action, a short nut or higher tension strings.

Checking the Intonation of Your Instrument

To see if the intonation of your instrument is set properly, you will first need to obtain a good quality chromatic tuner. You should spend at least $20 on a tuner that you intend to use for reading and setting intonation. A cheap, non-chromatic tuner may produce readings that are inaccurate. If you are reading the intonation of an electric instrument with more than one pickup, plug the tuner into the instrument, make sure the volume and tone controls are turned all the way up and that only the pickup nearest the fretboard is turned on, then follow the steps below:

1. Tune the instrument to pitch.

2. Play the harmonic at the twelfth fret of the low E string and note the reading of the tuner.

3. Now fret the string at the twelfth fret, play the E and note the reading of the tuner.

4. If both the harmonic E and fretted E are exactly in tune with each other, the E-string is properly intonated. If the fretted E is not in tune with the harmonic, the string is not properly intonated and the instrument requires adjustment.

5. Repeat for each string.

Setting the Intonation of Your Instrument

If you’ve never had your instrument set up or intonated, there is a good chance that its intonation is off. If you have an instrument with saddles that adjust forward and back from the fretboard, similar to those pictured in Figure 1, use the following procedures to adjust your intonation, otherwise skip to "Adjusting Intonation with Fixed Saddle(s)".

Note: If you are doing a full setup on an instrument, do not adjust the intonation until all other adjustments have been made first.

Adjusting Intonation with Moveable Saddle(s)

1. Tune your instrument and read the intonation of the low E-string.

2. If the E fretted at the twelfth fret is sharp compared to the harmonic at the twelfth fret, the string requires more compensation and the saddle should be backed away from the fretboard. If the fretted E is flat compared to the harmonic, the string has too much compensation and the saddle should be adjusted towards the fretboard.

3. Adjust the saddle slightly in the proper direction by tightening or loosening the intonation screws found on the rear or front face of your bridge (Fig. 2, Fig. 3), re-tune the string and check its intonation again.

4. Repeat these procedures until the harmonic E and fretted E are in tune with each other. Repeat for each string.

If you have a fretless instrument you should fret the twelfth fret position with the edge of a credit card, instead of your finger, to get maximum accuracy. If your fretless instrument does not have a marker that designates its twelfth fret position, divide the instrument’s scale length in half and measure that distance from the nut down the fretboard; that is the twelfth fret position. Mark this position with some low-tack tape that will not damage the fretboard or finish, then adjust the intonation.

Once you have applied the above procedure to each string, you will have successfully intonated your instrument!

Adjusting Intonation with Fixed Saddle(s)

Adjusting the intonation of a guitar or bass that has a fixed saddle is more difficult as it is not as easy to move the saddle. If you have an instrument with a fixed saddle there are a few ways to correct the intonation:

1. You can have the existing saddle "compensated" by a professional luthier or repair tech. This involves re-shaping the saddle to properly compensate the strings and achieve correct intonation.

2. You can purchase a ready-made compensated saddle if your instrument doesn’t already have one or its existing saddle is otherwise flawed. A compensated saddle differs from a straight saddle in that portions of its top edge will be differentially carved so they are slightly off center, causing some of the strings to be further from the fretboard than others.

3. The entire bridge can be removed and re-set, or the bridge’s slot for the saddle can be filled and re-cut, but these are relatively complex and expensive repairs.

4.Changing string gauges and/or changing the action can sometimes improve or correct the intonation of an instrument with fixed saddles. These methods will be discussed in detail in the next article.

Setting intonation by moving the saddles on an instrument is a fairly straight-forward procedure, but sometimes it may not fully correct the intonation by itself. The next article will discuss some simple, inexpensive ways to improve or correct the intonation of instruments with fixed saddles and go over some intonation troubleshooting. Thanks for reading, see you next month!

Copyright © Anthony Olinger, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars 2008.

 

About the Author

Anthony is a professional luthier specializing in making and repairing handmade electric basses and guitars. He owns and operates Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars. You can visit Xylem on the web at http://www.xylembassguitar.com.

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