Baritone guitars - anyone else using them?

ToneControl

Over the last few years, I have been getting into Baritone guitars a lot

For anyone wanting more than one sound, I'd recommend experimenting in this area too

I have a 29-inch scale Alan Arnold acoustic http://www.alanarnoldguitars.co.uk/guitar_baritone.htm which sounds stunning. I tried 27 inch acoustics and they don't work tuned down that far I think. I tune it to a dropped DADGAD (G# to G#). The modal tunings work very well on baritones - those open strings ringing on

I got a Black Tele Bari. At 27 inch, it sounds not-quite-right with bari strings, but just using thicker strings and tuning down D-D gives a lovely tone. Btw if you play one in a normal lead rock style, they sound weird, tuned D-D is OK, but any lower, and it needs a different style

Tim Lerch has a longer subsonic Tele, Tuned C-C : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZdOK68RMvo

you can see that going for musicality rather than special effect is what gets results

 

My latest trick was to get a cheap Schecter Hellcat VI, a 30 inch scale, and tune it A-A (well the DADGAD variation of this). Before changing the strings, I did tune it DADGAD one octave down, which was inspiring. Not a bass, but not a guitar either

I tried an 8 string schecter, tuned GADADGAD, which is good, but I don't want to play all the strings at once, and I value the string spacing more, since I am playing finger style (not a Jazz style, more an acoustic guitar style)

 

Anyway this post was prompted by a GAK mailshot: there's a new cheap Bass VI out: http://www.gak.co.uk/en/squier-vintage-modified-bass-vi-olympic-white/85156   Could be an idea if anyone is wanting to try something different, rather than just another EADGBE 24/25 inch strat/LP

or this: http://www.thomann.de/gb/steinberger_guitars_synapse_transcale_st_2fpa_tb.htm, A long-scale with a built-in capo, which lets you play normal, baritone or capo'd higher tunings, with active EQ and mixed in piezo to get the sound right - works for things like "here comes the sun". This is a great flexible tool. They have dropped the price

 

btw I have gone the other way too, I have a nice Blueridge Tenor acoustic. Sounds nice (with thinner strings and not tuned to shrillness by over-tensioning the top 2 strings as seems to be the norm)

Sporky

I have three - I do like the extra length to the scale.

randomhandclaps

I've just bought a Hellcat VI (I know it's not a baritone) and am on the lookout for another for baritone.

ToneControl

randomhandclaps said:

I've just bought a Hellcat VI (I know it's not a baritone) and am on the lookout for another for baritone.

I bought 2 of them - I've strung one with a baritone set of strings, got the idea from the musicman one that can be used both ways

Norrland

I love 6 string baritones, they are so fun and easier to play than 8 string guitars. 

StuartMac290

I have two - a National Baritone Tricone and a Danelectro. Absolutely love them, although the neck on the Danelectro is too skinny whilst the National has one like a log

timmypix

I have a PRS SE SVN, which is just about a baritone at 26.5". Not doing anything fancy with it though, it's just a step down dropped tuning and is good for extra tightness on the low G.

Funkfingers

The longer scale length and thicker strings work well for some things and not for others.

I was briefly custodian of this forum's "village bicycle" Harley Benton Mosrite-alike Baritone guitar. I got one song out of it. The Moving H-B, having pointed, moved on to James Oliver. Apparently, he used it on a recording session. If I want to recreate that sound now, I use the Roland VG-99.