Stupid String Question?

Force Of Nature

hey there, this may be a stupid question but when playing a song in a different tuning do you simply use the same six standard strings and just alter their tuning appropiately? or use different strings completely?

what i mean is i know for simple alterations like drop d, just lower the E string one step. But trying to play Bushleaguer with BGDGBD, or You Are with CGDGBE, do i still alter the standard 6 strings to this tuning or for example, use an A string for the sixth string and tune that to a B etc. it seems too difficult to change the low E to a B or C. what would i do?

Hope this makes sense but i kind of confused myself writing this, sorry if this is a stupid question.

exhausted

i think some folks do end up using string gauges specific for certain tunings, especially if the guitar's going to stay in that tuning. otherwise, yeah, sometimes it's hard to make the big changes needed with a standard set of strings.

ianvomsaal

Most of the time you'll just tune your standard strings to that altered tuning.
But as exhausted said, some people completely change the string gauge if they're keeping a guitar in that tuning.
Look at Zakk Wylde's string gauges (11-70) -- not easy to play with those in standard tuning.
I wouldn't want to have to play a .070 Low-E-String in standard tuning for very long.
Anyhow - yes, you can start by using standard strings to try an alternate tuning - if it becomes a tuning you contiunually
use you'll probably end up getting a guitar that's dedicated for that tuning, and you'll probably end up using heavier strings.
Cheers . . .

- Ian