Need Guitar Help -- Anyone here play?

[Yilun]

Have a question:

I've been recently playing a song by Andy Mckee - For My Father.

You can check it out here if you want:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=T4Igb5Yors4

It's tuned kind of weird. The 2nd thickest string is tuned 1.5 steps higher to a C.

Now, I've heard some mixed feedback about doing that.

1) Don't leave that string tuned high for too long because it will damage your guitar neck -- essentially causing it to warp.

2) Leave it tuned high because constant tuning is bad for the string and may cause snappage alot earlier (shorter string life span).

So I was wondering, since it's just that one string that I'm tuning high (all others low) -- is it alright for me to leave that string tuned high? Will it really cause warpage? I suppose it's a tradeoff between constantly tuning ur guitar vs leaving it tuned high and risk neck warpage.

Anyone out there who is an expert on guitars can enlighten me on what I should do?

I really hate to tune it back and forth every time I decide to play and I'm too lazy to constantly restring my guitars if the string does indeed snap.

[Mugrila]

Interesting first post, and I have to say I'm not 100% sure. I always just leave mine in standard tuning and tune accordingly based on the song. With a chromatic tuner it takes like a min. to switch and you know you're at the right pitch so I don't really mind.

[statsman88]

Interesting first post, and I have to say I'm not 100% sure. I always just leave mine in standard tuning and tune accordingly based on the song. With a chromatic tuner it takes like a min. to switch and you know you're at the right pitch so I don't really mind.

He's a regular over on the basketball side, but I told him he'd probably get a better response over here

[Mugrila]

Interesting first post, and I have to say I'm not 100% sure. I always just leave mine in standard tuning and tune accordingly based on the song. With a chromatic tuner it takes like a min. to switch and you know you're at the right pitch so I don't really mind.

He's a regular over on the basketball side, but I told him he'd probably get a better response over here

Gotcha.

[Yilun]

And call me paranoid (or maybe now i'm just finally noticing?) but the top part of my neck seems kinda crescent shape to begin with. I hope it's not because there is warpage happening already!!

Anyways, I'm thinking if I had ALL my strings tuned high -- then I can see how warpage may occur. However, with just 1 string tuned 1.5 steps higher <-- is that really enough to warp my guitar neck?

And even so -- I would assume basic physics would imply that it should only warp to a certain degree and stop correct?

[Mugrila]

I would play it safe and tune it. The effect will vary depending on how nice the guitar is. If it's a not-so-nice guitar it'll be more susceptible to warping over a long period of time, just like with temperature. So leaving it tuned up will just add to the other things that wear on it.

[Yilun]

bump -- any other opinions?

[acsguitar]

You are not going to warp your guitar in a short period time. You should be fine leaving it tuned like that.

Necks take a huge huge amount of pressure. You will be fine. I'd worry about humidity more then tuning pressure.

I've been playing for 13 years

[statsman88]

You are not going to warp your guitar in a short period time. You should be fine leaving it tuned like that.

Necks take a huge huge amount of pressure. You will be fine. I'd worry about humidity more then tuning pressure.

I've been playing for 13 years

You have a couple vids on youtube don't you? Could you hook me up with a link? I play guitar as well and like watching other players

[teddy ballgame]

Yeah 1.5 steps is nothing. I usually leave mine tuned in Eb, which is only .5 steps but not a big deal at all.