Finger pressure

[lamanoditrento]

Does anyone know the average amount of pressure a player's finger applies to a string? Or perhaps a range?

I've had a bit of a problem intonating which I think I have finally pinned down to me applying different pressure on the bench than in the playing position. So I have half an idea of making a jig to consistently apply the same amount of pressure to the string.

[johnparchem]

I have no idea, but I have thought about it when intonating classical guitars. I am not sure of your bench setup but depending how the guitar is supported on the bench the neck can be pulling forward slightly as well. I always do my intonation checks in playing position. Even still I am never sure how I should fret the guitar, both how much force and where.

[Trevor Gore]

If you have the 2nd edition of the books, check out Appendix V (not in Ed. 1) p. AV 2. You're probably better off measuring string displacement rather than pressure applied and p. AV 2 explains how to do this.

[lamanoditrento]

Thanks Trevor. I'll have to rethink my jig a bit for string displacement...

[Mark McLean]

Well, I don’t know how valid this experimental method is - but I just got a digital kitchen scale and held it like a guitar neck, and pressed down with a finger of my left hand about the same amount that I would to fret a note, and did it about a dozen times, and the pressure consistently registered at 600-700 grams.

[kiwigeo]

Have you ever been for a prostate test? You go to one doctor and it feels like you've been impaled on a Medieval Torture device. You go to another doctor.....and you don't feel a thing

Well, I don’t know how valid this experimental method is - but I just got a digital kitchen scale and held it like a guitar neck, and pressed down with a finger of my left hand about the same amount that I would to fret a note, and did it about a dozen times, and the pressure consistently registered at 600-700 grams.

[lamanoditrento]

Well, I don’t know how valid this experimental method is - but I just got a digital kitchen scale and held it like a guitar neck, and pressed down with a finger of my left hand about the same amount that I would to fret a note, and did it about a dozen times, and the pressure consistently registered at 600-700 grams.

Thanks Mark, I will start with 600g and see if I get a 0.5mm string displacement. I have a sneaky suspicion that we apply different pressure to different strings with different fingers. But if I can get a weight range to give reasonably consistent frequency results, hopefully I can have a happier time intonating.

Martin, it's normally the pain in the wallet I feel from visiting the doctor