raised B tuning

[dodo_3436]

can anyone help with how to tune to raised B without popping strings?
can any guitar work?

[boredtotears]

just get a capo

[dodo_3436]

i have a capo and i dont like playing that low on the fret board theres no room, can anyone else help me?

[ChadRap127]

Get a guitar with a cutaway.. or have monk do it.. its a pain

[dodo_3436]

why does it have to have a cutaway? dave uses an auditorium style taylor to play stay or leave and oh?......monk?

[The Floodzone]

I used my first guitar for my raised b guitar. Its a dreadnought cutaway. Works ok for me. Not sure of the reasoning for using a cutaway. My tip is to tune slowly, like once the strings start to get tight, tune a little, then let it sit for like an hour. I did this last time it restrung it. Probably took about 8 times or so of tuning then letting it sit for me to get it tuned. Try and let the strings stretch as much as possible. Do a search, there are other threads about this. Also some luck helps :)

Chris

[dodo_3436]

thanks ill try it that way-tha guitar i want to use for raised b is a dreadnought martin hopefully itll work----thanks

[dodo_3436]

also what is the 'dave way' of stringing the guitar? do you remove the low e and move down all the others, throwing a b on 6?

[PilotC150]

Scroll all the way to the bottom of this page and see the "Similar Threads"?? Try all of those. They will most likely answer your questions or lead you to the answer.

Every one of them says "raised B tuning" in the title. Try a search next time.

[YknSTONE]

BTW...Monk is Dave's guitar tech.

[j_wyse]

Daddarrio now makes a set of strings for a raised B "nashville" tuning.
Tuning your guitar up to that pitch with out special strings will ruin it over time.
This tuning has been used in Nashville for a long time.

James

[PilotC150]

I think "nashville" tuning is the same as using the 6 octave strings from a set of 12-string guitar strings. Not exactly raised B.

[ugahairydawgs]

he was saying use a cutaway so that when you put the capo on you still have room for your hand.

[dman0808]

Tuning your guitar up to that pitch with out special strings will ruin it over time.

:thumbsup thank you for saying it!

[dodo_3436]

i did read all the other threads at the bottom of the pg and none of them helped they are vague like in here

[PilotC150]

Ok, to answer your questions then. Yes, any guitar can be used.

To tune it up without breaking strings, first buy a set of extra light strings, and an extra .16 (I think) b-string.

Through away the low E string. Put the A string on the spot for the 6th string, the D string on the spot for the 5th string, and so on. Then you'll run out of strings with the 1st string spot still open, but the extra .16 gauge string there.

Now tune it to B-E-A-D-F#-B. That highest B string will actually be an octave lower than you will expect. It will match pitch with the 4th (A string) fretted at the 2nd fret.

I hope that helps you tune your guitar without breaking strings.

[dodo_3436]

thanks thats all i wanted

[j_wyse]

What's vague about "get the right strings before you try to tune up to that pitch"?
And D'Addario makes strings for raised b tuning.

Really, if you keep your instrument tuned up to that pitch with standard guage strings
the bridge will come off eventually, if not right away.

When you tune eight times to get there it's not only the strings stretching, but the neck and the soundboard flexing. Hold up your guitar and look across the bridge and you'll see what I mean.

I've had a bridge joint fail w/o a high tuning. That pop is not a pleasant experience.
Please don't try it with your Martin. Get either the 12 string octave set or
create a set for yourself. ie a low A string is approx .039" in dia.
Move that to the sixth string spot, 4th to 5th ,3rd to 4th etc. and get a .008 or .009 high e string.
Most string sets today list the tension. Try and balance out the set so that
the tension with the high B tuning is the same as an E tuning with a standard set.

The cost for the right strings is far cheaper than sending your guitar back to have the bridge re-fitted (or worse).

James

[The Floodzone]

What's vague about "get the right strings before you try to tune up to that pitch"?
And D'Addario makes strings for raised b tuning.

Really, if you keep your instrument tuned up to that pitch with standard guage strings
the bridge will come off eventually, if not right away.

When you tune eight times to get there it's not only the strings stretching, but the neck and the soundboard flexing. Hold up your guitar and look across the bridge and you'll see what I mean.

I've had a bridge joint fail w/o a high tuning. That pop is not a pleasant experience.
Please don't try it with your Martin. Get either the 12 string octave set or
create a set for yourself. ie a low A string is approx .039" in dia.
Move that to the sixth string spot, 4th to 5th ,3rd to 4th etc. and get a .008 or .009 high e string.
Most string sets today list the tension. Try and balance out the set so that
the tension with the high B tuning is the same as an E tuning with a standard set.

The cost for the right strings is far cheaper than sending your guitar back to have the bridge re-fitted (or worse).

James

What do you mean "that pop"? Are you talking about the bridge breaking? Just curious. I know I've used Elixer custom lights on mine, so maybe I'll do some shopping for a Nashville set of strings that were made for the higher tension.

Chris

[PilotC150]

Nashville Strings are the 6 high strings of a 12-string set. So it's the 1st and 2nd string as normal guitars, and the other four are made for the same note but an octave higher. A nashville set of strings is not what you want for raised-b tuning.