Am I the only one...???

[rmyAddison]

Since arthritis has decided my dread days are over, sigh, I've done two things for years now with my OM/000's. One many folks do, tune down 1/2 step, but the other (and the combination) I don't think I've seen here, using 13's on small bodies, I consider anything but a dread/jumbo the beginning of small body guitars, I know some folks don't consider OM/000's small bodies, but I do, anyway........

13's down 1/2 step are about the same pressure as 12's at concert pitch, so no need to worry about over-stressing an instrument (that I'm aware of), and if you want to add some depth and richness to an OM/000 try 13's down 1/2 step.

Others may well be doing it, but I don't think it's a common practice, and the tone is so much warmer than using lights, unless you want a bright sound, that it's worth a pack of strings if you've never tried it.

If you're a flatpicker especially, give it a try...........

[Teleman52]

Your not the only one!!!

This is exactly what I do with my om's (when I have them that is)

I would do this with my dread too but i mainly use that for bluegrass playing and I don't want to have to capo all the time to be in tune with everyone else.

This really makes oms great. For me, an OM is a guitar I take to the campfire, so to speak. For singing along and stuff, and i like having the ability to sing in a lower key. Your right though, it adds a lot of depth and really makes a good om sound huge.

[SMan]

I designed and built a guitar based on the arthritis I am experiencing. I have sold all of my jumbos and most of my Dred's with a Seagull SM 12, Taylor 550, along with a Takamine F360S as my only remaining Dreds. Yes I feel your pain.

[rmyAddison]

Originally Posted by SMan

I designed and built a guitar based on the arthritis I am experiencing. I have sold all of my jumbos and most of my Dred's with a Seagull SM 12, Taylor 550, along with a Takamine F360S as my only remaining Dreds. Yes I feel your pain.

I have grown to love OM/000's, I really don't miss dreads anymore. My buddy leave a Custom shop Martin HD-28 Alpine/Madagascar here (we play a lot) and I barely touch it. The 13's down 1/2 step really do change OM/000's to potent warm instruments, let's them fight out of their weight class.....

[jpd]

"Others may well be doing it, but I don't think it's a common practice, and the tone is so much warmer than using lights"



Count me in! Had my Gibson and RP-10 filed for 13/56 and the result is pure tonal heaven!

[grim83]

I do it quite often anything lighter than a 12 is like playing with sewing thread to me.

[zombywoof]

I am in the same the same boat. While I find the thicker necks more and more comfy I have gone a different route than tuning down or going to a smaller body guitar. I adapted my style to evolving limitations. Barre chords are no longer in my repertoire and I now primarily use my right hand thumb and index finger to pick. The others still come into play but far more sparingly than at one time.

[Bridgepin]

I am sorry to hear that you have had to give up playing Dreads Rich.

[teleamp]

I've given up on Dreadnaughts as well. My Last was a Bourgeois Country Boy with the red spruce top.


Just this year I received a Martin 00-18V and I could not be happier.


Merry Christmas Rich, I look forward to seeing you in Arlington next fall, Mike Yankie, the Texas Tube Amplifier Company guy.

[Random1643]

That's tough, but it's cool you've been able to shift gears and keep rolling.

I've got a cherry/spruce parlor used for open D and G tunings only that I've got strung with mediums. Love the tone - it seems to harness the resonance of the guitar more than lights - and provides a bit more tension for slide.

[usb_chord]

I love tuning down, even with 12s; you immediately hear a new side of your guitar's personality. Unfortunately, I can really only practically do it when playing solo. Playing in a jazz context with other instruments (cello, sax, upright bass, ect) it ends up being much more trouble than it's worth.

[PieterK]

Originally Posted by Teleman52

Your not the only one!!!

Wait...you're still under warranty! How can you have arthritis?

Originally Posted by Teleman52

This really makes oms great. For me, an OM is a guitar I take to the campfire, so to speak. For singing along and stuff...

For fun, what would that guitar be?

I'm curious simply because part of my recent episode of emergency GAS was initially fueled by a desire to have a guitar for camping and the desert and such which would still be a good playing and sounding guitar.

[Teleman52]

Originally Posted by PieterK

Wait...you're still under warranty! How can you have arthritis?






For fun, what would that guitar be?

I'm curious simply because part of my recent episode of emergency GAS was initially fueled by a desire to have a guitar for camping and the desert and such which would still be a good playing and sounding guitar.

!!

No I don't have arthritis, I just like the way it sounds!

For me it would be an Eastman e20om or e8om. I'm a big fan of eastman. I'm considering either an om or their 12 fret 00 one day. Every time I get ready to pull the trigger though I think to myself, I don't really need another guitar. I can take my d18a to the campfires, I've never been afraid of taking my nicer guitars out anyway. This guitar is a real gas killer

Same arthritis issues. I was using Martin Light Mediums for awhile on my GS mini. Next I went back to 13's tuned a half step down. I then sanded the saddle down a little and tuned the 13's up to standard pitch. 80/20 Bronze has less tension than PB. This seems to be working.

By the way, I'm playing my Yamaha Dred lap slide, open D. Great fun. Adds spice to my recordings.
https://www.reverbnation.com/dougmac...eader_icon_nav

[zombywoof]

Originally Posted by usb_chord

I love tuning down, even with 12s;

I have no choice but to tune down my 12 stringer - no neck reinforcement.