Strings in acoustic guitar

[LMusic]

Hi,
I had heard that it's good for the guitar's neck to release the strings one note down (For instant - D to C\E to D).
Is that saying true?
Is that really keeping the guitar's neck in a good shape for many years?

Thanks!

 

[gehauser]

That'll drive you nuts working with capo, interpreting the fret markers, etc. If you are concerned about the neck, just use a lighter gage set of strings and tune normally.

Necks can be reset, and it is fairly normal for a 30 yr old Martin to get a neck reset, so I would not "fret" about using medium strings. I would probably never use heavy strings though.

 

[Armistice]

You think all these guitar manufacturers building millions of acoustic guitars for decades have missed something?

If you want to tune down because you want to tune down, do it, but it should have no real effect on your guitar over time, assuming it's a decent guitar.

This is the same argument that people use with 12 strings...

 

[stevieb]

Armistice, I understand your argument, but for some 12's, the "rules" are a bit different. If I owned a Martin or Gibson 12, and either had it checked out by a trusted luthier or had the factory warranty on it, I would probably tune it to concert, but many 2nd-tier or below 12's will scare the pants off you if you keep 'em at concert. The top bellies and action gets too high.

I keep my Arbor brand 12 tuned TWO half steps below concert pitch, and capo at the 2nd fret, usually. Thus, all the fret markers except the 12th still "work" for me. If I am playing "Hotel California," which is best fretted at the 7th fret (AIRC,) things get too crowded, but otherwise, it works just fine for me.

 

[Track Rat]

On six strings, no. On twelve strings, I tune all mine to D and capo up two frets.

 

[Victory Pete]

I keep all my guitars tuned to standard pitch, including an SG 12 and a Martin D12-28 12 string. It is important to keep the truss rod adjusted properly to counteract the tension of the strings. On my own guitars I like a very little relief, almost straight neck. I do have one guitar I keep tuned down 1 1/2 steps to C#, I do this for its tuning, not to relieve the neck. Actually the tension on this guitar is more or less the same as normal because I have larger gauge strings on it, 12-58.

VP

 

[JCH]

I keep all my guitars tuned to standard pitch, including an SG 12 and a Martin D12-28 12 string. It is important to keep the truss rod adjusted properly to counteract the tension of the strings. On my own guitars I like a very little relief, almost straight neck. I do have one guitar I keep tuned down 1 1/2 steps to C#, I do this for its tuning, not to relieve the neck. Actually the tension on this guitar is more or less the same as normal because I have larger gauge strings on it, 12-58.

VP

-1 1/2 steps That must have been difficult to intonate? How do you measure the string tension? The only 12 string I've owned that I felt comfortable to leave at concert pitch was a roundback. An Applause from the early 90's. I wish I would've never sold it. It played great, and recorded well. That thing was as solid as a rock.

 

[Victory Pete]

-1 1/2 steps That must have been difficult to intonate? How do you measure the string tension? The only 12 string I've owned that I felt comfortable to leave at concert pitch was a roundback. An Applause from the early 90's. I wish I would've never sold it. It played great, and recorded well. That thing was as solid as a rock.

Intonation wasnt such a big deal other than the fact that it is a Floyd Rose. Even though the string is larger it is also looser, so they tend to cancel out the intonation discrepancy. I measure tension with spring scales, it doesnt tell me the actual string tension but it measures the strings "pull tension".

VP

 

[YeshuasFan]

-1 1/2 steps That must have been difficult to intonate? How do you measure the string tension? The only 12 string I've owned that I felt comfortable to leave at concert pitch was a roundback. An Applause from the early 90's. I wish I would've never sold it. It played great, and recorded well. That thing was as solid as a rock.

Was that when Ovation made the Applause guitars with an Aluminum neck and fretboard?