Do you usually leave your guitar in standard tuning?

[nuchdig]

12 string tuned down 1/2 step
one 6 string in open G
others in standard tuning

[Glennwillow]

Do you usually leave your guitar in standard tuning?

Yes.

For a while I dabbled around with DADGAD and a bunch of instrumental pieces, but I kind of got out of that mode of playing. I'm back to singing folk and pop songs in standard tuning.

- Glenn

[birdsong]

I keep a couple tuned down one full step. Especially with the current folks I play with as they only do tunes in G/D (I like many of the "D" tunes using "C" shapes, capo 2).

I leave a few in standard [I know I shouldn't say it but I have a couple too many guitars.... ]

In general I like the way my instruments sound tuned down one half or one full step. But with so many guitars, I have many options (I also leave one in Orkney, one in double dropped D.....).

[douglasfan1]

Yes, all my guitars tuned to standard except the CF guitar, it sounds the best with 13-56 medium gauge strings and half-step detune (in Eb). But I guess it's very close the 12-53 in standard tuning.
There is no point to detune the guitar if you play it everyday in standard.

[donlyn]

Do you usually leave your guitar in standard tuning?

Yes and No. Or sometimes.

My six string guitars are tuned to standard and the 12 string guitars down a semi-tone to D#, with the following exceptions.

One 12 string in DADGAD intervals from the D# tuning, which means the E courses end up at C#.

One six string in DADGAD.

One six string tuned down a semi-tone to be able to instantly play with a 12 string without resorting to a capo.

Some guitars I leave dedicated to a given tuning, especially my 355 in DADGAD, if only because it is a double pain to tune a 12 down in addition to an alternate tuning. The rest may vary and/or swap out with another. Just because.

Don
.

[Msedg]

Won’t hurt the guitar at all, let’s you go up a gauge if you like and maintain around the same tension. Joey Ryan from the Milk Carton Kids does it on a vintage 50s J45 and doesn’t seem to ever play a backup guitar live - so it can’t be that bad!

[campfireplayer]

All my guitars ae always in standard tuning

[rmp]

standard unless I'm working on a alt. tuning piece.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by ewalling

If the strings are too tight in standard, why not simply get a lighter gauge?

There's no dishonour in that!

Congrats on your 20,000th post!

[egordon99]

My Larrivee lives in DADGAD, the rest are in standard.

[EZYPIKINS]

I have left a couple guitars tuned to Eb before, for studio. one acoustic an two different electrics.

Only thing is, once it settles down, you'll need to adjust the neck relief just a bit.

After that no problem at all .

If retuning from standard to slack, and back again. there won't be enough time to pull the neck flat. So no need to keep adjusting TRN.

All my acoustics have initial setup done in standard tuning. Electrics I intonate to the tuning I'm gonna keep on it.

[KevWind]

Yes standard including my 12 string.

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Originally Posted by kmckenna45

I find that I usually leave my guitar tuned 2 frets down - allowing me to get to standard tuning with a capo.

Any thoughts on this? Any risk to the neck, etc?

I know 12 string players usually do this - but what about on a 6 string?

ALWAYS in standard tuning. 30+ years of doing it. Never a problem with necks.

In fact, I'd argue that leaving the guitar tuned down and then re-tuning to standard wears the neck much more than leaving it in standard tuning, because it's the constant change in tension that does more pressure to the neck.

[phil0021]

i’m sort of a stick in the mud, but I always tune to standard. i use lighter strings to help with string tension and ease of play. i find that changing pitch too much makes my strings get older faster.