How to Tune Down To D

[Rick Wheeler]

Hi,Im a newbie. how do i tune my 6 string down to d without affecting the pedals.

[Dave Mudgett]

If it were me and I wanted to tune down from E to D, I would figure out which gauge strings would give me equivalent tension to the ones that are on there now but tuned to E - I assume you just mean "Open E", e.g., E B E G# B E or something like that. I typically calculate this using the string tension formula or use the D'Addario string tension chart, both of which are here - https://www.daddario.com/globalassets/p ... _13934.pdf

There's also this string tension calculator here - https://tension.stringjoy.com/

This has been discussed recently in a slightly different context (non-pedal) here - viewtopic.php?t=355189. There is the issue of differing scale lengths, and I use the string tension formula discussed there to make corrections to the chart. The tension calculator at stringjoy.com gives you an input for the scale length.

John Ely's String Gauges for Steel Guitar is also useful and simple to apply - nhttps://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/gauges.php - not sure what scale length he designed it for but I think it's reasonable for either 22.5 or 24" scale length. It doesn't tell you the tension, but it certainly gets you in the ballpark.

[Rick Wheeler]

thanks for the info, my 6 is tuned
beg#beg#, couldnt I just drop it
down ,all notes by one whole step. at the tuning keys ?

[Fred Treece]

thanks for the info, my 6 is tuned
beg#beg#, couldnt I just drop it
down ,all notes by one whole step. at the tuning keys ?

Sure. Try it. Here’s what I would say to expect -
Your pedals will need to be retuned. There won’t be as much fine tuning adjustment at the tuning keys. The strings will feel loose when you pick and they won’t sustain as much. It will be hard to play in tune even without pedals because bar pressure will bend the strings vertically more than normal. The strings will buzz if you lighten up on bar pressure.

In short, take Dave M.’s advice and re-gauge your strings.

[Abe Levy]

I tune my fender 1000 to D9 with regular E9 strings. Plays just fine.

[Rick Wheeler]

Thanks for all the help, its just like 35 years
ago when I had all the questions on regular guitar.
Ill leave it tuned the way it came for now,
will experiment, glad you are here
Rick Wheeler

[Dennis Montgomery]

thanks for the info, my 6 is tuned
beg#beg#, couldnt I just drop it
down ,all notes by one whole step. at the tuning keys ?

Sure. Try it. Here’s what I would say to expect -
Your pedals will need to be retuned. There won’t be as much fine tuning adjustment at the tuning keys. The strings will feel loose when you pick and they won’t sustain as much. It will be hard to play in tune even without pedals because bar pressure will bend the strings vertically more than normal. The strings will buzz if you lighten up on bar pressure.

In short, take Dave M.’s advice and re-gauge your strings.

Definitely change the gauges. I first downtuned my E9 strings to D9 just to get an idea if I'd like it. Once I decided I did and wanted to commit to D9, changing the gauges was necessary to maintain the proper string tension

[Ian Rae]

I would just tune down with the existing strings to assess the musical benefits before swapping them all.

[Erv Niehaus]

How to tune down to D?
I would just use those little thingies on the left end of your guitar.
Unless you're playing a left handed guitar and then those little thingies would be on the other end.
Erv

[Ian Rae]

Erv has explained it more clearly than me. Again.

[Larry Bressington]

[Steven Pearce]

So I guess those little thingies work OK. Also, and maybe it’s rare,
but I used the same gauges when it was E9th, now it’s D9th. Plays great
and ALWAYS stays in tune, before and now. PLUS I’m happy to say
my Sho Bud has always done me right...
Oh yeah, it’s a Maverick. Here’s a pic from when I first got it cleaned before strings.
p.s. even at a gig, she’s flawless.



Steve

[Rick Wheeler]

Erv, do you mean to use the fine tuners on the end to tune down to D, will that work .?

[Erv Niehaus]

NO!
The thingies on the other end!!
Erv

[Rick Wheeler]

thanks Erv you been a great help. well I
did tune all strings down whole step ,
sounds. pretty good,
Will leave there for now

[Rick Wheeler]

well I. still need to fine tune this Six Shooter
, got myself apeterson strobo flip box

[Rick Wheeler]

now I need to know what gauge strings to change to, now that I have tuned down to D, any sugestions?

[Rick Wheeler]

now I need to know what gauge strings to change to, now that I have tuned down to D, any sugestions?

[Rick Wheeler]

Ive had. this fessenden now forabout 3 months,
I still cant find any tabliture to practice on for
country licks, I am tuned to ADF# ADF# whole step
down from e. . sixshooter . No one can give me any
info on this guitar, , please someone tell me
a scale to learn for country music

[Rick Wheeler]

Ive had. this fessenden now forabout 3 months,
I still cant find any tabliture to practice on for
country licks, I am tuned to ADF# ADF# whole step
down from e. . sixshooter . No one can give me any
info on this guitar, , please someone tell me
a scale to learn for country music

[Rick Wheeler]

Ive had. this fessenden now forabout 3 months,
I still cant find any tabliture to practice on for
country licks, I am tuned to ADF# ADF# whole step
down from e. . sixshooter . No one can give me any
info on this guitar, , please someone tell me
a scale to learn for country music

[Fred Treece]

Ive had. this fessenden now forabout 3 months,
I still cant find any tabliture to practice on for
country licks, I am tuned to ADF# ADF# whole step
down from e. . sixshooter . No one can give me any
info on this guitar, , please someone tell me
a scale to learn for country music

If you are just starting out, the first thing you should do is put a new set of C6 strings on it - Or E, or G dobro, or any one of the more standard tunings. Tons of tab and YouTube lessons are available for those tunings.

[Dick Wood]

So, I sat down and tuned my relatively new MSA Legend XL down to D to try it out for myself. I used the regular E9th gauges.

Aside from having to re-tune all the pulls, I found the tonal quality to be too dark in timbre with reduced sustain. Pedals were sloppy due to relaxed tension and string buzzing was more noticeable.

The deal killer for me was that you have to play everything further up the neck in order to get the same pitch as whatever signature lick it is you're trying to copy. As you go above the twelfth fret,things get much harder to play accurately and can be quite frustrating.

My suggestion would be to tune to D# as my great friend Ted Solesky did which worked great,

I've attached a video of him for your enjoyment.

https://youtu.be/7lZjMHp0fIY

[John Goux]

There is a live recording of Red Rhodes here on the site. In a California club. He is playing a blue MCI tuned to Eb and it sounds great.
Dick your friend Ted sounds excellent too. Did he change gauges to get to Eb?
John

[Rick Wheeler]

thanks for all the advice,Ive contacted Troy
on you tube ,he,s going to give me lessons after
we figure out the tunings. on the fessenden to use