Can Nylon Strings Handle Non-Standard Tunings?

[pf400]

I play in drop D, Drop C, and Open E tuning now and then on my steel-string guitars. Open E tuning requires tightening up 3 of the 6 strings. I'm wondering if there's much risk of breaking strings if I do this on my nylon string crossover guitar. Thanks

[dkstott]

I play my nylon string guitars in dropped D & double dropped D all the time... works fine.

BUT you need to have some patience with tuning of the lower strings... There's some type of recovery in their chemical balance that makes the strings want to go back to a higher tuning... So I find if I tune down and then wait a little bit and retune, they're fine.

Haven't tried tuning up for any altered tuning. But I imaging that as long as do it slowly they'll be fine... Slowly = retune manually versus using a power winder

[john bange]

dkstott is right...retune just fine but tend to "return home" for a time. I use different tunings on my guitar and nylon strung banjo a lot.

[Robert M]

I use all the most popular slack key tunings. I also play in open G, DADGAD, and open D a lot. It plays fine. The only problem is that it's harder to keep the nylon strings in tune. But they do settle down.

[sirwhale]

I detune to Drop D and open G all the time. No problems.

But tuning up to open E. I personally wouldn't do it. I'd prefer to tune to open D and capo on the 2nd fret. But that doesn't mean it won't work.

I often use medium-high, or high tension carbon strings, so about as high tension as you get. So I'm sure my guitar could handle tuning some strings up if they were medium tension. However, I have no idea how the strings would behave. I reckon the D string would pop.