Downtuning a six string to drop A tuning.

[Laquer Head]

I currently play a 7 string that is tuned to drop A. I rarely use my high E string and I'm over the curiosity and experimental stage I went through when I got my 7 string, so I'm going back to a six string. The thing is that I want to keep the low tuning. Some friends of mine have six strings that they detune to B but all they did was throw beefier strings on and detune the guitars. Is that okay? Doesn't the truss rod need to be adjusted and stuff? Basically I just want to know everything I need to do to tune my new warlock to drop A tuning without fucking it up. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[foo]

I think that what you are suggesting is to drop all the strings down by a fifth, so your guitar would be tuned (low string to high string):
A,D,G,C,E,A

If that is the case, I have never heard of that before, so can't give you any insight into what may happen, beyond the need to adjust the truss rod because of the significantly lowered tension, and beef up the strings for the same reason.

The usual tuning for a lowered tuning is the Hendrix Eb with heavier strings and with the intervals between the strings having the same relationship as regular tuning.

Open tunings are a whole different kettle of fish.
Leadbelly was well-known for his open 'C' 12-string, which is HUGE sounding.
There are many great players who use open tunings - one of my favourites is the Joni Mitchell record 'Blue'. Also check out Stephen Still's battery of old Martins tuned to a variety of weird and wonderful things, plus the usual suspects - Pierre Bensusan, Davy Graham, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Martin Simpson et al.

The electric sound (?) you are looking for can be obtained by a baritone guitar, which would have a scale length of (for example) 26 1/2 inches, compared to (say) 24 3/4 for a standard Les Paul.

The only place I can think of where the baritone sound is prominently displayed is on 'The Return of the Hellecasters' CD on a tune called 'The Hellecasters Theme'

It's a great sound in that context, but I wonder how long it would be before it gets old.

foo

 

[jvasey]

If the thicker strings start to buzz, then you'll need to loosen the trussrod to compensate for the lesser tension of the low tuning. Something else you might want to try is only lowering the bottom 3 strings. I teach guitar, and get my students who want to play Korn etc on a six string to either tune AEAGBE or AEDGBE (only last 2 strings down). You can get the low power chords with easy fingerings, and it's not as hard on your neck.
Jeff

 

[happy hour]

there are companies that make conversion necks for standard guitars that are longer and will therefore give you correct tension and intonation (pretty well turns your guitar into a baritone). i have no problem tuning down to C# with my yamaha strat, had to adjust truss and height, but i think A is WAY to low, even on a strat neck (longer than gibson necks) with heavy strings.

ahh. here's a website : http://www.wdmusicproducts.com/Deep_6_Necks.htm they sell them for about $300