Tried Going Down To 11's

[adorshki]

To me all guitars sound better tuned down 2 semitones. I think that takes the tension down around 20% from standard E tuning.

Yes, did a research project on it when I was considering re-voicing my maple-body F65ce a few years back. Had one goal of getting a bit easier bending, since it's a long scale.

Since the 10's it was actually spec'd with shred my nails, I also had the goal of using thicker gauge at lower tension, while taking care not to over-torque the top. (It's a pretty thin top and also has some very slight but stable bridge lift.)

That's where I came across your roughly 20% lower tension for a whole step down rule, thanks to a calculator on GHS's site that actually showed individual tensions at different pitches.

Also had a 3rd goal of "taming the maple jangle", so was going to test a hypothesis of driving the top at a lower base frequency (D) anyway. And finally, wanted to test silk and steel on it.

So the heaviest S&S are "medium", went with Martin MA130 and a GHS SO48 single to get the thickest bass string I could (Looks like Martin and GHS both use similar alloy, and the unwounds are silvered). The Martin set had the thickest G I could find, .023, although there's an .024 in silk and bronze (now on my D25, tuned standard).

Anyway, success on all counts. To my perception sustain is louder and fuller, but shorter. And the more gently I play, the sweeter she rings. Literally bell-like in certain positions, no pick.

It was like getting a whole new guitar, who-d'a thunk?

 

[adorshki]

Yeah, a lot of variables, also whether the core is hex or round wire. For a given gauge, a hex core has less steel

And IIRC, D'A uses hex cores, but didn't find a ref on Martin site, which is what started me wondering. Seems to me the "Marquis" strings were the main offenders.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I'll be a broken record, because I believe in this. When I moved about fifteen years ago, I took my guitar to a new luthier who had the reputation of being really good but rude. I wanted a setup.He explained it would be $200 because he didn't do a setup without a fret level. Very much my way or the highway. I had no buzzes, but I decided to go ahead and do it. The guitar came back not only playing better, but sounding better. Eventually every guitar I owned and a mandolin came back the same way. These were all instruments that did not have obvious issues.

Any talented luthier can do this, or someone with a Plek. I do not see the point in downgrading tone by going to lighter strings or tuning down. My last trip to the luthier I told him my D 35 just wasn't sounding as good as it did after he did a fret job. He looked the guitar over, saw no obvious problem, said, well, maybe a fret level would help. This was said in an I think you're nuts tone. I said do it. It came back sounding like it should.

I'm 73 and so are my hands. Two guitars have .013s, two twelves. I can't tell much difference, but tend to plat the guitars with .013s.

I am all in on .13s now. And letting the strings go dead. I know, I just said that. Maybe people do change.

 

[adorshki]

I am all in on .13s now. And letting the strings go dead. I know, I just said that. Maybe people do change.

And after all that about tuning down a whole step on the F65ce, I remembered after about a year I went back to standard tuning, retaining the S/S strings. Same with D25 with S/B's.

Realized intonation was too wonky on the archbacks when tuned that low. So now they're standard albeit with lower tension strings, and the D40 has EJ-16's (with the PB025 G subbed in, of course) at D. And it sounds gorgeous.

20 years ago I didn't get all the D40 love, so blown away was I by the D25, but the sonic runt of the litter might now have my favorite voice overall. Been puttin' off puttin' a set of S/B on her 'til the EJ's are worn out.

You want my old strings?

 

[Westerly Wood]

And after all that about tuning down a whole step on the F65ce, I remembered after about a year I went back to standard tuning, retaining the S/S strings. Same with D25 with S/B's.

Realized intonation was too wonky on the archbacks when tuned that low. So now they're standard albeit with lower tension strings, and the D40 has EJ-16's (with the PB025 G subbed in, of course) at D. And it sounds gorgeous.

20 years ago I didn't get all the D40 love, so blown away was I by the D25, but the sonic runt of the litter might now have my favorite voice overall. Been puttin' off puttin' a set of S/B on her 'til the EJ's are worn out.

You want my old strings?

Thanks Al, but I have wear them out. But me thinking a string is dead is probably different from another’s POV. I doubt I would last more than 2 months before a change. But that’s still a big lift for me.

 

[adorshki]

Thanks Al, but I have wear them out. But me thinking a string is dead is probably different from another’s POV. I doubt I would last more than 2 months before a change. But that’s still a big lift for me.

Have you tried boiling yet?

 

[Westerly Wood]

Have you tried boiling yet?

Al, if I go down that road, I don't think I come back...lol

 

[Boneman]

I had always used .13s since I began playing because I heard somewhere SRV used heavy gauge strings and the thicker strings give greater tone etc etc. Since 1989 I always used PB D’A strings, only had a dread anyway, and .13s were no issue that I knew of, was just what I grew up with and all I knew.

Once I got on guitar forums and started trying out things others were talking about, I thought I’d try switching things up. First figured try the same brand strings in a lower gauge, just down one first. I of course immediately felt the difference, but tonally I wasn’t sure there was much difference. I tried .11s after I replaced the bridge on my D25 and it was very thin and shimmery sounding, seemed to lose the low end humpf I was used to, so probably the lowest I go is .12s. In fact the recent lake guitar came stock with .12s so that’ll stick with .12s, as I wonder if .13s might break that in half from tension anyway. Besides as I gravitate towards finger style when playing the lake guitar, I’ll be getting really used to .12s. And if using .12s on my dreads, that will make buying in bulk easier

Could also be my hearing is changing with age