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Mac
Aloha
USA
4 Posts |
 Posted - 11/17/2010 : 12:30:51 PM
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Now that I am playing for hours a day and tuning and re tuning I am wondering about a couple of things.
First of all is leaving a guitar in one of these slack key tunings over time going to put any different stresses on the neck that might cause a problem? and.....
I noticed when on "The Guitar Center" string page that there is a DR string that is specifically designed for Drop tunings:
Extra Heavy gauges: 11-15-19-32-42-54. anyone use those?
Since all this retuning seems to work the strings more and more I like to keep one guitar for each tuning. So will these heavy gauge strings put undo stress on my guitars that are most likely designed for light to medium gauge?
recommended strings?............................
Mac
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loosening up....trying not to be wound so tight |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2010 : 1:11:30 PM
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I wouldn't call those strings extra heavy
I use elixir PB mediums 13 - 56; my guitar likes them if I tune down to Taro Patch F or Open D down 1 step
I think you'd have to get a whole lot heavier to worry about tension issues;
others may think differently |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2010 : 10:26:47 AM
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Best thing is to check with the manufacturers of your instruments. They will know what tension they build their instruments to withstand.You'll probably find that most tunings are slacked, and the real issues will come with tighter than usual tunings.!2 string guitars will be the most likely to show problems, as they will have so much more tension to begin with. A change in tension may require a change in the truss rod adjustment. Look for a bow in the neck.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 11/18/2010 : 1:11:41 PM
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| Chunky and I both play Taylors. I've had my Kss neck reset for Open G Tuning. I use the recommended Elixir PB nanos in the Light guage (standard package) and they perform well in many tunings. terry likes the lower reisters so he tunes many of the standard tunings down a whole step and beefs up his string choices to mediums. I don't know about other manufactured guitars but the Taylors are very resilient. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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sm80808
Lokahi
347 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2010 : 01:01:52 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Mac
I noticed when on "The Guitar Center" string page that there is a DR string that is specifically designed for Drop tunings:
Extra Heavy gauges: 11-15-19-32-42-54. anyone use those?
I think those are probably electric guitar strings made for "drop tunings" like they do in they metal and hard rock genres |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2010 : 01:17:34 AM
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| I agree with SM80808. 11s are considered heavy for electric guitars. But really 11s are really quite light for an acoustic. I use 13 - 56 for standard. Some people who use open tunings all the time replace the top string with a second string - a 16 for instance. |
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Earl
`Olu`olu
USA
530 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2010 : 06:56:58 AM
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I use medium gauge strings almost as a standard these days (0.013 - 0.056) for both standard and slack tunings. I have one guitar kept in standard tuning but down a whole step (D-D) because that particular jumbo-bodied guitar really sings at that pitch, and it needs medium gauge strings to work best. Medium gauge strings tuned down a whole step is almost the exact same overall tension as light guage tuned to standard pitch.
I try to not leave a guitar stored at higher tunings. [C-G-E-G-C-E] is one tuning that I use, where some strings are lowered but two are higher than standard pitch. I generally won't leave the guitar that way without re-tuning, especially with medium gauge strings.
Another option is a dedicated slack-key set such as from John Pearse. These are light gauge on the three treble strings, and medium gauge on the three bass strings, which usually get tuned down. This mix of gauges is also readily found as bluegrass string sets. Bluegrass guitar players use these sets to get more bass, but they also work very well for slack-key tunings.
According to Taylor, the tension of medium gauge strings is fine for extended use at standard tuning, so definitely OK for slack tunings. The GS models come standard with medium strings from the factory. You might have to make a minor truss-rod adjustment, or in the worst case a neck re-shim (easy on the Taylor NT neck).
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RWD
`Olu`olu
USA
850 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2010 : 08:57:22 AM
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| I didn't read every response, but there is a String Tension Calculator program somewhere on the web if you are interested in knowing for sure. |
Bob |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2010 : 12:35:25 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Trev
I agree with SM80808. 11s are considered heavy for electric guitars. But really 11s are really quite light for an acoustic. I use 13 - 56 for standard. Some people who use open tunings all the time replace the top string with a second string - a 16 for instance.
I use an 011 for the high G# on my pedal steel E9 neck, a common guage for that string. It's VERY slinky on a standard guitar. btw, when a sring breaks on a steel guitar, one or another of the remnants hits you in the face! |
keaka |
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basilking
Lokahi
125 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2010 : 8:21:24 PM
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| I use mediums [.013>>etc] but sub a larger [.059] big E. Holds a lowered D or C better on the bottom, no tension issues in standard, taropatch, Leonard's C, or Atta's C. |
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Mac
Aloha
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 11/23/2010 : 3:21:24 PM
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| Thanks for all the input, it has been helpful. I tried the DR Drops on my Larrivee and I dont care for them at all, I think sm80808 is right that they are designed for an electric guitar, I prefer a wound G string anyway. I will try the elixirs as reccomended. But I feel better now about leaving my guitars tuned down, in that no one seems to have had any trouble with that. Thanks again. |
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Strings and Things
