Is going back and forth from Drop D tuning bad for strings?

[Rosewood99]

Debating whether to designate one guitar for Drop D tuning. If I change tuning once a day is that going to significantly affect that string? Or should I just buy a couple of extra low E strings and change them between normal string changing?

[fitness1]

Any detuning and retuning will kill the tone pretty quickly.

Not much you can do about it!

[JayBee1404]

Strings are cheap and easily replaced. Don’t sweat the small stuff...

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Strings are cheap and easily replaced. Don’t sweat the small stuff...

Not sweating it at all. If buying a few more strings is what I need to do, so be it. Just wanted to make sure it was necessary.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Not sweating it at all. If buying a few more strings is what I need to do, so be it. Just wanted to make sure it was necessary.

Use your ears. If the 6th string starts to sound a little bit "off" compared to the 5th or 4th strings, you may need to replace it.

But then of course you are putting a new string onto a guitar which has a used set on it, so they might not match up sonicaly there either. It is a conundrum.

Generally, what I do, since I have several guitars, is leave one in each tuning that I am using. Currently one is in standard, one drop-D for a song that I am learning; (Supertramp's "Easy does it" and, since I have a guitar tuned there, "Embryonic Journey" and "Can't Find My Way Home"), and one in Open-D.

Best! reason! ever! for having multiple guitars...

OMMV

[JERZEY]

I go between drop d and standard e-e 1-2 times a day. I average 1-2 hours daily of playtime on my daily driver. I only play fingerstyle with no thumb pick.

-I get 2 solid weeks out of John Pearse p/b 12s before they start to loose tone as a set. The low e string is still going strong and has supprised me every time.

-I get 2-4 weeks out of Santa Cruz Parabolic mediums. Low E goes strong all the way to the end.

-DD p/b 12s last me 3-4 days before the low e starts to loose its meat

-Martin p/b 12s 3-4 days

-Sunbeams 3-4 days

-Elixers 2-3 weeks.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by JERZEY

I go between drop d and standard e-e 1-2 times a day. I average 1-2 hours daily of playtime on my daily driver. I only play fingerstyle with no thumb pick.

-I get 2 solid weeks out of John Pearse p/b 12s before they start to loose tone as a set. The low e string is still going strong and has supprised me every time.

-I get 2-4 weeks out of Santa Cruz Parabolic mediums. Low E goes strong all the way to the end.

-DD p/b 12s last me 3-4 days before the low e starts to loose its meat

-Martin p/b 12s 3-4 days

-Sunbeams 3-4 days

-Elixers 2-3 weeks.

Interesting how tastes differ. Sounds like about the time that you feel that the strings are going off is about the same time that I think that they are finally starting to sound good. I don't like brand new strings...

[BluesBelly]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Debating whether to designate one guitar for Drop D tuning. If I change tuning once a day is that going to significantly affect that string? Or should I just buy a couple of extra low E strings and change them between normal string changing?

D’Addario EJ24 PB (13-17-24-32-42–56) (MMLLLM) string set is pretty much made for Drop D tuning and are especially Suitable for fingerstyle playing as well as strumming.
The medium gauge B & high E strings better match the string tension of the light gauge A-D-G strings. The medium gauge low E stands up well to repetition in tuning and there is less slop in the string when tuned down. Since I started using these it’s doubtful I’ll go back to a standard light set like the EJ16

I don’t have a designated Drop D guitar because these strings have made it unnecessary

Several of my guitars wear these strings. I really like them. Not everyone carries them. www.juststrings.com has a good supply, ships promptly, and have treated me well. (Not affiliated)

Blues

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Not sweating it at all. If buying a few more strings is what I need to do, so be it. Just wanted to make sure it was necessary.

Aaaahh, gotcha!

So yes, you could keep a stock of low ‘E’ strings and replace as and when you feel the one on the guitar is going dead. Personally, I’ve never found it necessary, but my ears aren’t your ears, and what satisfies me might not be good enough for you.

I think it’s a case of ‘suck it and see’ and act accordingly, whatever suits you best.

[tinnitus]

Whenever strings are off the guitar, I recommend "drawing" in your nut slots with a pencil, enough to leave a little black powder residue where the string rubs in the slot. Pencil "leads" are actually graphite, which serves as a very nice lubricant. This allows strings to slip more readily through the nut slots as you tune down and back up again. Also very helpful for bluesy playing with lots of string bends.

I actually use graphite powder and hold it in place with a tiny dot of olive or vegetable oil (it's not-petroleum-based, which tends to destroy plastic). Visible excess wipes off with cloth or a napkin and guitars stay in tune better under all variety of conditions.

[JERZEY]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

Interesting how tastes differ. Sounds like about the time that you feel that the strings are going off is about the same time that I think that they are finally starting to sound good. I don't like brand new strings...

JP strings are broken in the next day for me. SC strings have zero break in they sound great out of the package. All the other normal brands sound nice and full the first day and sound pretty bland to me on day 2. Elixers take 2 weeks before I like how they sound on the one guitar I have that Elixers sound good on. I flat pick my strings for about 5 minutes before I change them and they sound just fine most of the time just not what I want for fingerstyle.

[Kitkatjoe]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Debating whether to designate one guitar for Drop D tuning. If I change tuning once a day is that going to significantly affect that string? Or should I just buy a couple of extra low E strings and change them between normal string changing?

When you go back and forth changing the tunings the strings ability to stay in tune maybe compromised.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Debating whether to designate one guitar for Drop D tuning. If I change tuning once a day is that going to significantly affect that string? Or should I just buy a couple of extra low E strings and change them between normal string changing?

Hi pz

The verdict is still out. I've only been doing this (on the fly, during songs) for about 30 years now. I'm tuned to Dropped D at least 50% of the time.

I can play fluently in several keys in Dropped D.

I've never noticed the bass string (6th) going south before others.

[KarenB]

Yes, it does shorten the life of the strings. If it's just the low E string that your tuning and retuning, I suggest, as you have thought of, purchasing a number of those low E strings.

[Kalani]

I often play in open G, open C, open D and regular tuning during my sets and maybe change strings a couple times a year, lol! I wipe them down after I play and they’re good to go and only really change them if I’m gonna record.