Tenor Guitar/Baritone Guitar

[BigAlBass69]

What is to deal with a tenor guitar or even a baritone guitar? Are these regular guitars on testosterone replacement or are these bass guitars that have been neutered? Are these instruments needed for certain types of music? How are these instruments used? Is there a special way the are played? A special tuning? Special size or shape? Just acoustic?

I am very confused as I see these popping up all over on various websites and seem to be a new thing. Please educate me as I must have just woken up from a 40 year nap

 

[Nebula24]

I've read the tenor was to help banjo players switch to guitar better.

Like the shape/style of some of em. Wish they were short scale basses with the looks.

 

[Roland GR 88]

Both tenors and baritones have been around for decades. Tenors are riding the wave of ukulele popularity right now but are fun and relatively easy to play, especially if you tune one to an open chord or something fun. Baritones are just a longer scale guitar with heavier gauge strings that can be tuned down to B - B, A - A or whatever. They're big and bold sounding if that's your thing. Especially popular with metal bands but Glen Campbell's solos in Galveston and Wichita Lineman were played on one.

 

[Biffa]

Robert Smith of the Cure has been using baritone guitars throughout his career, namely a Fender Bass Six

 

[cdef]

Then we have the piccolo bass, which (maybe) Stanley Clarke invented in the '70s. Tuned an octave higher than a regular bass, it's practically a really long-scale guitar, and intended for soloing.

 

[BigAlBass69]

Can’t black be black and white be and bass guitar be the be all and end all

 

[BigAlBass69]

To clarify why can’t black be black, white be white and bass guitar be the only thing

 

[Persona87]

Because then the world would have no color.

 

[cdef]

To clarify why can’t black be black, white be white and bass guitar be the only thing

People are bound to invent in-between things just out of curiosity. What's wrong with that?

 

[BigAlBass69]

I speak tongue in cheek keemosabe

 

[AGCurry]

I've had three baritone guitars - an Alvarez Yairi acoustic, a Taylor acoustic, and a Danelectro "Hodad" electric.

The acoustic baritone guitar is pretty obscure - its deep timbre makes it useful for a different sonic color. For chording, it's better off finger-picked IMO, but it can be interesting in leads.

The electric baritone was (arguably) first introduced commercially by Danelectro in the late 1950s. You'll hear it all over country and pop records circa 1960, used for the "tic tac" sound - generally reinforcing a simpler double bass line: plectrum, palm muted with lots of reverb. Think "Walking After Midnight" by Patsy Cline. Elvis's "Little Sister" has it. You'll hear it in "Spaghetti Western" movie tunes.

 

[AGCurry]

Then we have the piccolo bass, which (maybe) Stanley Clarke invented in the '70s. Tuned an octave higher than a regular bass, it's practically a really long-scale guitar, and intended for soloing.

That would make it a six-string spanish guitar with a long scale.

 

[bluesblaster]

Both tenors and baritones have been around for decades. Tenors are riding the wave of ukulele popularity right now but are fun and relatively easy to play, especially if you tune one to an open chord or something fun. Baritones are just a longer scale guitar with heavier gauge strings that can be tuned down to B - B, A - A or whatever. They're big and bold sounding if that's your thing. Especially popular with metal bands but Glen Campbell's solos in Galveston and Wichita Lineman were played on one.

Actually the solo in Wichita lineman was played on a bass VI that belonged to Carol Kaye. I believe the bass VI is tuned E-E, Baritone is B-B, and a tenor is a 4 string guitar. A Piccolo bass is just strung ADGC ....AFAIK

 

[cdef]

That would make it a six-string spanish guitar with a long scale.

Yeah, that's what I thought I said... Most have been 4-strings, though. John Patitucci had a 6-string, if I recall.

 

[Jughead6]

Robert Smith of the Cure has been using baritone guitars throughout his career, namely a Fender Bass Six

I would argue a Bass VI is a bass, not a baritone guitar.

 

[cdef]

I would argue a Bass VI is a bass, not a baritone guitar.

You'd be correct, but it can profitably be strung with a lighter set for tuning in, say, B or A.

 

[Tommy V]

i don't care for baritones (the range is too high), but absolutely love my bass vi variants.. i've been seriously considering using them exclusively, and selling off my traditional basses and guitars.... but my situation is a bit different than most, as i don't usually play with a rhythm guitarist.. on the rare occasion that i do, i don't have a problem staying in my assigned zone.

 

[40Hz]

I’ve wanted to like baritone guitar. But in practice I’ve only found a limited number of times I could incorporate it into what I was doing.

The tenor guitar is another story. I first learned about them from a friend who was into British and Celtic folk music where the tenor guitar has a long and respected history. It’s a very pretty sounding instrument that compliments guitar quite nicely. And it can be made to sound almost harp like in some positions.

Here’s a good intro to it:



Somewhat similar to the tenor guitar in sound is a relative newcomer called the G# (as in G-sharp) guitar.

 

[Jughead6]

i don't care for baritones (the range is too high), but absolutely love my bass vi variants.. i've been seriously considering using them exclusively, and selling off my traditional basses and guitars.... but my situation is a bit different than most, as i don't usually play with a rhythm guitarist.. on the rare occasion that i do, i don't have a problem staying in my assigned zone.

Me too. I love all my "big" basses, but if pushed I could happily gig with a Bass VI as my only instrument.

 

[Will_White]

Bass VI tuned in fifths gives the range of a bass and a guitar in one.