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Setup · Diesis

Guitar string tension calculator.

See how tight each string is on your guitar, in your tuning. Load a common set or let Diesis work out a balanced one, then follow the setup steps after the string change.

It works right here: no account, nothing to install.

Type of guitar · Strat style · The type sets the scale length and the setup numbers; change the scale if yours is different.

You mostly play

Rock: The usual balance and the factory action: the starting point the other styles move from. Both: no change, the style decides.

String tension

Set 10–46 · Standard · 25.5″
Set
  • 1E16.3 lb, balanced
  • 2B15.5 lb, balanced
  • 3G16.6 lb, balanced
  • 4D18.4 lb, balanced
  • 5A19.8 lb, balanced
  • 6E18.1 lb, balanced

Total on the neck: 105 lb · 47 kg

Green is comfortable, amber is slack, red is tight.

Strings to try · real sets at these gauges

D'Addario EXL110Nickel-plated steel: the usual choiceErnie Ball Regular Slinky 2221Nickel-plated steel: the usual choiceElixir Nanoweb 12052Coated: lasts longer, costs more

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Setup numbers

Strat style · Rock

Action, low string (12th fret)

2.0 mm

.079″

Action, high string (12th fret)

1.6 mm

.063″

Neck relief

0.25 mm

.010″

Fretboard radius

9.5″

241 mm

Pickup height, bass side

3.2 mm

.126″

Pickup height, treble side

2.4 mm

.094″

Factory starting points, moved for your strings and your style. Lower plays easier and buzzes sooner; higher rings clearer.

After a string change · in this order

  1. 1Stretch the new strings
  2. 2Check the relief0.25 mm
  3. 3String height2.0 / 1.6 mm
  4. 4Pickup height3.2 / 2.4 mm
  5. 5Intonation
  6. 6Tune and play

After a string change

In this order: each step changes the ones after it.

  1. 1

    Stretch the new strings

    Tune up, pull each string gently along its length, retune. Repeat until they hold pitch.

  2. 2

    Check the relief

    Fret the low string at the 1st fret and at the last; the gap at the 7th–8th fret is the relief. Turn the truss rod a little at a time (a quarter turn at most) and let the neck settle.

    Aim for 0.25 mm

  3. 3

    Set the action

    At the 12th fret, from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. Raise or lower the bridge or the saddles, then play where you play most: no buzz.

    Aim for 2.0 mm on the low strings, 1.6 mm on the high

  4. 4

    Set the pickup height

    Fret at the last fret and measure from the pickup to the bottom of the string. Closer is louder; too close pulls the string and sours the notes.

    Aim for 3.2 mm on the bass side, 2.4 mm on the treble side

  5. 5

    Set the intonation

    Tune the open string, then play it at the 12th fret. Sharp: move the saddle away from the neck. Flat: towards it. Retune after every move, string by string.

  6. 6

    Tune and play

    A new setup settles over a day or two. Check the tuning and the relief again after that.

What you need for a setup

String action rulerFeeler gaugesString winder and cutterClip-on tuner

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Strings and setup

What it does

  • Tension for every string

    Worked out from your gauges, tuning and scale length, within about 5% of the makers' own tables. Green is comfortable, amber slack, red tight.

  • A balanced set, worked out

    Pick a common set, or ask for one balanced for your tuning and your style, from shred to metalcore and jazz. It also names real sets at those gauges.

  • Setup numbers for your guitar

    Action, neck relief, fretboard radius and pickup height for eleven types of guitar, from Strat and Les Paul styles to eight strings, acoustics and classicals, moved for your strings and your style.

  • What to do after a string change

    Stretch, relief, action, pickups, intonation, in the order that works. The steps change for acoustic and classical guitars.

How to use it

  1. 01

    Pick your type of guitar

    It sets the scale length; change it if yours is different.

  2. 02

    Set tuning, style and what you play most

    Six, seven or eight strings in the tuning you play in, the style you play (rock, blues, metal, jazz…) and whether you play more lead or rhythm.

  3. 03

    Read the bars

    Try sets until every string is in the green, then follow the setup steps.

Back up to the tool

Questions

What string gauge do I need for a lower tuning?

A heavier one. Tune down and the same set goes slack: it buzzes and feels loose. Enter your tuning and go up in gauge until the bars turn green, or let Diesis suggest a balanced set.

What is a good string tension?

Diesis marks each string as slack, balanced or tight. What matters most is that the strings are close to each other, so none feels loose next to its neighbours.

Do I have to adjust the guitar after changing gauge?

Usually. Heavier strings pull harder on the neck, so check the relief first, then the action, then the intonation. Diesis lists the steps in that order.

Do metal and jazz players need different strings?

Often, yes. Pick your style and the suggested set follows it: lighter for shred, a heavier bottom for metal and djent in drop tunings, heavier all round for jazz. The setup numbers move with it: lower action for fast playing, a touch higher for bends.

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