Baritone Guitar Tuning.

[6810]

WARNING! Non-Bass related content.However, there is an abundance of low-end, nevertheless.

Intro
I was reading Guitar World a while back (sorry for mentioning the G word) and saw an ad for the limited run Schecter 8-string. After recovering from the shock of a guitar with a low F# (and the total coolness of a 30" scale etc), I looked around and found some options. However, on deeper consideration (no money and no credit really is a balm for GAS), I realised as a bassman, I'm not really interested in the upper register of the guitar. Heck, I already have a strat copy, what do I need another pair of high B and E strings for, right?

So, then I remembered an ad for the Parker Fly baritone guitar. After a bit of research, I found some affordable baritones but couldn't shake my infatuation with the low F# (ObZen anyone). I play doom, so guitar that is so far down there suits me and a regular guitar faces real difficulty if you want to string it down to F#.

The Question (your ideas)...
Although several months away, I am intrigued by a few issues related to tuning. First of all, I am aware of string tension/truss rod/scale issues. But I have found that most baritone guitars are at similar if not identical lengths to most 8-stringers. So I figure it's just a matter of putting on the strings which best fit. May require some nut adjustment. Or not. Anyway...

Your thoughts on the above or the following, well welcomed.

1.Would you tune the F# baritone guitar in standard tuning, mimicking a regular guitar?

That is EADGBE -> F#BEAC#F#

or

2. Tune it like a six-string bass (almost as if the top 2 strings of an 8 string were lopped off)?

That is BEADGC -> F#BEADG

Pretty minor stuff, and I suppose I would have to experiment myself. Some chordings whould have to change etc. Just curious about TBers' ideas though!

[jenderfazz]

i would tune it like a guitar, for sure. i'm used to open chords and other such fingerings. but at the same time, i don't know how good open chords and other upper-string chords will sound on an f# baritone, so you might never use them that way.

[Hoover]

First of all, I wouldn't tune it to F#. That's just a bass up a whole step.

But if I had a baritone guitar tuned to B or A, with either a 30" or 28" scale length, I'd tune it like a guitar.

[6810]

Originally Posted by Hoover

First of all, I wouldn't tune it to F#. That's just a bass up a whole step.

Well. it is and it isn't. Perhaps in terms of notes on a staff it is simply bass. However, string length, width and scale all play a part in the sound. Listen to Meshuggah's Obzen for example. The lines between bass and guitar are blurred. That's just about where I want to be, low slung but with a different timbre.

[tplyons]

My baritone acoustic is tuned BEADF#B. I suppose if you were tuning to F# you would keep the relationships the same and tune F#BEAC#F#.

[RDT]

Here's an interesting note on baritone guitars.

Taylor guitars is coming out with a 35 anniversary 8 string baritone acoustic. However, it ain't your Daddy's 8 string. It is basically a 6 string, tuned and set up, for baritone tunings...except the 2nd and 3rd strings are double with octave strings. Standard baritone tuning on this would be: B E A D octave D F# octave F# B.

Personally, I'm really excited to get my mitts on one. There are so many songs out there that out wrote in a specific chord progression, that if you change the key, it don't sound right, bass walks, hammer-ons, etc. As I get older, my voice deepens, and I can't sing the songs as they're originally wrote. I think this will help me in that aspect. There, of course, would be a little bit of a learning curve at first, but I'm willing to give it a go.

I can just imagine how "full and round" a song would be with this guitar added to the mix. Just playing with 1 other guitar and a bassist, you'd cover so much musical ground, it's HAVE to sound good.