DADGAD tuning

[dkstott]

I've been playing around with Dropped D and DADGAD tunings lately with normal tension strings

When playing DADGAD, the 1st and 6th strings get a bit floppy.

Would using high tension 1st and 6th strings improve it at all?

[Gitfiddlemann]

It's nice to experiment like that, and with only strings involved, it won't get too costly.
While I believe it would be an improvement to switch out those 2 strings as you suggest, I would recommend going high tension for all strings to achieve the best results. If you have a personal string favorite in standard tension, use their HT equivalents.
Try it, you might like it. If it turns out you are unsatisfied, you'll only be out some string money.

[dickbarbour]

Originally Posted by dkstott

I've been playing around with Dropped D and DADGAD tunings lately with normal tension strings

When playing DADGAD, the 1st and 6th strings get a bit floppy.

Would using high tension 1st and 6th strings improve it at all?

Sorry, forgot what forum I was in, so my recommendation for steel DADGAD strings wasn't very helpful.

[Paraclete]

There are partial capos that allow for both drop D and DADGAD type playing. I've not tried either on a classical guitar, so I don't know if they would fit the string spacing. If they do, that would eliminate the string tension problem.

[Ceabeceabe]

I put my classicals in all kinds of wacky tunings, often lower than DADGAD.

I use high/hard tension strings. The other thing going on is that my action is probably a bit higher than average. (Ramirez typically has higher action and I declined the offer to lower the high action from the factory height on the New World Player.)

Take a close look at the specific tensions on the strings, as the string tension specs differ from brand to brand. Savarez hard tension are not the same as D'Addario.

You could also consider extra high/hard tension or carbon core strings, but if you are just tuning down to DADGAD, high/hard should be fine.

I also suggest replacing all strings, not just 1st and 6th.

Good luck and good tuning !

[Betelgeuse]

Originally Posted by dkstott

I've been playing around with Dropped D and DADGAD tunings lately with normal tension strings

When playing DADGAD, the 1st and 6th strings get a bit floppy.

Would using high tension 1st and 6th strings improve it at all?

I always prefer to do all these different tunings on a classical guitar as they always seem to be able to cope with it better, especially as regards intonation. However I have always used Extra Hard Tension strings —even before I started messing around with altered tunings, I prefer the tone you get from them— and I would say that they (or just Hard Tension) would definitely be a better option when changing tunings a lot. A capo always helps as regards stopping the strings from flapping around as much. I've even managed to get my guitar into a BEBEBE tuning and it sounds good.

There are string tension calculators available that tell you what gauge strings you could use if you wanted to keep roughly the same tension as when in standard tuning. However I've just realised that there are very few calculators that do nylon string tensions. The best one that I have found is at the D'Addario website, here is the link http://stringtensionpro.com/Home

It seems quite complicated at first but it is worth persevering. It lets you base your new string tensions on an already available set. That said I managed to come up with this based on a set of normal tension strings...

I've edited the picture down for simplicity, on the left is the Normal Tension set with their gauge and tensions and on the right is what gauge strings it suggests you should use for DADGAD tuning to keep roughly the same tension as when in standard tuning.