Restringing Question

Tuning it a full step higher should not cause any harm. The extra tension should barely even effect the neck. If you see a dramatic change in the relief of the neck when you tune up a full step, then you have a really cheap neck! Your guitar doesn't look like a cheap one, so should be no problem.

However, if you are trying to stretch the strings after restringing, try what I do. Tune them all to standard tuning, then take each string, one at a time, and pull it up from the fretboard about an inch or so. Then retune, they should all be a little flat, since you stretched them. Do this two to three times for each string - should be stretched out!

Personally I would not be comfortable tuning my guitar up from standard. There would be added stress on the neck and bridge. I am sure it would probably be fine, but I am not satisfied with probably.

Besides that, it stretches out the strings so they will last longer I don't know about that. I can not see how this could possibly make your strings last longer. I have heard many people say it helps the guitar stay in tune better, but I can't comment on it, because I have never needed to do it. My guitar will go a little flat after a restringing and after an hour or so of playing I just tune it again.

Whenever I restring, I just retune it before and after every time I play, it's not a big deal.

Ever since I began playing I have ALWAYS pre-stretched my strings. My guitars rarely go out of tune and if they do it is ever so slight. If you go to THIS GuitarNoise leswon on string changing by Alan Horvath and read step number 7 it will tell you the proper way to stretch your strings. This was posted for me when I first registered with GN and I have followed this system for changing my strings ever since.

Whenever i restring my guitar, i restring it in pairs of 3 (top strings, then bottom). I usually tune the guitar a full step higher than standard for about an hour to an hour and half. I usually play in Eb tuning, but i use Open D so i want to make sure my B string can take the tuning up to D. Besides that, it stretches out the strings so they will last longer. That makes no sense at all to me. Open D, from the lowest string to the highest, is DADF#AD. (Strings are numbered from highest to lowest, however.) Every string is either at the same pitch or a lower one than when it's tuned in standard tuning. The second or B string is tuned to A, which is lower by a full step. The first and sixth strings are tuned down a full step from E to D. The third string is tuned down a half step from G to F#. The only strings remaining at "normal" pitch are the fourth and fifth strings, which remain at D and A, respectively. Open D is a lowered tuning, not a raised one.

Thanks everybody for the tips. And ricochet, i guess i used the wrong term for open D. It's actually some sort of Db tuning where the guitar is tuned: DADDDD, all strings half step down. In this case (from standard tuning):
E down 1½ -> Db
A down ½ -> Ab
D down ½ -> Db
G down 3 -> Db
B up 1 -> Db
E down 1½ -> Db
So in general the strings are tuned down except for the B string. Sorry for the confusion. =)

OK. Open D's a common tuning, and people will naturally assume that's the one you mean if you just say "Open D."