Low 'standard' guitar tunings

Subject: Low 'standard' guitar tunings
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 03:44 AM

I've always found over the years that keys that are easy to play in (and I'm no great shakes in that department) are not the keys that are easy to sing in (tenor-ish). A capo is OK, and I still use one, but not ideal. A few years ago I began tuning my guitar down by a couple of frets, then now and again going lower still, till I ended up four frets down. This is more comfy for my voice, but is a bit of a pig when it comes to sizing up a new set (especially on a 12-string!). Eventually it occurred to me that if I go down five frets I can tune my A to bottom E, D to A, G to D, etc. and use most of a regular set of strings plus a couple of biggies for bottom E and an extra G for 2nd string. This means, for instance, I play C and it comes out in G, or G and it comes out in D: much easier when accompanying other musicians than messing about with a capo.

Am I alone in this strange practice, or do other people do something similar? (And can I buy a matching set for this tuning that won't cost a bomb?)

Steve

Subject: RE: Low 'standard' guitar tunings
From: DonMeixner
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 07:09 AM

Low tuning is pretty common. How low is always the question. I have experimented with taking standard tuning down a step or two to give me shorter distances to play when playing in "C". Purely for mechanical reasons.

Tuned so low doesn't the 12 srtring rattle a bit?

Don

Subject: RE: Low 'standard' guitar tunings
From: John Hardly
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 08:46 AM

on the Acoustic Guitar forum Rick Turner has discussed the fact that he has been making ever increasing scale-lengths as customs for folks with these ever-increasingly low tunings. The SCGC Bob Brozman is a baritone tuned to C and it sounds wonderful.

Subject: RE: Low 'standard' guitar tunings
From: Mooh
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 09:04 AM

Steve,

My first baritone guitar was simply a standard scale length (actually a "lawsuit" Takamine) strung with heavies and tuned down 2 whole tones (C-C). As you tune down, you should guage up in order to maintain enough string tension to drive the guitar's top. These days I have an honest to goodness baritone with a longer scale length and beafier strings than normal. Sometimes I will shift the regular medium guage strings up a string (sixth becomes fifth etc until second becomes first) and add a .066 as the sixth string. This way I can tune B-B successfully. Otherwise I'll use a standard heavy set and tune C#-C#. This sort of thing is becoming more common.

I don't do it with my 12 string because I like it at standard tuning (E-E). To do so would require refurbishing the nut and a set-up. Taylor markets a Leo Kottke model 12 string designed to be tuned way down, and it sounds good to my ears. Lots of builders will custom build whatever you want, that's how I got some of mine.

What you're doing sounds like the ideal. Alot less tinkley than capoing up, and still gives you hands friendly fingering in guitar friendly keys. As you know, capoing at the appropriate fret still gets you to standard (E-E) tuning anyway, for those times when it's unavoidable.

Btw, don't you love playing in D your way? You get a low D root that's alot better than the wimpy open fourth string in standard tuning. I get it easily on the baritone too. With so many songs and tunes in D, it fills out the accompaniment much more.

juststrings.com might put together custom string sets for you. They got .066, .070, and .080 strings for me once without any trouble.

I used to have a mandolin that sounded like choirs of angels when tuned down a step, but my present one isn't as willing. I could even bend the strings that way.

Peace, Mooh.