Let's discuss Baritone guitars and lower tunings

Lew

I've lived in lower tunings for years. My main guitar usually stays in C# (yes I worship at the Iommi altar ;-) My 7 hangs around Bstd but I tune it as a baritone plus a high string (flattening the G to F# and taking the E up a tone to F#) rather than the way you'd traditionally tune a 7 (standard 6 plus a low b). I'm limited to how low I can go 'cause of the 25.5" scale but I'll occasionally go down a tone and drop the A to G but it's not ideal. 

I want to go lower, as low as E if I wanted. So I guess I've gotta buy a baritone or bass VI at some point. Seems like there's an onslaught of guitars available in the £300 - £600 bracket. It's pretty overwhelming. The Eastwood Side Jack is the coolest looking of all the ones I've seen in that price range so far. You never see 'em come up used, though. Just thinking out aloud, really blah blah blah ;-£

svejk

I'm thinking of going down the Digitech Drop route. If it doesn't work, it's a 100 quid. If it does, I get to keep playing the guitars I like (and I won't have to struggle with the extra scale length). Have you tried that, or was it a no go?

ThePrettyDamned

Folk, such as bonomassa, will tell you to buy a bass, but they're rather missing the point - it's a completely different timbre.

@frankus has a bass vi, so hopefully he can chime in

I've played the Eastwood baritone and it was fabby, the bridge was a roller bridge iirc rather than a proper jazzmaster/mustang bridge.

Held tune and sounded nice enough, though didn't like too much gain, but you could probably use a fuzz to get some doomy iommi

Hertz32

Just use heavy as f*ck strings like me, i played around with earnie ball 13-72's but found them a bit floppy in drop A and tight in drop C I also hate EB with a passion and I've already snapped the wound G sting ffs.
I've opted for an Elixr baritone set 12-68 and a single 80 d'Addario NYXL to use as a bottom string. £20 for a set of strings but it should be worth it as I can get months out of elixrs and d'addario, as opposed to 3 weeks with pos EB's

Hertz32

Also worth noting I use a Dean Soltero SL, which is 24 5/8" i think... Lemme find a tape measure!

Lew

@svejk I was aware of it from PedalsAndEffects YouTube but hadn't considered it as anything more than a gimmick. I like that the guitars feel different to each other.

Lew

@ThePrettyDamned exactly. That's good to hear about the Eastwood. There's both a hardtail and trem version and I'd prefer the trem assuming it stays intune :-p think it's the top of the pile at the minute just 'cause it looks so damn good. It has to be black! But with the 30" scale the bass VI might be the more sensible option to go below B?

http://static.weloveshopping.com/shop/music-boulevard/extra/9715264.jpg

@Hertz32 yea, I'm not keen on EB either. Nah, that's not really the vibe I'm aiming for. I've got detuned sludgy deathmachine tones covered elsewhere ;-)

frankus

If I wasn't left handed and if I hadn't had one made by USACG Bass VI I'd go for a Squier, cheap and excellent.

Next time I buy strings when it gets back from Raygun Relics I'm buying La Bella flatwounds.

DarnWeight

I have the Eastwood Sidejack VI, and like it a lot.  Although ostensibly a "proper" VI rather than a baritone, I've currently got mine tuned A-A, but had a bit of a time sourcing a set of baritone strings with enough length to get a suitable number of winds around a few of the tuning posts.  Details are in this thread.  It sounds great stock E-E though, and however it's strung, the hardware and pickups are solid.  Trem works really well, no tuning issues at all.

I picked mine up before the Squier VI's came out...not played one of those, so can't comment/compare, but I'm very happy with the Eastwood.

GSPBASSES

Have you tried a Fan fret guitar, the photo below is my 7 string the scale is 25” going to 27.5”. Its out on loan at the moment but it will be back in two weeks so if your near Eastbourne your more then welcome to try it out or gig it.

                      

It’s not for sale and I’m not taking orders for fan frets so this is not a add for my guitars.

richardhomer

I wouldn't lower myself....

Strat_a_tat_tat

Lew, that black Eastwood is probably the coolest looking Eastwood I've ever seen.

Jetfire

The problem I found with my baritone is using anything with thicker strings makes it sound hollow. Ive had a baritone and a 7 and they have both gone as the tone on both of the irked me. It didn't have the same attack IMHO.

ToneControl

I have quite a few baritones

27 inch is not a big enough difference really (can do D-D), 28.6 or 30 are best
For real best value for used are the the Schecter Hellcat VI
Tune with baritone strings A-A or B-B

My best one I actually bought new for a change, Schecter Hellraiser VI. Amazing - since it has such clearance high up, and has EMG 89s, which can be tapped to get single coil sounds. None of these have been sold to UK shops, so don't wait for a used one
Again, fir a baritone set and run A-A or B-B

ToneControl

other cheap option is the Steinberger Transcale
active EQ is excellent

Be very aware that active EQ becomes more necessary with the long baritones

Bucket

ThePrettyDamned said:

Folk, such as bonomassa, will tell you to buy a bass, but they're rather missing the point - it's a completely different timbre.

This would work better if Bonamassa didn't actually own and regularly use several different baritone guitars.

WezV

GSPBASSES said:

Have you tried a Fan fret guitar, the photo below is my 7 string the scale is 25” going to 27.5”. Its out on loan at the moment but it will be back in two weeks so if your near Eastbourne your more then welcome to try it out or gig it.

i was going to suggest the same thing.    not technically a baritone but the 6-string fanned fret I am finishing up with 25-27" scales works great in drop C, although it also goes up to standard tuning quite comfortably too 

of course, the 26.5-28" 6 string baritone i did make was perfect much lower than that.  If i remember right we went for drop A tuning

littlethoughts

I've heard quite bad things about the Fender blacktop baritone. As in, it's a good guitar in many ways but it is fundamentally poorly designed, and to properly intonate it on the low strings you need to modify the bridge since the travel isn't enough as stock.

stimpsonslostson

Im a Squier VI player, I really enjoy it- the low E is a bit floppy, but as many others will advise, heavier strings will fix that.
There's nothing quite like hitting open chord shapes at the 12th & letting the open roots ring.
With a bit of filth it's possible to do some really sludgy stuff.
Overall it's probably my most versatile instrument.

Fortheloveofguitar

What is the best scale length for Drop C or Drop B tuning?

I've always used my strat for drop c but it's always been too flabby even with heavier strings. I'm quite a hard hitter.

Any advice would be great.

WezV

Fortheloveofguitar said:

What is the best scale length for Drop C or Drop B tuning?

I've always used my strat for drop c but it's always been too flabby even with heavier strings. I'm quite a hard hitter.

Any advice would be great.

fanned fret with 27"+ on the bass side