nut--strting tension?

[0americana]

is it possible that if the nut was way too high, it could affect string tension for example pulling the trem away from the body and so having to over compensate with the claw and stuff?
i just wondered coz im wwierd like that.

[ryanb]

No. It can affect the feel (higher action). Assuming the same brand/gauge of strings, tuned to the same pitch, the tension is always the same -- even if the string length is different (which it would not be in this case).

[0americana]

hmmmm
so string length doesnt affect tension?
thats seems unusal to me
oh well question asnwered anyways thanks

[alex10]

higher action does not change string tension.

[0americana]

im not saying higher action
like
if you tied a pice of string to 2 trees
and the wedged it inbetween like a nut would
surely the string would get tighter?

[Drew]

String length does effect string tension - that's why a 26.5 or 27" neck feels tighter than a 25.5" - but nut height doesn't effect string tension.



(well, technically, if you want to be anal, the difference between nut height and bridge height can be thought of as akin to a right triangle with the string as a hypotenuse, and a few trigonometric calculations can show that the greater the inequality between the height at the string and the hight at the bridge, the longer the string has to be. However, from a practical standpoint, unless your tech is a bonehead, the change is negligable).

[Drew]

Originally Posted by 0americana

im not saying higher action
like
if you tied a pice of string to 2 trees
and the wedged it inbetween like a nut would
surely the string would get tighter?

Oh, I see what you're trying to say...

No, because pitch is a function of string tension. In the above scenario, if you started with the "nut-like" wedge between the two trees with the string at a certain pitch, and then pushed the "nut" up a couple inches, then yes, the string would increase in tension. however, it would also now be pitched higher. If there was a "tuning peg" atttached to one of the trees, and you plucked the string, you would notice you were now tuned sharp by rather a lot. So, you would detune the string until you were back to the correct pitch. Your string tension would now be exactly where it was at the beginning of this thought experiment, where the nut was in contact so as to set the vibrational length, but wasn't adding any additional tension.

So, basically, none of this matters because if you're nut magically got higher, you'd have to retune anyway.

[0americana]

right i understand now
kind of a pointless thread but it got me thinking
thanks guys