Guitar-based song needs key change / tuning guitars down 1 full step

[mcballs]

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone had any (or know of any) success tuning guitars down a full step without having to have them set up to intonate properly with the heavier strings you'd probably want to use? I have a song just a bit out of my range I want to record whose riffs are very dependant on the open voicings that I use. I can sing it with ease if tuned down a step.

Thanks,
McBalls

[o---]

what's so hard about intonating a guitar? No electrics available?

[sleepwalker]

Option A: Tune down guitars, learn to intonate. Spend 2 hours on the internet with your guitar. You'll get it eventually.

Option B: Record to Analog Tape. Verispeed it down until it's in your vocal range. Record vocals.

QUOTE=mcballs]Hi Everyone,

Has anyone had any (or know of any) success tuning guitars down a full step without having to have them set up to intonate properly with the heavier strings you'd probably want to use? I have a song just a bit out of my range I want to record whose riffs are very dependant on the open voicings that I use. I can sing it with ease if tuned down a step.

Thanks,
McBalls[/quote]

[Big Bad Bill]

Have you tried it?

Sometimes it works OK without reintonating, sometimes it doesn't.

Also, the shorter the scale of the guitar, the more likely you are to experience tuning problems when tuning down. For instance, if you don't want to intonate you propably have more success with a Strat than a Les Paul due to the LP's shorter scale.

OTOH, intonating a guitar isn't all that difficult. You can do it by ear, but a decent strobe tuner (like the peterson stomp) will get you there even quicker. Shouldn't take you more than 15-20 mins tops.

[Jules]

There is "intonation lite" and then there is "advanced intonation" IMHO

If there isnt enough travel in the bridge saddles, then you have to start messing with bridge height and or overall saddle positioning.. (which isnt always an option on some gtrs)

If you are dealing with one of those jagged looking gtrs, one build for "metal" music you can probably do anything you want as it will usually have one of those fully adjustable bridges, but getting the more classic models like a Tele or Les Paul or strat adjusted for non standard tuning can be a b!tch... as the bridges on them can be real basic.... IMHO

It can be a case of "how low can you go"? - "err.... not too far really"

[john caldwell]

Originally Posted by mcballs

...with the heavier strings you'd probably want to use...

You are or are not planning a string change for this full-step-down retuning? If not, just work with the current setup and adjust your plectrum and fretting method to deal with the lower string tension. If your piece calls for most of your fretwork to be at or below the 5th fret (or open strings), I seriously doubt you'll have audible intonation errors.

I keep all my guitars strung .013 to .056, or .012 to .056 (plain .020 3rd) for reasons of tone and to support lower tunings on the fly. I never change setup to support a different tuning. If you're working with .010 or lighter sets, your tension may fall in to a less useable range though.

Best of luck. Give it a try and let us know how you make out.

John-

[Fletcher]

Even putting on heavier strings will require you to check the intonation... the quick and dirty way is to match the 12th fret harmonic with the 12th fret played... when you get them to match you'll be "close enough for rock and roll"... like someone said, sum total of 15-20 minutes.

Tune it down, give it a shot... or I reckon you could land on a harmonizer from somewhere and electronically shift the pitch down a step... that shouldn't sound too much more fukked up than doing the vari-speed down a step trick.

Best of luck with it.

[mcballs]

Thanks for all the responses. I didn't mean to make myself sound like an idiot guitar player that has no idea how to intonate his axe... actually, I do know how to intonate it, but am reluctant to do it myself because I can only do so much in a day - I'm sure you all can appreciate that.

Interesting point about the below the 5th fret thing.... I can play the whole song down there, so maybe I can get away without re-intonating.

Yes, I do plan on putting on heavier strings... I use 11's on my strat now, but prefer to use the heaviest strings I can reasonably play for tone reasons.

Thanks again. I'll let you all know what I end up doing.

[sleepwalker]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

Even putting on heavier strings will require you to check the intonation... the quick and dirty way is to match the 12th fret harmonic with the 12th fret played... when you get them to match you'll be "close enough for rock and roll"... like someone said, sum total of 15-20 minutes.

Best of luck with it.

Yeah.. This is how I intonate my guitar. If the open string, 12th fret, and 12th harmonic are reasonably in tune. I'm done.

The way I play, I'm 1/2 way out of tune 2min into the song, so it's splitting hairs to go any further.

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by sleepwalker

Yeah.. This is how I intonate my guitar. If the open string, 12th fret, and 12th harmonic are reasonably in tune. I'm done.

The way I play, I'm 1/2 way out of tune 2min into the song, so it's splitting hairs to go any further.

LOL... me too, even with 12's on my Strat.

To the original post, I would tune down and see how it sounds. If you are playing close to the nut it might not matter at all, if you are up higher use your ears.

I have gone so far as to tune the guitar for all the verse sections and retune for the bridge, chorus etc. Again the lost art of using your ears comes into play here right, if it sounds good do it if it sounds bad intonate.