Nashville tuning

[hydrargyrum]

For a while now I've been considering Stringing my backup guitar in Nashville tuning.  Does anyone have any experience with it?  I'm most concerned that I would have to replace the nut and saddles on the guitar.  I'd really prefer not to permanently modify it though.

[David Houck]

Just try it and see if the strings sit comfortably on the existing nut and saddles; if there's no buzz then you're all set.  Guitar strings are so much less expensive than bass strings, it's a relatively painless experiment.  And it should sound really cool.

[hydrargyrum]

Yeah, I guess some new strings won't break the bank.  As it is, the only time I play it is when I break a string on my other guitar, so it would be nice to see it get some use.

[richbass939]

Okay, I'll admit it.  I'm ignernt.  What is Nashville tuning?
Rich

[2400wattman]

Rich, it's a standard 6 string tuning but the lower stings ( E A D  strings ) are replaced with the octave strings from a 12 string set.  
A very jangly sound and very cool.  
Kevin,  
   I know it sounds a bit crude but why don't you shim the nut with card material 'til you get it how you want it? Heck it might end up being the thing for that guitar. Kind of like ripping the frets out of a bass and it ends up sounding great.  
Good luck with it.  
Sex and War+  
Adam

[David Houck]

D'addario makes a set specifically for this tuning; High Strung/Nashville Tuning.  The low E, A, D, and G strings are all one active higher than normal.
 
E   0.010
B   0.014
G   0.009
D   0.012
A   0.018
E   0.026

[bigredbass]

You hear a lot of this with the Stones, 'Wild Horses' comes to mind, the strumming in the intro where it sounds 12-ish but lacks that usual 12-string, chorus-y tone, very light sounding without all the octaves going.  Keith loves it.
 
J o e y

[adriaan]

I thought Mr Richards was known for not having the bottom E string, and otherwise employing an open-G tuning?

[benson_murrensun]

I am very interesting in giving this a try...
I wonder what the overall tension on the neck will be compared to normal stringing and if it will necessitate a truss rod adjustment. I guess the intonation would have to be adjusted for sure. Anybody know?
 
(Message edited by Benson_Murrensun on October 13, 2010)

[hydrargyrum]

Well, I'm really looking forward to trying this, but as I took off my low E-string, the tuning machine fell off completely.  It seems the threaded bushing that screws down around the capstan had broken.  Funny enough, it looks like I can buy a whole set of cheap tuners to scavenge the part from cheaper than a set of bushings.  For some reason they only sell the bushings in sets of six.  Oh well, it looks like my experiment will have to wait.

[benson_murrensun]

I am wondering also about using the D'Addario set on an acoustic guitar. Since 5 of the 6 strings are plain strings, the only one that would be electric guitar-specific would be the wound low E...

[hydrargyrum]

From what I can gather, the change in tension should be minimal, if at present at all.  A high E is at only about half a pound less tension than a low E, depending of course on your preferred string gauge.

[cozmik_cowboy]

Thanks for the link, Dave.  I was surprised by the .009 G; apparently it uses 4 octave strings, not 3.  
 
Peter

[bigredbass]

Adriaan, the 5-string (an old Tele tuned to open G) is for 'Brown Sugar'.
 
J o e y