How low can you go

[bfloyd6969]

I have a newly acquired Cordoba C5. I am finding that I love the tone of this guitar tuned down a full step to D. However, I am also finding that the G and sometimes B string suffer from poor intonation when tuned down. Could this be from the strings already being tuned to standard 440 and then tuned down a full step, or are nylon strings just not designed to be tuned down this much due to their already low tensions? I don't have an extra set of strings to try right now but plan to get more this coming weekend. FWIW, the guitar came stock with High Tension Savarez Cristal Corum. I thought that perhaps extra hard tension strings might help, but many makers hard tension to extra hard tension are using the same guage G string (or very similar). Thanks for the help.

[Garthman]

Hi Bryan

I keep one of my classical guitars permanently tuned to standard D. I haven't experienced any intonation problems (well - no more than in standard E). I use La Bella 900 strings on this particular guitar - these are high tension with smooth-polished bronzewound basses and gold trebles.

Obviously you are going to experience some loss of tone particularly on the monofilament G string but I find the sound to be perfectly acceptable for my needs (actually, La Bella do these strings with a wound G - set 900W - so that could be an option - I've tried sets with a wound G but I keep coming back to monofilament).

[brad4d8]

Savarez makes sets with e-b-g strings with a monofilament core with plastic windings, might be better at lower pitch.
Brad

[bfloyd6969]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I'll look into the mentioned...

[scottishrogue]

Originally Posted by Garthman

I keep one of my classical guitars permanently tuned to standard D.

I do the same, then place my capo the first fret and fine tune, to make sure none of the strings play #. It seems to lower the action just enough to improve the playability.

Glen