Seeking a new baritone guitar - with a happy ending!

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LestratcasterLestratcaster Frets: 1079
edited September 2022 in Guitar
A mate of mine came over to jam some guitar last week. He'd just bought himself a rather nice Jim Root Strat which he kindly let me play. The Fender model, not the Squier. It feels very nice to play, silky smooth neck and the EMG 81/85 combination sounded great. It's a great guitar and now the bastard has me gassing for one.

I'm not a massive Slipknot fan, so don't think I can justify spunking £1500 on a guitar cos Jim Root designed it with Fender. Not gonna lie its a great guitar to play and looks cool but its a lot of money. I've seen the Squier series, the Telecaster is £400 odd new, though could find something less used.

Is there a massive difference between the Mexican made ones and the Squiers? The main one is the pickups, the Squier comes with passives. They're a little muddy and weak from what I've heard from demos. The other complaint is about the neck not feeling nice to play.

If there's not I could possibly get myself a Squier Tele and then do some basic mods like swap out pickups, replace nut (if its not a bone one) and install new tuners. Would be a bit cheaper and still give me a decent sounding guitar? 

Plan is to set it up in a real low tuning (drop a) so I think a 25.5 scale would be ok with 13-62 strings?

Or should I just stop dreaming and get myself a proper baritone?
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Comments

  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1687
    As someone who has ventured down this route, just get a long scale 6 string. Ive had a 26.5 (which is up for sale) and that in B standard is good, in BEADGbB is ok, but my 28 inch in BEAD is a while different ball game.  Ive gone for a 28 inch scale Ibanez RGIB6 with Dimarzio Titans and it sounds awesome. No flubbyiness, nice tension with 12 - 68 strings. The key is the length!
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  • Proper baritones are 27inch scale right?
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  • OffsetOffset Frets: 11304
    I had the Mex JR Tele.  It was crap.  Looked great but really lousy frets, no battery box and a (white) finish that let the red case lining leach into it soon after I bought it.  I got shot.
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  • OffsetOffset Frets: 11304
    P.S.  The Strat is MIA, the Tele MIM.
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  • Offset said:
    P.S.  The Strat is MIA, the Tele MIM.
    Ah I see, thanks for that. Hence why the Strat costs about £250 more?

    I always had that assumption though if you stick an EMG in any shitty piece of wood it'll sound great. So maybe getting a Squier and putting an 81 in the bridge will be enough.
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  • OffsetOffset Frets: 11304
    @Lestratcaster - there are far better, cheaper options if this is the sort of thing you want.  HB for instance :-)
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  • I'm hoping the urge will soon fade as I'm trying not to be tempted by it haha.
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    edited August 2022
    Offset said:
    I had the Mex JR Tele.  It was crap. … I got shot.
    Another short-term owner here. Something about the MIM guitar wasn't to my liking. 

    I'm pretty sure that the MIM JR models use EMG-81/-60 humbuckers. I took advantage of the Quik Connect™ wiring harness try other EMG and Seymour Duncan active pickups. I soon reverted to stock and moved the guitar on.

    Proper baritones are 27inch scale, right?
    There is no hard and fast rule for what is a correct scale length for any given musical application.

    Jetfire said:
    As someone who has ventured down this route, just get a long scale 6 string. 
    It would be impolite to ask how much money you "ventured". IMO, Jetfire's post is a good example of one Fretboarder trying save another a fat wad of money.

    The nearest that I have been into the world of down tuning is a pair of pre-owned Fishman Fluence Tosin Abasi humbuckers. These are about to be installed in an ageing Ibanez RG321MH. Probable tuning, D Standard or, at a push, C#.
    Be seeing you.
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  • OffsetOffset Frets: 11304
    Offset said:
    I had the Mex JR Tele.  It was crap. … I got shot.
    Another short-term owner here. Something about the MIM guitar wasn't to my liking. 

    I'm pretty sure that the MIM JR models use EMG-81/-60 humbuckers. I took advantage of the Quik Connect™ wiring harness try other EMG and Seymour Duncan active pickups. I soon reverted to stock and moved the guitar on.

    Proper baritones are 27inch scale, right?
    There is no hard and fast rule for what is a correct scale length for any given musical application.

    Jetfire said:
    As someone who has ventured down this route, just get a long scale 6 string. 
    It would be impolite to ask how much money you "ventured". IMO, Jetfire's post is a good example of one Fretboarder trying save another a fat wad of money.

    The nearest that I have been into the world of down tuning is a pair of pre-owned Fishman Fluence Tosin Abasi humbuckers. These are about to be installed in an ageing Ibanez RG321MH. Probable tuning, D Standard or, at a push, C#.
    I have a baritone Steinberger Synapse Transcale for all of those EMG, big fret, dropped tuning urges.
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  • Proper baritones are 27inch scale, right?
    There is no hard and fast rule for what is a correct scale length for any given musical application.

    I mean, I usually play 24.75 scale necks as low as drop a# and it just about holds up. I've dropped it to a once or twice but then its starts to get a lil' flubby and messy.
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  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1687

    Jetfire said:
    As someone who has ventured down this route, just get a long scale 6 string. 
    It would be impolite to ask how much money you "ventured". IMO, Jetfire's post is a good example of one Fretboarder trying save another a fat wad of money.

    So, I ventured. 

    £400 for the RGIB6
    Sold the whole EMG set for £100
    Bought titans for £120

    Wiring etc was £60 i think? 

    Jobs a good un. 

    Alot of internet wisdom says that 28 inch + scale is a true baritone but as FF says, there is a grey area. a 7 string, 27 inch scale is a baritone but its only 27 inches. 

    Curve ball thought. 

    Get a body made similar to the JR strat but no bridge drilled for it, buy a long scale neck, put the bridge in the right place and  then finish as you would do any other guitar. 
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  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1687
    Also, if you want to try long scale for cheap, Subzero from Gear4music for a jazz master baritone which has mixed reviews but worth a punt. 
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    Jetfire said:
    how much money you "ventured".
    So, I ventured. 

    £400 for the RGIB6
    Sold the whole EMG set for £100
    Bought titans for £120

    Wiring etc was £60 i think? 

    Job's a good un.  
    I meant your entire journey into the down-tuning rabbit hole. Not just the guitar that brought your experimentation to its logical conclusion.
    Be seeing you.
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  • StevepageStevepage Frets: 3037
    I had the black JR Tele and I loved it. Bought for around £700 around 2010 so shows how much they've gone up now. Personally, £700 would be my limit for one as any more than that, I'd rather modify a cheaper Tele to be similar. They're great guitars but not so unique that you couldn't do something similar for cheaper.
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  • Jetfire said:


    Curve ball thought. 

    Get a body made similar to the JR strat but no bridge drilled for it, buy a long scale neck, put the bridge in the right place and  then finish as you would do any other guitar. 
    Could be an idea, makes it a bit unique and less "cos I love Jim Root" vibe.
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  • Stevepage said:
    I had the black JR Tele and I loved it. Bought for around £700 around 2010 so shows how much they've gone up now. Personally, £700 would be my limit for one as any more than that, I'd rather modify a cheaper Tele to be similar. They're great guitars but not so unique that you couldn't do something similar for cheaper.
    Yeah I saw a used Strat on reverb/ebay for around £800 which isn't bad now you mention. 
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  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1687
    Jetfire said:
    how much money you "ventured".
    So, I ventured. 

    £400 for the RGIB6
    Sold the whole EMG set for £100
    Bought titans for £120

    Wiring etc was £60 i think? 

    Job's a good un.  
    I meant your entire journey into the down-tuning rabbit hole. Not just the guitar that brought your experimentation to its logical conclusion.
    YIt wasnt tha much a rabit hole. I got the 26.5 (which its great for Drop C) but I knew once I tried a 28 inch in a shop, it made sense. ive stuck with it ever since. 
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  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1687
    Stevepage said:
    I had the black JR Tele and I loved it. Bought for around £700 around 2010 so shows how much they've gone up now. Personally, £700 would be my limit for one as any more than that, I'd rather modify a cheaper Tele to be similar. They're great guitars but not so unique that you couldn't do something similar for cheaper.
    Yeah I saw a used Strat on reverb/ebay for around £800 which isn't bad now you mention. 
    For £800, Id go for it.
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  • Jetfire said:
    Stevepage said:
    I had the black JR Tele and I loved it. Bought for around £700 around 2010 so shows how much they've gone up now. Personally, £700 would be my limit for one as any more than that, I'd rather modify a cheaper Tele to be similar. They're great guitars but not so unique that you couldn't do something similar for cheaper.
    Yeah I saw a used Strat on reverb/ebay for around £800 which isn't bad now you mention. 
    For £800, Id go for it.
    Well, £850. And then £30 delivery. Still less than new though.
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  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1687
    In a recent Instagram post, Jim said that the white ones are pretty rare so if it's a white one, get it and sell it on for **MEGA POUNDS**

    Seriously, I wanted JR strat but couldn't be messed dealing with EmGs etc. So went with a blacktop strat which had just come out at the time. Saved £400. The other thing is that the paint on the JR is designed to chip away so I prob a have slightly better (newer?) looking guitar thank would have if I'd had the Root.  That's not a critism or a bad thing, I'd just have wrecked it
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