Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF

Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: zeebow on December 26, 2011, 12:06:28 AM

Title: alternate (drop) tuning on taylor's w/ gotoh
Post by: zeebow on December 26, 2011, 12:06:28 AM

hi all,
my favorite band (which inspired and led me to taylor guitars) - boyce avenue - does alot of alternate tunings. most of them are drop tunings.

i'm buying a taylor 914CE w/ cedar topwood - which comes w/ the gotoh tuners. i've currently doing this for the past year on my taylor 414CE.

is leaving the guitar tuned down for long periods of time bad? i'm worried about the neck bowing, taylor's webpage mentions that higher tunings are more of a concern, but just wanted to get some thoughts/opinions.

i dont want to screw up the neck of my taylors.

Title: Re: alternate (drop) tuning on taylor's w/ gotoh
Post by: jjrpilot-admin on December 26, 2011, 04:11:42 AM

I dont think you'll hurt your guitar...at most you would need to adjust the truss rod a smidgen...

Title: Re: alternate (drop) tuning on taylor's w/ gotoh
Post by: michaelw on December 26, 2011, 01:44:28 PM

there are players that have guitars that are left in alternate tunings that suffer no adverse effects, provided
the overall string tension does not significantly exceed that of the recomended gauge tuned to concert pitch

the truss rod in a Taylor allows for correction of both forward & back bow, so any change in
neck relief should be able to be adjusted if the tuning significantly changes the playing 'feel'

i believe what is recommended is to not take all of the tension off of the strings, slackening the
truss rod completely & leaving the guitar in that state for an extended period of time in that state

Title: Re: alternate (drop) tuning on taylor's w/ gotoh
Post by: zeebow on December 27, 2011, 01:15:09 AM

Thx. I inherited an old Yamaha FG guitar that has a severely bowed neck and don't want my Taylor's to have one too! :)

Quote from: michaelw on December 26, 2011, 01:44:28 PM

there are players that have guitars that are left in alternate tunings that suffer no adverse effects, provided
the overall string tension does not significantly exceed that of the recomended gauge tuned to concert pitch

the truss rod in a Taylor allows for correction of both forward & back bow, so any change in
neck relief should be able to be adjusted if the tuning significantly changes the playing 'feel'

i believe what is recommended is to not take all of the tension off of the strings, slackening the
truss rod completely & leaving the guitar in that state for an extended period of time in that state