Great thread! maybe it should be added somewhere to the  FAQ section?

nothing but those three affects tension.
 
Sorry, but I beg to differ.  A visit by your mother-in-law often affects tension!
 
hehehehe
 
Bill, tgo

Not to be pedantic, but string construction is really the determining factor of a particular string's tension--the gauge is just the final result. Two strings of the same gauge can have very different tensions, depending, as mentioned, on the materials used and especially core/wrap diameters.

As I mentioned above, I eventually realized that I was playing MUCH closer to the bridge on the BalK (as opposed to my Ray).  When I moved my hand more toward the neck the tension was markedly relieved. The problem is that it just feels awkward to play in a position where the strings don't feel like rebar.  Hmmmm....

I followed Florida Pete's link to the Must Reads section, looked under Strings, and found this thread on string tension.  It's a good read on the subject.

Bill.
'Mother in law' is an anagram of 'woman hitler'.  Mine makes me tense whenever we're together ;-)
BTW. sorry to hear that the Bushman has passed.
 
Sorry for the brief hijack.
 
Back on track, don't some string manufacturers post the tension of their strings?
 
Graeme