dgddad tuning

[super]

I AM PLAYING NICK DRAKE SONGS ON MY ACOUSTIC GUITAR.HE DIED TRAGICALLY AT A YOUNG AGE ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO. IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD HIS MUSIC CHECK HIM OUT NOW. HE USED SOME REALLY STRANGE TUNINGS AND I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH ONE OF THEM DGDDAD . WHEN I TRY TO TUNE IT BACK TO STANDARD TUNING FROM DGDDAD , THE G (3RD) STRING BREAKS WHEN TUNING FROM D. I WAS WONDERING COULD ANYONE HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. THANKYOU.

[ESP_Viper]

Well I must admit, that is an odd tuning. Are you tuning the 3rd string up to D or down to D. Either way I don't see how it would break the string comming OUT of the tuning and going back to standard. If you're tuning the G up to a D, I would imagine that would break the string. Tuning it down to D shouldn't make it break.

Where your string broke is also a factor. Did it break at the nut, bridge, or somewhere else? If it broke at the ball end, it would be a dud string. Right now there's lots of possibilities why your string broke, so if ya could give me more information I could offer more help.

[super]

I MEANT AFTER PLAYING THE SONG ON DGDDAD I WOULD THEN TUNE BACK UP TO STANDARD TUNING. I WOULD HAVE TO BE ONE HELL OF A THICKO TO TRY AND TUNE THE 3RD STRING UP TO D FROM G. NONE OF THE OTHER STRINGS WERE A PROBLEM AND I TUNED FROM THE OUTSIDE INWARDS. THE STRING SNAPPED AT THE NUT WHERE IT USUALLY BREAKS IF YOU TIGHTEN IT TOO MUCH. MAYBE THE FACT THAT I LEFT THE GUITAR TUNED TO DGDDAD FOR A FEW HOURS AND THEN TRIED TO TUNE IT BACK TO STANDARD CAUSED THE STRING TO SNAP.


I HOPE THIS IS CLEARER FOR YOU
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP

[cyberfret]

Strange. Unless your strings were old, then the stress of tuning down and back up might break the string. That is a very strange tuning. You must have a hard time keeping the 3rd string in tune as you are playing. My guess is that when Nick was using this tuning, he had a guitar set up with a heavier gauge 3rd string to compensate. If this is just once that this happened, then either the string was old....or maybe a defect in a new string. If this happens all the time, it shouldn't. Then there might be some sort of sharp point at the bridge that is slicing the string. On an acoustic guitar, the 3rd is always the first to break.

--Shawn

[GuitarGuillermo]

i was intrigued by what shawn said about the third string being the first to break. Since i have never broken a string myself (probably becuase i havent tried any alternative tunings beyond standard and dropped d yet.) well, does anyone know why the third string would break first? I would expect the first or second to break, being thinner. but hey, what do i know?

[cyberfret]

On an acoustic guitar the 3rd string is usually the first to break, even before the 1st. It is thinnest wound string. So as the winding becomes weakened at the different places where the fret bar hits the string when pressing down, then it will break. Or in this case the string winding may be weak were the string is going over the bridge. On an electric guitar the 1st string usually breaks first.

--Shawn

[steve]

Accually shawn, on my acoustic which I play frequently my 2nd string breaks first 90% of the time, rarely does the 3rd, accually it never has.

[GuitarGuillermo]

Ok. Now that thats somewhat cleared up, i have another question. What is the point of this tuning? what was nick drake playing that required this kind of tuning? i can't think of anything it would be practical for. What's this song like?