Alternate tuning

Hi,
got a 23"tenor guitar tuned to GCEA, with 0.020w, 0.015, 0.012 and 0.009 strings.
I'd like to drop the tuning an octave, anyone had experience of this?
Cheers
Andrew.D

That sounds like ukulele tuning at the same pitch as a soprano or tenor? Most tenor guitar players that use guitar style tuning use DGBE. I'm not sure that you could do C tuning that low at 23".

Well, you'd have to have pretty heavy gauge strings to compensate for the potential slackness in the octave drop. If you imagine that your top A is 5 frets up on the top E string of a conventional guitar, then an octave below that is the equivalent of the conventional guitar 3rd (G) string played at the 2nd fret. I use a .022 wound string for my guitar G strings - and for my tenor (CGDA) 3rd string.

So, if your top string is a .022 (say), then you can work your way down from there in equivalent gauges. You could probably get away with a lighter gauge than .022 for the top string. I think you would have to get an appropriate set and try it - and see what effect it has on general string tension and on the neck...

Cheers,

Will

I have been wondering the same thing about what gauge strings to use..... I have sent a message to a dealer a friend knows and hopefully I will get a reply soon.... I actually came on hear looking for this info, lol. I will pass along any info I find...please do the same.....

Nathan

Check out D'Addario's online String Tension Pro software for suggestions.

I've tried this before. I don't remember the exact gauges but the starting point is octave mandolin tuning. Taking as an example the John Pearse set for GDAE tuning (42-30-20-13). In GCEA tuning you're using the same G (42) and A (20). For the C and E you can adjust up and down from the D gauge (30). Maybe 42-32-26-20 or something - best to check against a tension calculator.

I have to say though that for me the results were disappointing. Not enough oomph at the low end, no high range to balance out - just a muddy middle, and with all wound strings, squeaking everywhere.

I did some more experimenting and found a range I liked, nudged up a few steps to B-E-G#-C#. Not a practical tuning for playing with others, but I thought it hit a decent balance between the muddled low GCEA and the treble-y Chicago tuning. On my cheap Stella it made for a very archtop jazzy sound.

Here is what I was told... "I usually just use the gauges for the D'addario octave mandolin set. 12-46 EJ80 Phosphor Bronze Octave.Mandolin Strings. You use the same gauge string - just in a ball end." Here is the dude's website if you need a mando or other instrument... www.vintagemandolin.com he has some pretty sweet mandolins!