Using a capo to shorten your scale

[Tarnisher]

I was having some beers and comparing guitars with my neighbor a couple months ago. He's a very nice guy, but we come from very different musical worlds. He lives for Metal. His baby is a PRS, which he tunes down one full step. He does this to allow him to use thick strings for that extra thick metal tone, but still have maximum shredability, and to allow him to bend one and a half steps. He admired my Tele, but said he could never play it because the action was too high.

Anyway, I got thinking about this whole tuning down thing. I love the sound of thick strings on my acoustics, but I prefer the playability of mediums. I think I'd have problems with buzzing and poor tone if I just slackened down the way my neighbor does, but then I had an idea: what if I tuned down a whole step, then put the capo on the first fret? I would essentially be shortening the scale of the guitar, and taking tension off of the strings without changing pitch.

Well, I tried it, and it works pretty well. There's a little more buzzing than usual, but the playability is great, and it sounds fuller than with medium strings. Any one else ever tried this trick?

[Dizi]

I have a Strat that I run 13-56 gauge, but I only tune down a half step. I have another I run 12-54 and tune down a full step, for that extra slinky feel.

[beep.click]

I tune down on acoustic pretty frequently -- usualy a whole step. Sometimes it's just to get the arrangement more in line with my vocal range.

And when I play with other folks, I can quickly capo up. But I also find it makes an interesting arrangement, if I just stay tuned down and transpose what they're doing ("They're playing a D shape, so I need to find an E shape...").