Drop B Tuning

I can't give you an answer on that but wouldn't you need a 7 string for that?

Why would she need a 7 string ? O_O

My friend uses twelves but maybe you could give it a go ( my friend uses Drop B ).

I hust thought the strings might be real loose tuning down like that and thought using a 7 string would be easire plus must of these bands that are playing in Drop C and such are all using 7 string guitars

GS. you'll probably do well with a heavier gauge. it's important to retain the right tension in the string
in order for thew string to sound the way we want it too.
you have been playing long enough to have a 'feel' in your fingers to sense the right amount of pressure, bend, etc.
when a string has the right amount of tension for a tuning you will hear it and feel it.
start with aset of twelves, but be open to mixing gauges.
also be mindful that at some point you will have to alter the nut and intonation.

wow, drop B.
how low will this go?

I've gone to drop C w/ 11s before and it was fine. But that was pretty loose, I don't know if it could have gone lower.

I want to work on a song that requires Drop B tuning (B F# B E G# C#) and have 11's on my guitar. I need to know if I should switch to heavier strings before doing this.

Thank you for your help.

That's reeeeaaalllly loose. I'd go to 12's or 13's, and remember you may have issues with the strings sticking in the nut slots if they're cut for smaller strings.

Ever consider getting yourself a baritone guitar?

I'm no expert but I've been told that if you keep a guitar in one tuning for a long time (i.e - standard tuning) and then tune to something different (for example, drop D one and a half steps down, which is what drop B essentially is), that you should have a set-up done to make sure the truss rod isn't too loose or tight.

I'm not sure if putting on heavier strings will counteract this, but I'm sure someone on this forum knows. Just thought I'd mention it.

I'm no expert, but frequently use drop D on one of my guitars, and open E on the other.

Never had a set up done, but I do them myself, and check the set up regularly.

The truss rod's function is to control neck tension and relief- how much it bows forward (concave), if it's flat, or even if it backbows (convex, and a very bad idea.)

If it's "too" tight or loose, pretty simple basic measurements will show this. If you make a tuning change and the neck bows forward or back, which you'd notice when the strings get higher or lower, then you may need to adjust the truss rod. BUt between open E, standard, and drop D, I've never run into this.

One thing I do run into is that if you have a tremolo, it will probably start moving on you when you change tunings...

Best,
Justin

Drop D is a tuning change on only one string, and if open E is what I think it is (EBEG#BE), that's changing only 3 strings. I should've mentioned that I meant more drastic tuning changes, like going from standard tuning to a tuning where all the strings are dropped or raised by a few steps.

The principle still holds, though- if your neck relief changes, you probably need to look into adjusting the truss rod. If it doesn't, you don't.

It's definitely more likely if you make bigger changes.

Best,
Ande

Ever consider getting yourself a baritone guitar?

No I haven't but that is a good idea. I just came into $1,300 so I may give them a hard look.

What are they typically tuned to?

You can tune a baritone guitar to just about anything you want to, but usually one goes with a "lowered standard" tuning of some sort, meaning that the intervals between the strings are the same as normal so that you don't have to relearn the basic chord shapes.

Typically, a baritone guitar is tuned one fourth lower, "B Standard," so that (low to high), the strings are B, E, A, D, F#, A.

But you can go lower. It's not uncommon to find them tuned in "A Standard" as well - A, D, G, C, E, A. The low A of this tuning would be at the same pitch as the A string of a standard tuned bass guitar, by the way.

Hope this helps.

Peace

David