Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Can a 330 handle being tuned up a whole step to F# without doing damage to it? Like say, with 10's.

maybe, but I wouldn't try it. I would just use a capo.

jdogric12 wrote:maybe, but I wouldn't try it. I would just use a capo.

+1

Spray the stings with helium Its a short term quick fix but it actually works..

I would not recommend it. As others have said use a capo.

I'm not really jonesing to do it myself. I'm asking because while doing some Smiths research, I've noticed that Johnny Marr played a lot of his guitars this way. It's common knowledge that he played a lot in F#, but I never realized how many guitars used live, tuned up that way without a capo: His early Gretsch, his 330, his '59 ES355, his '72 and '85 Les Pauls and his green Tele. It was a little surprising. It would certainly give me pause to tune a vintage 355 up that way!

I would do it with 8's or 9's ONLY.

I'd use a capo, or just learn to play in F#. After all, it's just E moved up 2 frets.
JimK

jimk wrote:I'd use a capo, or just learn to play in F#. After all, it's just E moved up 2 frets.
JimK

Ah, but you so many cool chord voicings are impossible when playing in F# unless you use a capo...

antipodean wrote:

jimk wrote:I'd use a capo, or just learn to play in F#. After all, it's just E moved up 2 frets.
JimK

Ah, but you so many cool chord voicings are impossible when playing in F# unless you use a capo...

Because of the shorter scale?

I was just reading John Hall's comment in the nashville tuning thread, about there being 100lbs less of pressure on the neck with the thinner strings used. In a 12 string I'm sure it puts at least 100lbs more pressure, on the same neck construction. So it seems like tuning up two frets on a 6 string would just be a truss rod adjustment issue and not a neck breaker.

D'Addario publishes a handy chart setting out the string tensions for various gauge strings at various pitches:

http://daddario.com/DAstringtensionguid ... iveID=2681

Unfortunately the chart only sets out whole-note steps (e.g., it gives the tensions if you tune your E to F or G, but not to F#). However, they also provide a formula.

So you should be able to calculate at least approximately how much extra force you'd be exerting on the neck. Whether or not the neck can handle this extra force is something I'll have to defer to the experts.

However, I would note that you can probably keep the force on your neck roughly the same as your current setup by switching to lighter strings before you tune up. I think this would be safe, although it might be too much hassle if this is only something you only want to try for a short while (since you'd probably have to adjust your intonation).

Go to the D'Addario website and download the string tension manual. Then you can cross-reference approximately how much tension a standard set has when tuning up a whole step.

Remember that RIC necks can take a stock 12-string set, which is about the same tension as putting a set of 14's on a 6-string. (Remember that tension varies with the square of the radius; that's why a 14 plain has roughly twice the tension at the same pitch and scale length as a 10 plain)

My 340 came from Greece tuned up a step - there were 10 gauge roundwoundss on it.
I let it acclimatise, put new 10 roundwounds on and adjusted the truss rods a little.
I would not try it on my 11 gauge flatwounds 360 though...

egosheep wrote:

antipodean wrote:

jimk wrote:I'd use a capo, or just learn to play in F#. After all, it's just E moved up 2 frets.
JimK

Ah, but you so many cool chord voicings are impossible when playing in F# unless you use a capo...

Because of the shorter scale?

I was thinking of those chords where you combine notes higher on the neck with open strings to get those closely spaced jangly chords. You need a capo to get these voicings in F#....

With a bit more thought I realised there are, of course some similar chords in F# in standard tuning as the open E and B are diatonic to the scale. Just not the voicings I'm used to in E, A or D....

Having only recently adopted a capo I'm a bit overenthusiastic about their application!!!