Baritone Guitars

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neverfoundthetime
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Wed Dec 07, 2016 4:04 pm

I was randomly checking out guitars on YT after Johnny posted about his new Taylor and came across something that had not been on my radar before, Baritone guitars. I was intrigued. Here are a couple. I really like the 8 string Taylor and also what Calum Graham does with his Stonebridge. Stonebridge is really Furch which is a Czech manufacturer like my BSG so I may be checking them out....
What do you all think?





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neverfoundthetime
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Wed Dec 07, 2016 4:21 pm

Found our very own Doug Young on a baritone. Hi Doug, what can you tell us about these guitars? What tunings are you using?
Chris



fjeanmur
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Wed Dec 07, 2016 4:57 pm

Very cool, indeed Chris. I can't say I've every seen one of those guitars, but I sure love the way they sound. Maybe Doug could demonstrate once at the IGC in August. What do you think, Doug?


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neverfoundthetime
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Wed Dec 07, 2016 6:03 pm

Love it when I am answering my own questions!
Hmmm, need to spend more time searching before asking! :laugh:
Thanks Doug!



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neverfoundthetime
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Wed Dec 07, 2016 6:07 pm

I am beginning to think I want one of these....



dennisg
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Wed Dec 07, 2016 6:49 pm

I owned a Martin baritone for about two years, and I've played several others, including Taylors. Here are some random thoughts about baritones:

Pros:

- Gives your playing a different sound
- Makes singing easier in some keys; no need to transpose or capo certain songs
- Lets you stand out in a group of players
- Provides much-needed bottom end to certain songs
- Drop-dead gorgeous when played in the baritone equivalent of drop D (which is drop A, since the guitar is tuned B to B)

Cons:

- At their best when fingerpicked or lightly plucked with a pick; become annoyingly muddy when strummed
- Usually too big to comfortably play sitting down
- Typically expensive
- A niche guitar; you'll likely end up using it far less than you think you will
- Long scale length difficult for some to get used to

Having said that, Taylor is about to release (any day) a new baritone that may address some of these issues. The company's new luthier, Andy Powers, has done wonders with most of the Taylor updates he's designed, and now he's turned his attention to a baritone. I believe it will be called a 326 baritone. The "3" indicates that it's in the 300 series, which is near the bottom of Taylor's price structure, so it should be far more affordable than their previous baritones. The "6" means that it will be made in a Grand Symphony body, which should be far more comfortable to play than the usual jumbo body many baritones are made with.

I'll be playing this guitar in the next couple of days, when my local store gets one in. They've promised to call me the moment it arrives.


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neverfoundthetime
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Thu Dec 08, 2016 4:54 pm

That's great Den, let me know when you have tried it out.... maybe need some video evidence here :-)

Yes, I think you have nailed the characteristics. I think the Taylor 8 string addresses some of those problems nicely.


dougyoung
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Fri Dec 09, 2016 1:21 am

Baritones are fun! I really enjoyed that Taylor Bari-8. I only had it for an AG review, but I considered buying one. It's a very interesting and different experience. The high strings tend to offset the mud you can sometimes get with a normal baritone. And it's not as jangly as a 12-string. Tuning on the Beamer tune is CGCGAD on a normal guitar, but on the bari, tuned down to A, if I recall.

I'd had a number of other bari's. My first was by UK luthier Ralph Bown. Martin Simpson plays (or used to anyway) these. It had a 28.5 scale length that was a bit of a handful. I then got a Lance McCollum with a 27.5 scale length. It was a lot easier to play (same as the Taylor) and also less muddy. I now have a multi-scale bari by Tony Yamamoto. It's 28.5 on the bass side, but only 27.75 on the treble side. I also had a Yamamoto 12-string bari, which was a really crazy beast. I think I have a you tube video of it somewhere. Someone recently talked me out of that unique guitar, so I only have the 1 6 string now

For fingerstyle, baritones work on some things, but are too muddy on others, at least for me. Seems like a great option for singers who can't hit the high notes so many pop singers seem to like! A friend has a Avante bari, and it's very nice, and pretty inexpensive, so that's a good option for someone who wants to check on out without committing to a big purchase when you don't even know if you'll like it.

Pat Metheny has 2 CDs of baritone, BTW, where he tunes it with middle 2 strings an octave higher. Just a 6 string bari, but he does really cool things with that string lineup, and it's a bit like the Taylor Bari-8. Definitely a way to get some different colors.


jayswett
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Fri Dec 09, 2016 5:58 pm

Great info. Thanks all.


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neverfoundthetime
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Fri Dec 09, 2016 6:45 pm

Thanks a lot Doug.... my fav guitar shop, Die Gittare in Winterthur Switzerland has the Taylor Bari 8.... so I will be making a visit asap :-)


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