Welcome to SCGC Players Forum › Forums › Ask Santa Cruz Guitar Company › SCGC Mid Tension on SCGC OM
- This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 2 weeks, 1 day ago by
SaMurray.
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April 22, 2026 at 4:58 pm #9388
Hi All
Anyone here use Mid Tension SCGC strings on their SCGC OM without issue? Have tried SCGC Low Tension and whilst I liked the overall sound and balance, found they weren’t suitable when I switch to open tunings, even double-drop D. To be expected, I guess, so thinking to try Mid Tension instead but obviously not if the guitar’s soundboard was not built to handle Mids, even if they’re the Parabolics.All thoughts welcome!
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April 24, 2026 at 5:15 am #9389
When tuning down, the tension is dropped so you’re essentially no longer at mid tension and there’s no issue.
You can keep an OM strung to E standard with mid tension (equivalent to 13’s) but it does put more stress on the instrument over time. We’re talking many years. It’s not usually recommended but many people do it without issue.
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April 25, 2026 at 4:58 pm #9390
Agreed with Bowie, the light tensions are great on your OM, welcome to the family again
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April 26, 2026 at 1:23 am #9391
I think the rule Richard says is that you need to keep an eye on your guitar, and see how it reacts. The extra tension may raise you action a bit, so a slight adjustment of he truss rod may be necessary. But if the action continues to go up, or you notice the belly rising or the bridge rotating/lifting, those are warning signs and you should probably take the heavier strings off and go back to lights.
That said, the medium tension from Santa Cruz is not much more than most other brands light tension, so I doubt you’d have a problem, and it would be a fun experiment –
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April 28, 2026 at 8:43 am #9392
Thanks all, for your replies. Tadol, your comment about the tension of SCGC mediums was basically why I had considered this. I’ll keep it light for now though I think and see how I feel about it further down the line.
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