Description The Santa Cruz Parabolic Tension Strings in DADGAD Low Tension are a revelation for players who seek both balance and beauty in alternate tunings. In a world where strings are often defined by gauge alone, Santa Cruz Guitar Company has chosen instead to honor the true measure of tone—tension. Gauge tells you how thick a string is, but tension tells you how it will speak. It defines the way a note blooms, sustains, and blends with its neighbors. It is the subtle science that determines whether a guitar’s voice feels cohesive or conflicted. For Richard Hoover, founder of Santa Cruz Guitar Company, the search for this equilibrium has always been personal. Each guitar that leaves his small California workshop is a masterwork of tap-tuned resonance, a living instrument sculpted to sing in balance. Yet for years, no commercial string could fully support that delicate voicing. Hoover’s dissatisfaction sparked a decade-long collaboration between Santa Cruz and experts in the field of audiological science. Their goal was as ambitious as it was noble: to design a string that could complement the extraordinary complexity of overtones and sustain found in a Santa Cruz guitar. The Parabolic Tension Strings were born from this union of artistry and precision. Every Santa Cruz string is crafted with unwavering attention to the relationship between core and wrap. This core-to-wrap ratio determines not just feel, but the precise download pressure of each string on the guitar’s top, ensuring that every note sits in perfect harmony with the others. The DADGAD Low Tension set—measured at .012" (18.36 lb), .017" (20.68 lb), .023" (27.62 lb), .032" (29.64 lb), .044" (30.95 lb), and .061" (25.67 lb)—has been carefully voiced to maintain the same balance and volume consistency in the open, resonant world of DADGAD tuning. The result is a tonal architecture where low drones remain strong but not overpowering, mid frequencies shimmer with definition, and the trebles breathe with clarity. Each string is made from phosphor bronze windings, chosen for their warmth and natural harmonic content. A proprietary micro-coating guards the wound strings against moisture and oxidation without dulling their voice, while the unwound strings are treated in an anti-corrosive vapor process that keeps them pure and true over time. Built with tolerances to within one half of one thousandth of an inch, these nickel- and lead-free strings represent a level of precision that borders on the poetic. For players who live in the rich landscape of DADGAD, this set brings both sensitivity and strength. It allows fingerstyle textures to bloom with full-bodied resonance, while keeping the instrument balanced and articulate. The strings respond effortlessly to nuance, translating the smallest touch into tone that feels alive and breathing. In every note, the Santa Cruz Parabolic Tension DADGAD Low Tension Strings carry the voice of their maker’s philosophy—that the heart of tone lies not in size, but in proportion. They are the quiet culmination of Richard Hoover’s devotion to the art of sound: a set of strings that lets music flow in perfect harmony between precision, passion, and the infinite resonance of wood and wire. Other features include: Phosphor Bronze Windings Proprietary Micro-Coated Wound Strings Anti-Corrosive Vapor-Treated Unwound Strings Balanced Tension - Core to Wrap Ratio .061" - 25.67 lb .044" - 30.95 lb .032" - 29.64 lb .023" - 27.62 lb .017" - 20.68 lb .012" - 18.36 lb For more information on Santa Cruz Strings, please contact us. Manufacturer Santa Cruz Condition Brand New Model Parabolic Tension Strings - DADGAD Low Tension
