Pick an instrument, a tuning, and a scale length below, and the solver returns the reference set that combination implies, plus every catalog set ranked by how closely it fits — each with per-string tension, total pull, and a balance score (lower is better; zero means it IS the target). Nothing here is a lookup table: every figure is computed on the fly by string-set-solver.js over string-tension-data.js's unit-weight tables, the same pair the hub's own per-string tension calculator uses.
Worked example: electric guitar, standard tuning
Before the widget below loads, here is exactly what it computes for the most common case — a 25.5" electric guitar in standard tuning (E A D G B E) — so the answer is on the page whether or not JavaScript runs. This is the network's Super Light (9–42) reference set:
| String | Note | Gauge | Type | Tension | One gauge lighter | One gauge heavier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (low) | E2 | 0.042" | Nickel-wound | 14.76 lbs (6.69 kg) | 0.039" — 12.77 lbs (5.79 kg) | 0.044" — 16.08 lbs (7.29 kg) |
| 5 | A2 | 0.032" | Nickel-wound | 15.76 lbs (7.15 kg) | 0.030" — 14.04 lbs (6.37 kg) | 0.034" — 17.58 lbs (7.97 kg) |
| 4 | D3 | 0.024" | Nickel-wound | 15.76 lbs (7.15 kg) | 0.022" — 13.33 lbs (6.05 kg) | 0.026" — 18.39 lbs (8.34 kg) |
| 3 | G3 | 0.016" | Plain steel | 14.66 lbs (6.65 kg) | 0.015" — 12.89 lbs (5.85 kg) | 0.017" — 16.55 lbs (7.51 kg) |
| 2 | B3 | 0.011" | Plain steel | 11.00 lbs (4.99 kg) | 0.0105" — 10.02 lbs (4.54 kg) | 0.0115" — 12.03 lbs (5.46 kg) |
| 1 (high) | E4 | 0.009" | Plain steel | 13.12 lbs (5.95 kg) | 0.0085" — 11.71 lbs (5.31 kg) | 0.0095" — 14.62 lbs (6.63 kg) |
| Total | 85.06 lbs (38.58 kg) · balance (max deviation) 0.00 lbs | |||||
Notice the B string sits noticeably lower than its neighbors (11.00 lbs against 14.66 and 13.12) — a gauge-balanced set is not a tension-balanced one; see what a "balanced tension" set actually means for why, and the custom builder to fix it string by string.
Ranked against that same target, the other three catalog sets this site knows for electric guitar total 103.50 lbs (Regular Light, 10–46), 118.49 lbs (Medium, 11–49) and 148.50 lbs (Heavy, 12–54) — each progressively further from the reference target, which is exactly what "ranked by fit" means below.