Which strings to use on a guitar tuned one step down?

[lacatedral]

Greetings, I'm intending to try using Igor Prensyakov's tuning, with all six strings one step down (DGCFAd):




Which strings do you think would be more suitable for playing with this tuning?
For classical I was thinking hard tension and then for acoustic 0.13 gauge (the acoustic gtr. I have is a Taylor gs mini), but I'm not completely sure it works that way.

[Paddy1951]

Good question. I will be interested to read responses. I would like to tune to D, but have not had very good results so far.

[Iowacarver]

I now have a number of my guitars tuned down a step .. primarily for singing. I still use the strings I used previously. The strings have not made any difference to me. Some are guitars with light strings from the factory, others are dreads that use medium strings.

Corey

[Martie]

These are worth looking at:

https://newtonestrings.com/shop/nick...class-strings/

[Mycroft]

It really does come down to personal preference: how much tension on the strings do you like?

[Rhythmdoctor]

It shouldn't matter. I tune my guitar down a full step as well and use the same strings I always use - John Pearse PB .13-.56

In fact I'm constantly tuning between a full step down, standard, various versions of open G, etc... I've never noticed any negative impact from the different tunings.

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by Rhythmdoctor

It shouldn't matter. I tune my guitar down a full step as well and use the same strings I always use - John Pearse PB .13-.56

In fact I'm constantly tuning between a full step down, standard, various versions of open G, etc... I've never noticed any negative impact from the different tunings.

What he said.

[Steve DeRosa]

Had a Guild JF-4 about 20 years ago that I used to tune down to D-standard for a quasi-baritone sound, set it up with D'Addario EJ18 14-59 PB and a little extra neck relief...

[Dino Silone]

I recently started tuning a dreadnought down a full step. I just kept the D’Addario 80/20s, .012-.053 on it. It was my first full-scale guitar, and even after setting it up to improve the action, I still didn’t like the string tension (setup does nothing about that) - hard to bend, especially with my pinkie.

[Chriscom]

I've tried tuning a step down on one of my side guitars for a few songs that strain my voice, and it's like playing rubber bands, and with less projection than normally tuned.

I believe others with the same experience have added thicker strings. I.e. I use lights or medium lights, and I've been meaning to try one step up in circumference.

[lacatedral]

Maybe I should point out that the style I'm playing in classical guitar and fingerstyle on acoustic.

I use medium tension on the classical one.
0.12 or 0.13 on the taylor gs mini (consider it's a 7/8 model)

[LiveMusic]

I would call Taylor Guitars factory and ask. On a regular size guitar, I seem to recall that if a guitar usually uses lights, say, 12 to 53, the mediums, say, 13 to 56, would be equivalent tension tuned a half step down and heavies, say, 14 to 59, would be equivalent tension tuned a whole step down. Heavy strings might require the nut slots be filed.

Some guitars work well tuned a whole step down, some don't. I have a Guild F50R that sounds good a whole step down and I didn't have to do any setup change.

Jackson Browne tunes acoustics down a whole step quite often.

[nikpearson]

I find typical light-gauge strings (12-53 and my preference for standard tuning) just too loose and weak sounding when dropped down a full tone. Mediums, 13-56, are better and will still have quite a lot less tension than light gauge at concert pitch.

As for classical strings. You might struggle to find a string with enough mass to give a satisfactory sound when tuned down a full tone. Savarez Corum Alliance Hard tension would be worth trying, or maybe D’Addario Extra Hard (actually less tension than the Savarez strings).

[ii Cybershot ii]

I recommend mediums (13-56) for a full step down. Lights (12-53/54) are just way too slinky, buzzy, and sloppy sounding at a full step IMO.

If you go with heavy (14-59) you might have to widen some nut slots lest you get string binding or other issues, and that isn't ideal in the long-term unless you only want to use that gauge with that guitar. So just start with mediums first and see how you like it.

[JonnyBGood]

Originally Posted by lacatedral

Which strings do you think would be more suitable for playing with this tuning?
For classical I was thinking hard tension and then for acoustic 0.13 gauge

Definitely hard tension on the classical *but* one make's hard tension= another make's low tension! There is no standard, I ended up making a spreadsheet of all the main manufacturers' tension readings for each set as a reference. Hannabach make the highest tension strings that I found.

For the steel strung you *might* find 12's Ok for just dropping a tone it depends on how low your action is and how you like the strings to feel. 13s would be a better bet though I think.