12-stringers... who keeps them tuned down a whole step?

[rscottmurray]

I finally own a beautiful '98 JF30-12, my first decent 12.
tuning down seems to be a thing, presumably to put less tension on the neck. is it highly recommended?
how many of you tune down?

 

[lonesome picker]

I tune my '71 F-412 down a 1/2 step. It had a neck reset before I bought it in the mid-1990s, and I don't want it go have to go through another one in my lifetime.

 

[chazmo]

All of mine are tuned down a little or a lot. Mine generally stay in their cases for a month or two at a time, and when I put them away I drop them down. As for normal playing, I usually play close to 1/2-step below pitch.

In a band situation, which is exceedingly rare these days, I've usually tuned to pitch.

 

[Brad Little]

Keep mine at concert pitch, always have, probably always will!

 

[7GuildsandanSG]

Usually the 12 is tuned 1 whole step down. I just started tuning my 6 2 steps down for fun.

 

[12 string]

Historically, the old-time great 12 string players tuned very low.

 

[portsider]

I play mine in concert tuning. To my ear they don't sound right tuned down. That is strictly my opinion with my playing. Leadbelly did ok with his Stella 12 tuned way down.

 

[fronobulax]

Concert pitch. The D25-12 is a tool and as a tool it is not doing its job if it has to be re-tuned to play with other instruments. Using another tool, a capo, so the first tool can do its job creates more problems than it solves.

If you don't play with other people or play with recorded sources where you cannot vary pitch then this is irrelevant.

 

[WaltW]

I have kept my 1980 G312SB tuned 2 steps down (DGCFAD) since I had to return it to Westerly RI a year after purchase for a bridge pull when it was tuned standard. I had exactly the same thing occur with a Martin J40-12 Custom I had built in 1990. That got tuned down to when it came back from Nazareth. That got sold in 1993 when I got divorced..........payed the attorney with the $$ from that and a custom Martin M36 that went too. Miss the M36 since, not the J40-12, just too large for me.
I've had a new Taylor 362E 12 string since early Sept which is tuned standard............curious to see if that bridge lifts.

 

[Nuuska]

My both 12-stringers 1 full step downd since getting them from Guild. W open tunings even lower.

 

[Nuuska]

Concert pitch. The D25-12 is a tool and as a tool it is not doing its job if it has to be re-tuned to play with other instruments. Using another tool, a capo, so the first tool can do its job creates more problems than it solves.

If you don't play with other people or play with recorded sources where you cannot vary pitch then this is irrelevant.

That brings an interesting question . . . Many horns, woodwinds etc have their own particular "natural key" - and then they transpose. Why would a 12-string guitar be any different when tuned dD-gG-cC-fF-aa-ee ? - put capo on second fret if transposing is a problem.

 

[Rocky]

I play mine in concert tuning. To my ear they don't sound right tuned down. That is strictly my opinion with my playing. Leadbelly did ok with his Stella 12 tuned way down.

His Stella also had a 26.5" scale length and no truss rod. Imagine the tension on that neck at concert pitch.

 

[wileypickett]

I tune my low E down to A.

 

[davenumber2]

His Stella also had a 26.5" scale length and no truss rod. Imagine the tension on that neck at concert pitch.

Probably would have folded up like a lawn chair in no time.

 

[WaltW]

Somewhere I saw a scale on tuning tension for string weights for both 6 and 12 strings. The extra light gauge 12string with e .010s, g .009 set inflicts something like 160 lbs of force on the neck/bridge when tuned to standard. The light gauge 12 string with e.012 and g .010 inflict something 240 lbs. I don't believe any of the 6 string sets even E .015 do not exceed 100 lbs.
The scale of force was somewhere on a sight selling strings but, I'm not sure where.
I Spend way too much time on the internet!

 

[Rocky]

Somewhere I saw a scale on tuning tension for string weights for both 6 and 12 strings. The extra light gauge 12string with e .010s, g .009 set inflicts something like 160 lbs of force on the neck/bridge when tuned to standard. The light gauge 12 string with e.012 and g .010 inflict something 240 lbs. I don't believe any of the 6 string sets even E .015 do not exceed 100 lbs.
The scale of force was somewhere on a sight selling strings but, I'm not sure where.
I Spend way too much time on the internet!

D'Addario lists them on the webpage for each type, I believe based on a 25.5" scale.

EJ37 a whopping 320.48 lbs at concert pitch :

EJ37 Phosphor Bronze 12-String | Acoustic Guitar Strings | D'Addario

EJ37 is a medium top, heavy bottom Phosphor Bronze set ideal for increased volume and projection for acoustic 12-string guitars. Since D'Addario introduced Phosphor Bronze guitar strings in 1974, they have been synonymous with warm and well-balanced acoustic tone.

www.daddario.com

I'm certain that 0.010" octave G string is pretty darn close to breaking at that point.

 

[fronobulax]

That brings an interesting question . . . Many horns, woodwinds etc have their own particular "natural key" - and then they transpose. Why would a 12-string guitar be any different when tuned dD-gG-cC-fF-aa-ee ? - put capo on second fret if transposing is a problem.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposing_instrument

The simple answer is that, when reading music, the transposition is done when writing the music. When a B flat instrument plays a C as written in the music the pitch produced is a concert B flat.

So the typical player in a beginning or intermediate band or orchestra (brass, woodwinds and strings) has no idea that they are transposing. They are just playing the notes on the page as they have been taught.

Note that a somewhat literal understanding of transposing music presupposes some kind of music notation is involved.

See any of the numerous threads about capo problems for reasons why tuning to concert pitch is preferred to a capo.

 

[adorshki]

Somewhere I saw a scale on tuning tension for string weights for both 6 and 12 strings. The extra light gauge 12string with e .010s, g .009 set inflicts something like 160 lbs of force on the neck/bridge when tuned to standard. The light gauge 12 string with e.012 and g .010 inflict something 240 lbs. I don't believe any of the 6 string sets even E .015 do not exceed 100 lbs.
The scale of force was somewhere on a sight selling strings but, I'm not sure where.
I Spend way too much time on the internet!

Actually most flattop light 6-string sets are in the 150lb range.

 

[rscottmurray]

thanks for the replies!

NEXT QUESTION:
if you're tuning down, do you use a different set of gauges or stick with a standard set of strings?

 

[Cougar]

All my 12-strings have 10-46 gauge strings and are tuned to standard concert pitch.