Once, DADGAD... ever have a guitar hit the sweet spot?

[Dru Edwards]

My Lowden F-25, although I mostly keep it in standard tuning 1/2 step down. My Taylor BTO stays in DADGAD all the time.

[cedartop52]

I played acoustic guitar (mostly finger style) for 48 years and occasionally dipped into various alternative tunings including DADGAD. Then four years ago I tuned my Huss and Dalton to DADGAD and have only played in that tuning ever since. It is a powerful tuning so you have to be careful not to let the tuning drive all of your playing down the same path...or always play in the key of D. I chose to begin looking for a guitar that was (IMO) particularly well suited to DADGAD tuning. For me that became the Lowden F25 which is now the only acoustic guitar I own.

[foxo]

My Lowden really comes alive in DADGAD, although I haven’t studied how best to use the tuning. Anyone got any good resources or suggestions?

[Earl49]

Homespun Tapes https://www.homespun.com/search/?q=DADGAD
Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop https://www.guitarvideos.com/

There are plenty of DVD titles from each covering DADGAD. And you can also download directly, bypassing the physical DVD too. Or any material from Laurence Juber, who plays in DADGAD a lot...... https://the-lj-store.square.site/pro...rue&cst=custom

[Naboz]

Another player here who used the alternate tunings to be the reason for more guitars
When I went from Standard tuning and explored DADGAD, Open G, and Altered Page (DGCGCD), it seemed certain guitars just wanted to be "there" (like my Eastman dread is just staggering in DADGAD, but the 12fret slope-shoulder Alvarez is "drop the mic" right for The Rain Song--and I've written five other instrumentals in that tuning, so that justifies leaving it in that tuning--whereas the Larrivee L-03W can move about in most any of the tunings I play and sound good, but not as good as the others I've deemed sound better in their tuning, so it is my Standard tuned)!
The exploration of which strings, on which guitar, in which tuning, is well worth the journey...and another guitar?!

p.s. This really facilitates better creativity when one is working on a new piece in a specific tuning. If I'm working through the progression of a new melody or some part of a new piece, but only have a short time to play, having that guitar in that tuning allows the inspiration to be captured. And then there's just wanting to sit down and play in a whole bunch of different tunings with the specific guitars you know sound best!

[koko61]

I was a little tired of changing tunings on my guitars, so when I recently purchased the Mcilroy I decided that I would leave it on DAGDAD forever, as I love this tuning. I have the little Framus in open C and the rest of the guitars in standard tuning.

[Marty C]

I am new to changing tunings. If have a few questions if you don’t mind?
- do you find adjustments are needed with the truss rod, if you drop down to say a D to d tuning?
- do you have any intonation issues when changing tunings?
- other than the truss rod adjustments, did you have to do anything else to the saddle or nut? Say maybe for DADGAD.

Thanks for any help you can offer. I am not too comfortable changing my set up but like my Taylor in a lower range, half step down. Haven’t tried d to d, but it would be better for most songs as my voice ages. However I get some issues in some areas on the neck and thought maybe I should have it set up for that tuning.

[fpuhan]

Become Jackson Browne:

[cedartop52]

I played primarily in standard tuning for 50+ years and switched exclusively to DADGAD 4 years ago...knowing it may take another 50 years to fully explore that tuning. Of course there is no guarantee I'll still be playing guitar when I'm 120 years old! ha

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by LakewoodM32Fan

There is only one answer: more guitars.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Homespun Tapes https://www.homespun.com/search/?q=DADGAD
Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop https://www.guitarvideos.com/

There are plenty of DVD titles from each covering DADGAD. And you can also download directly, bypassing the physical DVD too. Or any material from Laurence Juber, who plays in DADGAD a lot...... https://the-lj-store.square.site/pro...rue&cst=custom

And Doug Young, who frequents the forum here, has an excellent book and CD - “Understanding DADGAD” that is highly recommended.

All of my guitars sound good in dropped tunings but my 2 long scale rosewood Wingerts particularly shine in DADGAD and low C tunings.
Best,
Jayne

[HFox]

I usually have one of my guitars in DADGAD as I love the sound of that tuning.
But then I'll return to standard tuning......Until last week.
I tuned the Santa Cruz H-13 Otis Taylor Madi/Italian in DADGAD.
Then I came across an Al Pettiway video on playing blues riffs in DADGAD.
The O.T. is a blues beast by design and it took to the DADGAD tuning like a Delta sunrise........It will stay in DADGAD.....at least till I get my SCGC 000 next year.
I'm looking forward to the SCGC DADGAD tension strings to be released later this year.

[TBman]

Almost all of my guitars (at least my all solids) are in dadgad or lower tunings. I have a few of them with medium strings also so they never see standard.

I'm working on a couple of tunes that were arranged in dropped D and capo'd so I tuned to CGCFAD and capo'd higher.

The only problem I encounter with being in the alternative tunings is my fretting hand gets lazy from not playing full chords.

[womenhealers]

My Simpson Grand Auditorium lives in DADGAD tuning. That guitar and tuning are made for each other... soul mates. They bring out the best in each other

[Ed66]

My Seagull Artist Element is in DADGAD for life. It's so good there that it has kept me from jumping in on a McIlroy, Lowden or Avalon - not that I don't look