Tuning down a step to avoid breaking strings

Richard Shelley · From: Denver, CO, USA

Anyone get tired enough of replacing elevens on the G# to just tune down a step, or a half step?

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

In the early days of E9, some (Jimmy Day was a notable example) tuned to D9 because high quality strings that would reliably pull G# to A were not available. D9 doesn't have the brightness that E9 does, so the idea never caught on very widely once string quality improved. Most agree these days if you change your 3rd's every 2-4 weeks they really don't break very often.

Some have also tuned down to Eb9 for various reasons, but unless the guitar and bass players are also tuned down, you lose a lot of open string notes that you'd ordinarily have.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Billy Murdoch · From: Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.

Richard,
I am certainly not an authority on this subject but my views are.......
Detuning is practised by six stringer guitar players and reduces the tension in the strings so that they can achieve greater bends with relevant ease.
as far as pedal Steel goes I would guess that you would experience some marked slackness in the strings,I recall not too long ago a post in which Ricky Davis says to use the correct gauge of string for your guitar,which in turn gives you the proper tension.
Anyway you will cut down third string breakage by using Jagwires.
Best regards
Billy

Buck Grantham R.I.P. · From: Denham Springs, LA. USA

I tuned my guitar down to D9 and played for about 15 years,however the E9th sounds a lot better to me.So I finaly got a guitar that wasn't bad on breaking strings and I tuned back up to E9th.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

First, use good grade strings. Second, as mentioned change the 3rd string periodically, just because of "metal fatigue".

Finally, go through your steel and eliminate the potential areas for string breakage, the tuning key post (burrs), smooth operation of the roller nut (lubricate them periodically and if one has a flat spot, replace it) and finally any burrs, even minute, potentially on the changer finger.

However, you will never get past Murphy's Law and stil a 3rd string will break occasionally. Murphy's Law struck me a couple of weeks ago, I changed the 3rd string before a job and it still broke.

Robert Parent · From: Gillette, WY

When first starting to play I tuned my Fender 1000 to an Eb9th rather than E9th for that very reason. The Fender 1000 was one of the early ones with a solid bridge and nut and there was no way you could get close to the high G# note on string three.

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I remember Jeff Newman mentioning at one of his seminas, that if you replace the 3rd string after evrey 3rd gig or 12 hours of use you would beat the clock for breaking that string. I have pretty much followed this advice and have not had a problem.

Les Green · From: Jefferson City, MO, R.I.P.

I also used to tune my Fender 1000 to Eb. I think Tom Brumley used to do the same, not real sure.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Richard... I and several other players on this forum have found that a drop of light motor oil on the changer finger UNDER the 3rd string cuts the breakage on that string way down... In my case, it doubles the life... There are some friends here who will disagree, but it has worked well for me for 28 years... I would never change any string without that tiny drop of oil.... your milage may vary... bob

jim milewski · From: stowe, vermont

and quite a few guys use .012 for the third string

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Jim.. you are right.. LOTS of guys use a 012 these days, but the thought of that thing slicing my nose off when it DOES pop scares the crap out of me..I'm afraid to try it....bob

Marty Muse · From: Austin,Tx USA

I was always curious why Buck Owens recorded most of his music in odd keys such as C#,F#, etc. While playing with the Derailers they were tuning down a half step also. It really does give every instrument a different sound. Anyway... we were out in Bakersfield playing Buck's place and we asked Buck why he always tuned down and he said it was because his steel player(Jay McDonald, I believe kept on breaking strings. They all tuned down, solved the problem and liked the way it sounded and stuck with it from then on.

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