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432 tuning - what effect on the guitar?   You are logged in as Guest
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britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

432 tuning - what effect on the guitar? 
Following a recent discussion on the Foro, I tried tuning a few of my guitars to A432. I found the results quite interesting. Seemed to produce a slightly more mellow sound. Didn't notice any differences in the feel.

I was wondering if guitar builders feel that this lower frequency should have any noticeable or significant effect on a guitar's sound, or playability?

And also, would the strings need to be designed to work at A432 instead of A440? Or shouldn't it make any noticeable difference?

Were any of the old guitars built in the past, designed to play at this frequency? Anybody know?

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Feb. 12 2013 19:04:00
 
constructordeguitarras

Posts: 1677
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: 432 tuning - what effect on the ... (in reply to britguy) 
I'm surprised you didn't notice the strings being squishier.

I don't know the answers to any of your questions; I just want to mention that I noticed that Paco de Lucia has his guitar tuned a little high on his recordings. (That is, I noticed after Maymi pointed it out.)

Well, come to think of it, A = 440 is generally concert pitch, I think, but some orchestras use a different one and in the past it was universally different, perhaps lower. And guitars were probably tuned similarly. Maybe.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Feb. 12 2013 20:51:40
 
tri7/5

 

Posts: 570
Joined: May 5 2012
 

RE: 432 tuning - what effect on the ... (in reply to britguy) 
Strings work in whatever pitch/note you choose just fine i.e. tuning to Eb, D, Rondena, etc. No reason it would be any different just 8Hz down across the board. Just for comparison sake you're not even close to Ab at around 415Hz.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Feb. 12 2013 20:57:07
 
gerundino63

Posts: 1743
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands

RE: 432 tuning - what effect on the ... (in reply to britguy) 
Interesting post Britguy!

Here is an interesting website, they show different music from 440 and 432.
It seems to be very normal standard in the past (432)

http://www.backto432hz.org/music.html

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Feb. 12 2013 22:10:30
 
Erik van Goch

 

Posts: 1787
Joined: Jul. 17 2012
From: Netherlands

RE: 432 tuning - what effect on the ... (in reply to britguy) 
Over the centuries the reference frequency for orchestras has show a rising scale and a modern day A (or whatever note you select) has a higher frequency than one of lets say 200 years ago. If i'm not mistaken the modern day A is not 440 but 444.

I also play 12 string guitar and recently found out many tune it slightly lower to prevent neck problems dude to the much higher string tension (the result of buying cheap crap if you ask me). I also read that people who structurally play open tunings like dgdgba sometimes use specialized strings for those tunings. Jimmy Hendrix down-tuned his guitar as well to make string-bending more easy.

since i stopped playing with others (10 years ago) i never bothered to check the pitch of my guitars. I tune it on feeling and all i care for is that the guitar is tuned well as a whole. It might be A or A> or A< i have now idea. Sometimes i have to retune when i want to ear play a recording. Just like the evolution of the official pitch i tend to raise my tuning every now and than based on my ears telling me it gives a better respond... but that might be all in the mind. Back in the old days a tape recording played on various decks would also give variation in pitch dude to slightly different playing speeds. And 1 deck would also vary over the years dude to slightly altering mechanical characteristics.
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Feb. 13 2013 1:15:59
 
gerundino63

Posts: 1743
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands

RE: 432 tuning - what effect on the ... (in reply to britguy) 
I put my guitar today on A432.
Quiet nice! Little sweeter tone, also a bit more sustain I think.

The feel in the right hand is a bit more "loose" but in half a minute, you adapt your hand to that.
A little cm. To the bridge and the feel is the same as 440.
Good possible you do this without knowing.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Feb. 13 2013 10:26:58
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