Do you have a music related issue about that, or is your concern unrelated to the tone and build quality of an instrument?
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Baritone guitar suggestions
- Thread starter Ripper75
- Start date
Do you have a music related issue about that, or is your concern unrelated to the tone and build quality of an instrument?
A real Baritone with a longer scale is better of course, but restringing your regular guitar can work as well.
After seeing the video below I restrung my mexican strat with a DR DDT 13-65 set and it worked great. I thought I might need a bigger tuner on the low string, or maybe open up the nut slot, but neither were needed. This guy just restrung a mexican tele.
After seeing the video below I restrung my mexican strat with a DR DDT 13-65 set and it worked great. I thought I might need a bigger tuner on the low string, or maybe open up the nut slot, but neither were needed. This guy just restrung a mexican tele.
No I cant, I should have realised this was him from that description and not pressed play. That guitar was too pretty though.
This Squier is a SECRET Weapon! | Fender Squier Baritone Jazzmaster Antigua + Black | Review + Demo
Speak of the devil.........
Speak of the devil.........
I stand partially corrected regarding the above: whilst these 50s to 70s instruments came tuned E2e, there were some that had a shorter scale than 30". @Steven Ayres's Wurlitzer 7771 (mentioned above and shown/described here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), had 27". The Kay K5962 Value Leader 6-string bass was around 25", but, again, came with bass strings and tuned an octave lower than standard Spanish guitar tuning.
Looks like I will be converting a longhorn bass into a baritone, I’ve yet to find a good thread on how to go about this so might post my progress when I get started, as far as I know I just need a 6 string bridge that will fit, drill holes for two more tuning pegs and change the nut
How good of a 'traditional bass tone' does one get with a baritone guitar? Assuming using a pitch shift pedal to drop it on down to the E to E range, and fingers on the strings? Through a regular bass amp.
If I played it that way most of the gig, would I get sick of it? Miss the traditional bass tone too much?
If I played it that way most of the gig, would I get sick of it? Miss the traditional bass tone too much?
The OLP sounded fine when I had one, so no PU changes should be needed and it's quite decent. That said, I have SRC6s which are much nicer and made in Indo. Long story how I ended up with a pair but one is E-E and the other A-A.
The Squier Bass VI is a Yugo.
I also think the 28-30" argument is silly. It's a fret. Both scales can be tuned the same.
Set it up right with larger strings than they all come with (which I'm yet to do) but then it's just a SS bass with 2 extra strings. Do SS players have a bad tone? Because I have them, my E tuned one is getting an active EMG DC&CS set.
I use mine through bass amps. No idea of stage tone as I've DI'd for donkey's years.
Too personal a question to answer.
Not entirely true, baritone guitars will have a scale length between 27" and 30", though it is correct that most baritone guitars will have a scale length of either 27" or 28".
But as an example the Warmoth baritone conversion necks are 28 5/8", the Danelectro baritone guitars and the Gretsch Jet Baritone are very close to a 30" scale length, and Fender have had a couple of baritone guitars on the market as well with a 30" scale length.
As such if you tune a Fender Bass VI type instrument to a baritone tuning and string it accordingly it will effectively function exactly like a 30" scale baritone guitar, regardless of what it was marketed as.
And the other way around, that if you string and tune a baritone guitar like a Fender Bass VI you essentially will jave a Fender Bass VI type instrument, I dare argue even if it doesn't happen to be a 30" scale baritone guitar.
Also I'll dare claim that the Fender Bass VI and similar instruments are kind of a crossover between a bass and guitar, as it while it has a scale length similar to that of a typical short scale bass, it has much tighter guitar like string spacing, and traditionally and typically will be tuned exactly like a guitar, just an octave lower, unlike a regular 6 string bass guitar, and this is not just a matter of superficial numbers and measurements, it does effect functionality too, which is why I think this is a totally valid argument to make.
I guess though that weather you want to classify Fender Bass VI instruments as a bass/guitar crossover instrument type in it's own regard and category, or weather you want to classify it as a full fledged bass guitar is freely up for debate, but baritone guitars indeed can have a 30" scale length for sure, even if 27" or 28" scale baritone guitars are more common.
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Good point comparing to a SS.
I have an older guitar preamp with pitch shifting. I'm gonna use that and try it out with a MIM Strat tuned down. I can switch between an older blackface Bassman 410 ('Guitar Sound') and a Bassman 800 into a neo 410 ('Bass Sound'). Which would be my stage setup assuming this works to my liking.
I like the Danelectro, Gretsch, and especially the Squier (in beautiful Antigua finish!), so I've got some options to pick from going forward. A vintage Silvertone could be nice too, down the road.
Great thread--giving me some interesting ideas and possible post-Covid motivation!
Sure. There's a healthy very SS group here too who can offer suggestions. Many are around the 25.5" IIRC.
View attachment 3770955 I have this one - an Eastwood Sidejack Baritone. I'm sure there are "better" ones, but this one plays and feels fine, and stays in tune. Sounds good, too - I use the 13-72 EB Slinky baritone strings on it. Currently, a right handed DLX model (with a tremelo) will set you back $600 (case is extra). And, by the way - new Danelectros are made in Korea, now. And have been for a while...
I’ve owned three baritones (two Danelectros and a Gretsch Sparkle Jet). Cool guitars but exceptionally limited functionality.
Pay attention to the native tuning (E-E, or Bass VI) or A-A, B-B, C-C. The two former are more common in roots music and spaghetti western, the latter in hard rock. Generally speaking. The Danelectros suffer from tuning stability issues, IME. The Gretsch was more stable.
while I have sold each of these guitars, I keep coming back to wanting a baritone. My next choice is the Eastwood Sidejack. It’s made offshore but I think you’d have trouble finding one that’s not. The MIM Tele Bari is another good choice but good luck finding one within your budget.
I also conceptualize baritones and bass vi as very similar beasts, with a lot of overlap. The Gretsch and Danelectro baritones come in at just a hair under 30" and were originally designed and marketed as basses, and are sold as baritones now just because that is a bit more popular. I also recall a model of Jaguar bass vi recently that was sporting a 28.5" scale - so, yes, the difference between some of these instruments comes down entirely to what strings you choose to put on it.
For my money, I want to throw a set of LaBella flat bass vi strings on the Gretsch hardtail baritone. That's my current bass vi/ baritone dream.
My Bass VI, heavily modified to be more "bass." 30" Scale, .102 strings E-e. It is a very hybrid feel. Tight string spacing like a guitar, low notes like a bass, the string gauge and amp choice give it a really bassy tonality. Duncan 2 band preamp and a repurposed strangle switch to give series wiring options to the M+B and M+N pickup selections. Very killer, but not at all baritone.
My Covid lockdown project from last April. Barry, the Covidcaster. 27" Scale 13-66 strings tuned B-b. Used a Fender Sub Sonic neck on an Eden hardtail Strat body-which screwed together perfectly. Peavey Super Ferrites and some trick wiring that gives parallel, half out of phase as well as series, in phase tones. Also has an onboard mid boost circuit. This is certainly more guitar-y vs the Bass VI. The Super Ferrites are much more big and bold sounding vs the Jag pickups on the Bass VI, but the string choice and tuning give a thinner, more guitar like tone. Even the 27" scale feels much more like a guitar (I typically play 25.5" scale Fender guitars).
My Covid lockdown project from last April. Barry, the Covidcaster. 27" Scale 13-66 strings tuned B-b. Used a Fender Sub Sonic neck on an Eden hardtail Strat body-which screwed together perfectly. Peavey Super Ferrites and some trick wiring that gives parallel, half out of phase as well as series, in phase tones. Also has an onboard mid boost circuit. This is certainly more guitar-y vs the Bass VI. The Super Ferrites are much more big and bold sounding vs the Jag pickups on the Bass VI, but the string choice and tuning give a thinner, more guitar like tone. Even the 27" scale feels much more like a guitar (I typically play 25.5" scale Fender guitars).
Just wondering why - I have been considering these two versions (semi and solid) and am leaning toward the solid because it has humbuckers and the semi doesn't. If it were not so hard to find both to play in a store I would go in person so any advice or insight would be welcome.
I also think the humbuckers would be better than the soapbars. This was my first hollowbody guitar, and I didn't feel like the hollow design added any resonance, acoustic volume, or tone difference. Again, really nice guitar, I just dont think I personally got a lot out of the hollow body.
Thank you - you describe exactly what I was wondering about resonance, acoustic volume, and tone difference. As a jazzer who plays both guitar and bass, I have a semi hollow Schecter 7 string, Godin Jazz Multiac and Epiphone 335 and 339 which are all semi hollow guitars and all of my basses (Gibson, Steinberger, and Ibanez) are solid bodies with great sustain but was suspecting that the PRS 277 might be better with the humbuckers and perhaps have more sustain with a solid body. I have never owned a PRS but the 277 looks like a beautiful instrument with a long enough scale to tune down to a low A standard tuning where I am imagining open strings would be more natural to incorporate. And thinking this is sort of right in-between a guitar and a bass and might be great for solo gigs or other situations where there is not a bass player and also not a regular guitar player. Feels like it may be more like a piano. I know the low A on my 7 string really adds a tremendous amount but is a much larger and heavier guitar than the PRS.
Now I just have to find one - no new ones in stock anywhere and been searching Reverb looking at both semi and solid and you have helped me make the decision to go for solid. Wish I could get one with a PRS piezo in it as well to send one signal to a guitar amp and the other to a PA. Thanks again.
Now I just have to find one - no new ones in stock anywhere and been searching Reverb looking at both semi and solid and you have helped me make the decision to go for solid. Wish I could get one with a PRS piezo in it as well to send one signal to a guitar amp and the other to a PA. Thanks again.
