How much stress does putting your guitar in different tunings put on it? I really like the sounds and tones of drop d , double dropped d and dadgad. Is there some way to set up a guitar to handle this well if need be? I just recently bought a Taylor GS5.
The tunings you mention actually reduce the tension on the neck so won't put the guitar under any extra stress.
If you want to maintain the same tension on the neck (and thereby maintain tone, volume or avoid the buzzing which might result from lowering tension if you have a very low action) you could try heavier string gauges, or a special set like the DADGAD set that Newtone make (this has the 1st 2nd and 6th string from a medium gauge set, and the others from a light guage).
Mike is right. it's only tuning up that would put more stress on. From time to time I have to play with fiddlers or concertinas that prefer E flat, so tune the guitar up. I could put on a capo, on first fret, but it softens the sound. That might be nice, but depends on the player.
The biggest pain for me is playing accompanyment in dropped D, then being asked to go to DADGAD to play a tune, and then when that it done, having to tune back up to dropped D. If the strings are old I will sometimes pop the high E string.... always carry an extra!
I had to recently play with someone who prefers to play in C and tuned down to Low C, actually the same configuration as dropped D, but down two steps. The strings buzzed.... I am able to raise the action with a truss rod adjuster, but don't try this yourself until someone shows you how. A guitar store with a repair dept. would have someone who could show you how, and you need the tool. Hopefully you won't be tuning down that low. it was a kind of deep interesting sound too.
I pick out custom guages for strings on guitars I set up for tunings. Basically, instead of a regular pack of strings I make a set out of single strings. Sort of on the same idea as Mike there, you use the string guage to get a good tension at the pitch you want it to be
I use a 14 guage on the high E string alot for example
I played in blues bands for years and used to have a 5 string open G set up for slide
Hey Al... they were designed around that tuning! That's why those of us in alternates have little problems, msot sane people play normally, we're the weirdos!
The one thorn in my side is when you drop the low E to D, it starts going a little sharp by the 5th fret and up. If in tune when open, it's not when you hit the G note on 5th fret.
You can get around it a bit, a heavier low E string helps. I just don't like anything but my cheap Martin Phosphor Bronze Lights though. Pressing a little less hard helps.
i am working on this, on the current guitar I am making, a luthier friend who monitors my work (I am on #5 but still a little timid!) has his thinking cap on, to see if we can compensate the saddle a little somehow, but it would then need to stay in dropped D, it would mess up standard tuning when you went to E if you like that sometimes. it would be for my own personal guitar so would not be a generic solution for all, and I keep them in Dropped D and am never in standard tuning. Anyway, been living with that minor annoyance for a good while and it's not too bad.
If I came across someone who preferred to play in C, I could play in C......but then, I've been playing guitar for 47 years, man and boy.....
On the other hand I could put the capo on the 5th fret, and play in G shapes...
Is it also necessary at all to raise the action for use with dadgad and dropped d tunings? I wonder as I'm getting a little buzzing at times with my low E or D (if drpped d) string.
I'm not sure that it's alternate or alternative.Alternate means to switch between two states and alternative means another course of action 'The alternative is........' What about 'Non-Standard Guitar Tunings,Irish ,For The Use Of?
JD.... if it buzzes for you, then you need to adjust the neck. If you have a truss rod, learn to adjust it. Get the right hex key, the generic Martin adjuster doesn't work on all necks. Don't try it alone the first time, please have someone show you at a music shop that does repair, it's just 1/4 turn at a time. You can break the rod otherwise.
I get into a situation often where I play both backup and then have to do a solo fingerstyle tune. I back in Dropped D, play the tunes in DADGAD. I do play fingerstyle backing but can back with pretty strong attack, which means if I am set on the neck real low for fingerstyle tunes, which I like a bit lower, I will buzz if backing. So I carry an adjuster, rather than lug two guitars, though for a gig I often will bring two for that reason.
Usually I manage to split the difference so I am OK on both tunings, but then you get a hot humid day and then go into an airconditioned, freezing, low humidity pub, and things don't stay the same. It's more in summer where I go.... um... excuse me a minute I need to adjust the neck.
This is one reason why the big stars, when they perform, they often have a guitar tech along on the tour bus. You can do it yourself if shown how though, but don't try at home alone the first time!
I would respectfully submit that the purpose of the truss rod is to adjust neck relief rather than action. If only the lower fret positions are buzzing, then adding in some additional relief by loosening the truss rod may help. But if the strings are buzzing all along the neck, a higher bridge saddle is likely to be a better solution. If the string tension has been lowered for a non-standard tuning, it is possible that the reduced tension will result in too little relief. A truss rod tweak will potentially fix that. One might make the case that if just dropping the E string down to D is enough to create buzzing problems, there wasn't enough relief to star with, even if there wasn't apparent buzzing (although it's hard to imagine a situation with no buzzing at E with aggressive picking but buzzing at D). It may be better to find a relief setting and saddle height that will work with all tunings frequently used on a given guitar, rather than fussing too often with the truss rod.
Clearly, someone with lots of experience (and Iris certainly qualifies in this regard) can pull off these maneuvers successfully but they may not be a good idea more generally and a small increase in relief may be preferable to constant re-adjustment.
Alternate tunings for Guitar
Alternate tunings for Guitar
How much stress does putting your guitar in different tunings put on it? I really like the sounds and tones of drop d , double dropped d and dadgad. Is there some way to set up a guitar to handle this well if need be? I just recently bought a Taylor GS5.
# Posted on June 24th 2008 by JD-DHguitar
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
The tunings you mention actually reduce the tension on the neck so won't put the guitar under any extra stress.
If you want to maintain the same tension on the neck (and thereby maintain tone, volume or avoid the buzzing which might result from lowering tension if you have a very low action) you could try heavier string gauges, or a special set like the DADGAD set that Newtone make (this has the 1st 2nd and 6th string from a medium gauge set, and the others from a light guage).
# Posted on June 24th 2008 by Mike Floorstand
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
Mike is right. it's only tuning up that would put more stress on. From time to time I have to play with fiddlers or concertinas that prefer E flat, so tune the guitar up. I could put on a capo, on first fret, but it softens the sound. That might be nice, but depends on the player.
The biggest pain for me is playing accompanyment in dropped D, then being asked to go to DADGAD to play a tune, and then when that it done, having to tune back up to dropped D. If the strings are old I will sometimes pop the high E string.... always carry an extra!
I had to recently play with someone who prefers to play in C and tuned down to Low C, actually the same configuration as dropped D, but down two steps. The strings buzzed.... I am able to raise the action with a truss rod adjuster, but don't try this yourself until someone shows you how. A guitar store with a repair dept. would have someone who could show you how, and you need the tool. Hopefully you won't be tuning down that low. it was a kind of deep interesting sound too.
El McMeen often uses a Low C tuning:
http://www.elmcmeen.com/Chords2.html
he's a great player whose advice you can trust.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by irisnevins
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
I pick out custom guages for strings on guitars I set up for tunings. Basically, instead of a regular pack of strings I make a set out of single strings. Sort of on the same idea as Mike there, you use the string guage to get a good tension at the pitch you want it to be
I use a 14 guage on the high E string alot for example
I played in blues bands for years and used to have a 5 string open G set up for slide
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by Nate Ryan
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
I find that EADGBE works remarkably well. It is as if the guitar and strings were designed around that tuning!
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by AlBrown
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
Hey Al... they were designed around that tuning! That's why those of us in alternates have little problems, msot sane people play normally, we're the weirdos!
The one thorn in my side is when you drop the low E to D, it starts going a little sharp by the 5th fret and up. If in tune when open, it's not when you hit the G note on 5th fret.
You can get around it a bit, a heavier low E string helps. I just don't like anything but my cheap Martin Phosphor Bronze Lights though. Pressing a little less hard helps.
i am working on this, on the current guitar I am making, a luthier friend who monitors my work (I am on #5 but still a little timid!) has his thinking cap on, to see if we can compensate the saddle a little somehow, but it would then need to stay in dropped D, it would mess up standard tuning when you went to E if you like that sometimes. it would be for my own personal guitar so would not be a generic solution for all, and I keep them in Dropped D and am never in standard tuning. Anyway, been living with that minor annoyance for a good while and it's not too bad.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by irisnevins
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
our friends who play lute tell us that the proper way to tune one of those things is EADF#BE
I guess as long as there's a third in there somewhere you can still play 6ths and 10ths easily enough
So iris, you make guitars? Do you make the box a different size to accomadate the different pitches of a drop D guitar?
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by Nate Ryan
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by AlBrown
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
Alternative. It's alternative.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
If I came across someone who preferred to play in C, I could play in C......but then, I've been playing guitar for 47 years, man and boy.....
On the other hand I could put the capo on the 5th fret, and play in G shapes...
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
Or the 3rd fret, and play in A shapes.....
It's not a problem.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
Is it also necessary at all to raise the action for use with dadgad and dropped d tunings? I wonder as I'm getting a little buzzing at times with my low E or D (if drpped d) string.
# Posted on June 25th 2008 by JD-DHguitar
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
I'm not sure that it's alternate or alternative.Alternate means to switch between two states and alternative means another course of action 'The alternative is........' What about 'Non-Standard Guitar Tunings,Irish ,For The Use Of?
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dafydd
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
JD.... if it buzzes for you, then you need to adjust the neck. If you have a truss rod, learn to adjust it. Get the right hex key, the generic Martin adjuster doesn't work on all necks. Don't try it alone the first time, please have someone show you at a music shop that does repair, it's just 1/4 turn at a time. You can break the rod otherwise.
I get into a situation often where I play both backup and then have to do a solo fingerstyle tune. I back in Dropped D, play the tunes in DADGAD. I do play fingerstyle backing but can back with pretty strong attack, which means if I am set on the neck real low for fingerstyle tunes, which I like a bit lower, I will buzz if backing. So I carry an adjuster, rather than lug two guitars, though for a gig I often will bring two for that reason.
Usually I manage to split the difference so I am OK on both tunings, but then you get a hot humid day and then go into an airconditioned, freezing, low humidity pub, and things don't stay the same. It's more in summer where I go.... um... excuse me a minute I need to adjust the neck.
This is one reason why the big stars, when they perform, they often have a guitar tech along on the tour bus. You can do it yourself if shown how though, but don't try at home alone the first time!
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by irisnevins
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
I would strongly advise you not to interfere with the truss rod unless you know what you are doing.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dafydd
Re: Alternate tunings for Guitar
I would respectfully submit that the purpose of the truss rod is to adjust neck relief rather than action. If only the lower fret positions are buzzing, then adding in some additional relief by loosening the truss rod may help. But if the strings are buzzing all along the neck, a higher bridge saddle is likely to be a better solution. If the string tension has been lowered for a non-standard tuning, it is possible that the reduced tension will result in too little relief. A truss rod tweak will potentially fix that. One might make the case that if just dropping the E string down to D is enough to create buzzing problems, there wasn't enough relief to star with, even if there wasn't apparent buzzing (although it's hard to imagine a situation with no buzzing at E with aggressive picking but buzzing at D). It may be better to find a relief setting and saddle height that will work with all tunings frequently used on a given guitar, rather than fussing too often with the truss rod.
Clearly, someone with lots of experience (and Iris certainly qualifies in this regard) can pull off these maneuvers successfully but they may not be a good idea more generally and a small increase in relief may be preferable to constant re-adjustment.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by devellis