Do dropped and alternate tunings affect the setup?

[JohnTully]

I am the proud owner of a new L-05 and I just cant seem to put it down.
I love the warm punchy well balanced sound!
I typically tune down a bit from concert pitch....Dropped D would essentially become dropped C# and so on....
I really dont know if this is down a half step or a whole step....whatever.
Does this severely affect the setup???
I play DR Sunbeam Med. or Med/Light gauge strings.
or in a pinch when my local shops are out of Sunbeams(like now), John Pearse 80/20's which don't suit this guitar very well at all.
It seems to but maybe its just all in my head.

[teh]

I tweaked the neck a bit on my 12 string and keep light gauge strings on it. I like to use dropped D or tune down a whole step without any noticable differences.

The large L body is ideally suited for open tunings (at least to my ear anyway).

I keep one of my Martins in Open D or Open G and many times put my parlor in Open C.

I like D'Addario, DR and Martin Strings and have a pack of John Pearse Phosphor Bronze wound (not 80/20) ready to go on it next.

[unclrob]

You shouldn't have any problem I'm also switching from standard tuning to open D tuning and tuning the guitar to DADDAD then back to standard tuning.So go for it.If you do hear some rattle enjoy it and use it as added ambience.One thing I do do that some others are doing is change out your high E and B to that of the next guage up.IE: 11 to 12 on the E 14 to 16 on the B or what ever the next guage size is.

[ffinke]

I've had my L-03 (set up with lights in std. tuning) tuned down to open D (DADF#AD) for sometime now and it hasn't been affected at all. The L really shines in drop D, open D, etc. Of course it shines in all the other areas too.
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[Stringdancer]

I haven't run into a problem on my L-05MT  tuning lights to dropped D,double dropped D,or DADGAD....I haven tried Low C tuning,so can't comment on that.

  While I haven't tried the two B string trick that Rob suggested,I've heard players that do this and it really seems to beef up the tone....I think I might give it a shot on my next string change.

[unclrob]

Its not 2 "B's" its putting a heavier B and E.I use a set of dean Markley 13 to 58's I change the 13 which is the high E to a 14 and the 16 for the B to an 18.You can do this with any guage if you play 11 to 52 you change out the E and the B out for that of a set of 12 to 54's.In drop tunings the treb's are the one's that get lost in all those drone freq going on.

[Stringdancer]

Its not 2 "B's" its putting a heavier B and E.I use a set of dean Markley 13 to 58's I change the 13 which is the high E to a 14 and the 16 for the B to an 18.You can do this with any guage if you play 11 to 52 you change out the E and the B out for that of a set of 12 to 54's.In drop tunings the treb's are the one's that get lost in all those drone freq going on.

I saw a video interview with the young Australian phenom Joe Robinson,and he said that he used two medium B strings...the first one being tuned to E of course......... but I suspect that you need all of the help with tone that you can get if you play a Maton 

[unclrob]

Now you've gone and done stringdancer,jeeze luois,I have too give to B strings a try.

[Stringdancer]

Now you've gone and done stringdancer,jeeze luois,I have too give to B strings a try.

If you try it before I do,let us know how much of a difference it makes! I think that Joe mostly plays in standard tuning,but I think that it would really shine in DADGAD 

[unclrob]

Ok I put an 18 which is what I use for a "B" string as my high "E".I keep this guitar tuned to DADDAD it was louder and and felt really funky under my finger but worked nicely and I plan on leaving it there for now.I play with a bit more but this is a weird week gig wise for me so I'm having to learn a few new tune's for my both original and covers which are played way out of the box and the electric band I was in leader got an acoustic gig for Friday so we've been putting together 4 sets of music and he has decided that he wants to change a few of these up.Anyway thats my problem so I hope to have a better report in a couple of weeks.

[Stringdancer]

Ok I put an 18 which is what I use for a "B" string as my high "E".I keep this guitar tuned to DADDAD it was louder and and felt really funky under my finger but worked nicely and I plan on leaving it there for now.I play with a bit more but this is a weird week gig wise for me so I'm having to learn a few new tune's for my both original and covers which are played way out of the box and the electric band I was in leader got an acoustic gig for Friday so we've been putting together 4 sets of music and he has decided that he wants to change a few of these up.Anyway thats my problem so I hope to have a better report in a couple of weeks.

  Sounds like you have a full plate....good luck!.....18's would be a big stretch for me, I'll probably wimp out and use 16's 

[unclrob]

Nothin wimpy there.Give it a try and let us know what you think.

[OutWithTheBlue]

The only real problem that can stem from alternate tunings is uptuning your instrument quite a bit and leaving it in that tuning for long periods of time...creating much more tension. Although in all honesty, its even a stretch for that to do real damage unless you're using heavy gauges or something.

[Stringdancer]

Nothin wimpy there.Give it a try and let us know what you think.

  Will do....but you have to realize that I hate changing strings about as much as I hate drinking hot,stinky, beer.I'll be sure to let you know when I do the deal 

The only real problem that can stem from alternate tunings is uptuning your instrument quite a bit and leaving it in that tuning for long periods of time...creating much more tension. Although in all honesty, its even a stretch for that to do real damage unless you're using heavy gauges or something.

  I doubt that tuning a 16 gauge B up to an E would do any damage....but I could always try it on my Rainsong first  .....I think that it would take a lot of stress to implode one of JCL's guitars!!

[OutWithTheBlue]

Haha ya, good idea. And I agree.

I'm talking like a low E up to a G#, A up to a C, D up to a...well whatever. Just in extreme cases. I'm a strong advocate for alternate tunings, and it not doing damage.

[madoclake]

I typically tune down a bit from concert pitch....Dropped D would essentially become dropped C# and so on....
I really dont know if this is down a half step or a whole step....whatever.
Does this severely affect the setup???
It seems to but maybe its just all in my head.

I think what John means is that he currently tunes all strings down from 440hz because he likes it that way. So if he tunes the guitar in standard tuning but at (say) 415hz - which would replicate a half step - then will doing this severely affect the set up?

Well, I tried it. And no. It did not have any adverse effect. The guitar sounded "bigger" and "deeper" - which probably the aim of the exercise.

I'm pretty sure I read on an earlier thread that the easiest way to achieve this is to capo the first fret, tune to standard tuning, and then remove the capo. Et voila!

[JohnTully]

So...heres what I do...for example....I drop the tuning from DADGAD down to C#AbC#F#AbC# (don't know if that's a half step half note or whatever)...and so on.
What happens is the tension lightens up and i get a bit of buzz....I also cant play as hard as I'd like to and I lose volume and clarity.
So my immediate remedy would be to go to a heavier gauge string...like a bluegrass set. D'Addario also came out with a set specifically called DADGAD....hmmm...interesting. EXP's???
I'm currently trying EXP's and they're pretty impressive. The claim is that they sound uncoated and last 4x longer...we'll see about that.
My best bet (long term remedy) would be to get a middle of the road setup and middle of the road strings....I do tune back up to standard and also use a capo...but that affects the intonation....yes my larrivee has intonation issues...as do all guitars.
It definitely has the perfect setup for standard tuning with light strings.

[unclrob]

Yep thats a half step down.Moving up to the heavier strings iis your best bet.After a few weeks with 2 "B's" is cool for down tuning no real noticable difference but if I want to go back to standard it feels wierd under my fingers so I'm going back to the 14.