I'm new to this site but I'm having some issues with tuning on my first build. I know this has been covered in a topic already, and I have read everything I think I could find on this great site about it but maybe situations can be different. Well anyways I try to use medium and light phosferbronze Martin acoustic strings and use The 5th A the 4 th D and the 3rd G strings. But I can usually get the D right and the higher G string but taking the 5th A string to tuned to G it snaps on me every time. I'm not sure how others manage to get the strings to tune up to these tunings. And using the same ADG strings to get the EBE getting the D tuned to B breaks every time. Any help idea would be great. I checked for anything sharp it's snapping right at the tuning knob. Sorry this has been talked about before.
Thank you so much
P.s. the guitar 1st build is my profile picture. Which is the one I keep trying to tunewbere it snaps.
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I got here late, but will give my 2 cents worth. CB John's answer was likely a good one. Sounds like you were tuning one or more strings too high.
Okay, in the header, you ask EBE or GDG. EBE (or DAD) sounds lower and cooler to me and to many others. Use the big 3 big strings from a six string set. GDG (open G) fits more singer's voice ranges and sound good too. Don't use the big string from a set of six. Use the next biggest three. Find a lesson on CBN or you tube that opens up with tuning to what you wish for. Lots of lessons for GDG open with how the strings should sound.
I love a nice low EBE tuning for rockabilly, country and Mississippi hill country blues.
I use Chickenbone John's Med balanced tension G-D-G strings (46w, 30w, 22w) tuned down - sounds a treat and you can bend notes to buggery. Sounds great with slapback and reverb.
In Guitar mode the tuner only knows the notes E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 and won't show the other notes.
you're after G2 D3 G3, and the tuner only knows G3, one octave higher than G2 - and KAPOW
Same with the E2 B2 E3 tuning you want, D string dropped to B2, but in guitar mode it only knows B3, an octave higher. You're probably also either getting a very floppy G string down tuned to E2, or breaking it trying to get up to E4
An easy rule of thumb - from a floppy string that makes no sound, tighten just enough to get some tension where it will sustain a pluck, then tune up to the FIRST occurrence of the note you are after (using a chromatic tuner). Guitar strings have a tad more than a half-octave range either side of their design spec and still work well enough.
For EBe tunings, I use the EAD strings from a 6 string pack, .042/.032/.024. on a 25" scale. This gives a lower tone, which is how I like 'em. These three strings also work for me on GDg, also presenting a lower, bassier tone.
You are obviously trying to tune the low G an octave above what it should be. Also with that other tuning, taking that "D" string to to a B, you are trying to take it 9 semitones higher than it is intended, that's why it's breaking. If you are tuning with digital tuner, it's not great for beginners- it's better to use a tuning fork, pitch pipe, piano or harmonica to strike a note then you can actually HEAR what the note should be.
BTW - String tension decreases as the scale length decreases. In other words, the longer the scale length, the greater the tension needed to bring a string to the same relative pitch.
If your using the A, D and G strings from a regular pack of guitar strings and tuning those strings to G-D-g, the lowest string (the A string from a regular pack of strings) should be tuned one whole step (two semitones) lower than A (on a regular guitar) - which would be G.
The other two strings (D and G) are tuned to the exact same pitch as they are on a regular six string guitar so, you should not be breaking strings at all unless you are trying to tune an octave higher than what you should be tuning.
If you are using a guitar tuner, make sure to set it to "chromatic" scaling instead of "guitar", "ukulele" or "violin" scaling. This could be causing the problem.
Replies
I got here late, but will give my 2 cents worth. CB John's answer was likely a good one. Sounds like you were tuning one or more strings too high.
Okay, in the header, you ask EBE or GDG. EBE (or DAD) sounds lower and cooler to me and to many others. Use the big 3 big strings from a six string set. GDG (open G) fits more singer's voice ranges and sound good too. Don't use the big string from a set of six. Use the next biggest three. Find a lesson on CBN or you tube that opens up with tuning to what you wish for. Lots of lessons for GDG open with how the strings should sound.
Good wishes.
I love a nice low EBE tuning for rockabilly, country and Mississippi hill country blues.
I use Chickenbone John's Med balanced tension G-D-G strings (46w, 30w, 22w) tuned down - sounds a treat and you can bend notes to buggery. Sounds great with slapback and reverb.
In Guitar mode the tuner only knows the notes E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 and won't show the other notes.
you're after G2 D3 G3, and the tuner only knows G3, one octave higher than G2 - and KAPOW
Same with the E2 B2 E3 tuning you want, D string dropped to B2, but in guitar mode it only knows B3, an octave higher. You're probably also either getting a very floppy G string down tuned to E2, or breaking it trying to get up to E4
An easy rule of thumb - from a floppy string that makes no sound, tighten just enough to get some tension where it will sustain a pluck, then tune up to the FIRST occurrence of the note you are after (using a chromatic tuner). Guitar strings have a tad more than a half-octave range either side of their design spec and still work well enough.
For EBe tunings, I use the EAD strings from a 6 string pack, .042/.032/.024. on a 25" scale. This gives a lower tone, which is how I like 'em. These three strings also work for me on GDg, also presenting a lower, bassier tone.
You are obviously trying to tune the low G an octave above what it should be. Also with that other tuning, taking that "D" string to to a B, you are trying to take it 9 semitones higher than it is intended, that's why it's breaking. If you are tuning with digital tuner, it's not great for beginners- it's better to use a tuning fork, pitch pipe, piano or harmonica to strike a note then you can actually HEAR what the note should be.
BTW - String tension decreases as the scale length decreases. In other words, the longer the scale length, the greater the tension needed to bring a string to the same relative pitch.
If your using the A, D and G strings from a regular pack of guitar strings and tuning those strings to G-D-g, the lowest string (the A string from a regular pack of strings) should be tuned one whole step (two semitones) lower than A (on a regular guitar) - which would be G.
The other two strings (D and G) are tuned to the exact same pitch as they are on a regular six string guitar so, you should not be breaking strings at all unless you are trying to tune an octave higher than what you should be tuning.
If you are using a guitar tuner, make sure to set it to "chromatic" scaling instead of "guitar", "ukulele" or "violin" scaling. This could be causing the problem.
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