Setting a guitar up for alternate tunings is an exercise in compromises and having a full understanding of what the client is looking for along with a healthy dose of having a come to Jesus discussion with the client on expectations.
So where to start.
What I do is make sure I understand the big picture and exactly, exactly which alternate tunings, what strings, and how the individual player hits the thing with the style and specific technique all important.
Dave will often write on my invoice that the player tunes at times 1/2 step down or DADGAD or this or that and what I do is then try to determine what tuning the instrument will be in MOST of the time and I set intonation with the exact strings this player will use for how they do it most of time. If they detune I detune and make sure that the relief in the neck remains sufficient when we reduce tension. I also recheck intonation and if anything is glaringly awful I may find a compromise between the intonation for that specific string in standard tuning and the drop tuning desired.
Now there are extremes to all of this which are important in informing how we approach the set-up. I had one last week in which the player tuned the entire thing two whole steps down. So as crazy as this sounds for a guitar to have to do the action was raised to avoid rattling strings and the client was advised that the intonation spots on his saddles may be outside the range of adjustment that the instrument was built with and if that's the case there is nothing that can be done other than rebuilding aspects of the instrument and we are not going to do that.
There is also the idea that Hesh here has a PRS that stays tuned Jimmy style for Kasmir since Kashmir is in a difficult tuning to intonate. Or, in other words, sell them two guitars since one will never be capable of doing all things with one set-up.... Kind of kidding here but kind of not kidding too I'm serious as an intonation snob myself I could not live with some of the compromises that have to happen for some of the drop tunings. I would repurpose a specific guitar if I insisted in something very different from standard tuning with the intonation very off.
So to condense some of this. Find out what tunings they use the most. Find out which tuning is most slacked because that one may dictate your action. Do have the conversation with the client about expectations it's important and don't be afraid to tell them they are nuts and even decline if that is the case. More on this in a moment.
I'll add when I was starting out I had a long list of people wanting to give me commissions and I turned down every one. On that list were jobs like this one that are not reasonable if you covet intonation accuracy and great playability in all tunings.
I had a guy in Alaska that wanted me to make a 9 string and I also had people who invented their own turnings and wanted to collaborate with me and have me build the mule to do it.
I turned them all down (and often learned that everyone else had too.....) it was not compatible with my development as a luthier at that time or my goals and I would turn them down today too. Consider what happens when the guitar is not accepted for one reason or another that nine string may be hard to sell to someone else....
I dealt with customers all of my life and was considered a very big deal guy, elephant hunter and rule one that applies here too is slow the client down and have the conversation and try to narrow the list of expectations down to something more manageable. A guitar capable of playing in all conceivable tunings, be intonated correctly and have decent action in any tuning is not possible with the physics of the guitar as we know it. Something will be off and it is what it is....
Find a subset of everything and then you have a slide in the mix too. Traditionally slide set-ups are higher and that's why some people don't have much trouble using a slide on an acoustic guitar the action is higher and sometimes MUCH higher. For example an acoustic with 13's the Martin spec is 7/64th" at the 12th on the low e. My shredder down stairs which is a Suhr is less that 4/64th" on the low e. That's a lot... lower.
I disagree with stiffening a neck so that slack tunings don't change things action wise IF and only IF that stiffening makes the truss rod struggle and be less effective. We will need that rod when Mr./Mrs. I do all tunings leaves it in the back seat of a hot car in Nashville and the neck goes into semi-permanent backbow....
Bryan has much more behind his statement too and that is much more experience than any of us in how to stiffen a neck and not over stiffen a neck. If you knew his exact approach I would bet it's a great approach but for us to throw CF at it because we heard from someone who heard that Bryan uses CF is not advisable. Bryan is a superb builder, a friend and I've worked on his guitars before including the custom he built for another one of our friends and clients the actor Jeff Daniels. Jeff is a drop tuning guy too and was just in our shop last Friday.
Some here will find fault that I'm pushing back that the client is unreasonable if this is being described correctly and the client wants decent intonation in nearly any alternate tuning, that's unreasonable, unrealistic, not possible with the physics of a acoustic guitar and it's also in my view taking advantage of a builder with little commission experience because those who have more experience are going to push back as I am suggesting. And again there is the idea of making more than one instrument too and that may get everyone where they want to go.
So limit the spec, set expectations, decide if it will add to or detract to your own goals building, don't let someone corner you into a build that others would not do for them and never be afraid to help educate a client they often simply do not know and would appreciate someone explaining why in great detail that this instrument will have to do some compromises....
Compromises need not be a bad thing. Ever hear of a Telecaster. Most Telecasters cannot be properly intonated and the shared saddles require compromises. More recently the saddles are compensating for some of this but the vintage ones, the Creedence ones... and many others the intonation sucked and the players compensated with the playing ability.
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