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