Tuning A Half step down
# 1
without a chromatic tuner i beleive u can find a b flat button on most, and tune to that....but not 100% sure... or use ur ear but the ladder doesnt help much it...
WWSD? What would stevie do?
# 2
do you have a tuner at all? if you don't then how on earth do you stay in tune? do you tune your A to the 5th fret of the low E? if you do it that way, then try it tuning your A to the 4th fret of the low E then keep going till your highest 5 strings are in tune, then tune the open low E to the open high E (now Eb)
# 3