Let's talk baritones.

[Bon Hoga]

Cool, thanks.

So if I was just wanting a guitar that could tune down really well, but just to like a full D or full C, should I go for a baritone, or would I be better off just getting a basic Fender that has a 25.5" scale and tuning down to D?

Does the Blacktop Baritone tune UP well? I see the standard tuning on it is B to B, but I'd only really need to go as low as D or C.

Thanks!

A lot depends on the strings. For D-d I wouldn't bother with a bari, just get some heavy strings and tune down a step. For C you might benefit from longer scale length, but I'm sure C-c would work just fine on a 25.5" Fender.

[neonblack]

C-c works great on my Les Paul and its pretty small.

[aen]

[
So if I was just wanting a guitar that could tune down really well, but just to like a full D or full C, should I go for a baritone, or would I be better off just getting a basic Fender that has a 25.5" scale and tuning down to D?
!

Absoloutely go with a 25.5" scale for D or C. I haven't come up from an open D tuning in 15 years. You just want slightly heavier strings than you would use in standard. There are 50 billion guitars out there for dirt cheap that will handle D or C with no problems. As others have said, you can even go shorter scale for those tunings. My 24" scale Jag has been in aenstandard (dadaae) for a good 5 years as well.

[spacelordmother]

Yup -- I have a 24" scale tuned CGCGAC and although it's a little bit floppy/sloppy it actually works well sonically with the twangy P90 I have in it. Pretty sure I have lights on there too, so heavier strings would alleviate that if desired.

[Pop]

Great! Thanks for all the advice. I figured D or even C wouldn't be too far out of the realm of possibility with a standard scale guitar. I my beloved it a Les Paul with P-90s, but perhaps I could grab one of those old Fender Tele Thinline Deluxes with the P-90s that I've always wanted.

[Chuckchuck]

They're both strung up with heavier strings. Bass VI strings are the heavier of the two (maybe a tad lighter than regular bass strings though).

Usually Bass VIs are tuned E to E and baritones are usually tuned A to A or B to B.

There really aren't any rules about scale. Although Bass VI type instruments are usually 30" and baritones about 28" or so.

I think it's more about how the instrument is set up and how it's intended to be used.

Thanks for explanations. So I need both baritone & bass vi.
Vi is an octave down from guitar & baritone is a 4th or <, right?

[kbit]

I played fungalattack's Fender Baritone Special during our jam and my god is that a wonderful instrument. It felt amazing in my hands, neck profile was super nice, and the alumitones... so clear, very sustain. Mmph.

[Chuckchuck]

How about this 30" scale strat copy, with bass-vi strings
http://www.rondomusic.com/st630eb3ts.html
I think I would enjoy it.

[gnomethrone]

I need advice picking a tuning / string size for this baritone tele I'm putting together. I have a 28.629" DC Kunkle neck I'm going to put on a modern player plus body that's coming in the mail. I'm thinking dropped A or f#. I've played standard fender scale guitars in A before and liked it but never gone lower.
Right now I play a jazzmaster in dropped b or c sharp standard strung with ernie ball "not even slinkys" and really like the string tension. What would be similar at this scale?

[BoatRich]

I've been using a .80 gauge 8-string set in B lately and it's pretty good tension wise

[gnomethrone]

That's gnarly. I thought I wouldn't need that heavy of strings. Are you playing a 30" scale?

[BoatRich]

That's gnarly. I thought I wouldn't need that heavy of strings. Are you playing a 30" scale?

Nah a 26.5" it's on a guitar I set up at work. Wait... I'm dumb, that was the bass vi. I actually used a medium 7 string set.

[doommeow]

By this time next week, by baritone partscaster will be in my cold dead hands.... dropped everything off at the tech yesterday, having the nut built, neck drilled and mounted as we speak. A-A, 28.7", 4-way switching....

[chutneyfarmer]

Any thoughts on the Gretsch Baritone? Thinking about picking one up so I can get my David Lynch on.

Bigsby, black sparkle, and mini humbuckers. Seems like a sweet guitar.

[doommeow]

Any thoughts on the Gretsch Baritone? Thinking about picking one up so I can get my David Lynch on.

Bigsby, black sparkle, and mini humbuckers. Seems like a sweet guitar.

Play it before you buy it. I've shopped for a Grestch twice in past few years - not the baritone - and come away disappointed.