baritone questions

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:54 pm

i was kicking around the idea of turning an extra jagmaster body (courtesy of ROBOG) into a baritone monster of sorts, but don't want to spend a lot of dough.

do i have to buy a new neck, or can i just move the bridge back 4.5" and putting bass VI strings on? are there any specific disadvantages to this?

looks like this guy just moved the bridge back?

i don't want to have to buy a huge conversion neck because i think they look whack with regular sized bodies.

like this one (i think):

opinions? advice? thanks fellers.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:24 am

Just moving the bridge isn't gonna cut it... at least if you want to have any semblance of proper tuning.
Fret spacing is based on the intended scale length, they're at a specific ratio of the total length; this is why bass frets are spaced wider than guitar. With a standard neck, if you lengthen the scale each fret will sound progressively flatter of its intended mark. Basically, you either need a standard baritone neck and move the bridge to wherever it needs to go to make the scale right (probably 28" total), or buy a conversion neck.

The other option is much more difficult, and calculation heavy; move the bridge, keep the neck but defret it and refret it at the right ratios

EDIT - reconsider the Bass VI strings too; Fender's discontinued them, and they'd be long compared to the scale length (extra length required for the floating trem). Of course, you could still use baritone strings, or the Hellcat VI strings from LaBella (they're good AND super cheap i.e. <$5/pk)

Joey · Post by **Joey** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:14 am

I'd be happy with 18 frets, instead of 24.

aen · Post by **aen** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:38 am

You probably just want one of these:

And I can help you wif that.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:03 am

I think not changing the neck would be a recipe for maths-hell. I'd always recommend people get a baritone, they're lovely, but forget Bass VI strings - you'll have far more fun with it tuned A-A or B-B; you still get all that baritone rumble, but can still play chords: below this, they flub out.

rlm2112 · Post by **rlm2112** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:36 am

aen wrote:You probably just want one of these:

And I can help you wif that.

lel

jagsonic · Post by **jagsonic** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:30 am

Yeah! Go for a baritone! If you take a conversion neck or get an other one - it's much fun to play one. Mine is tuned A-a and i use it a lot

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:52 am

^^ Really want one of those!!

Rox · Post by **Rox** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:30 pm

I too have beaten the bush about modding a present guitar into a baritone or a VI . After asking a few people who have built guitars and a pro luthier they're all told me pretty much the most imprtant thing really is a good neck and bridge .
And when I started adding up good parts and some labor stuff I didn't want to attempt well I said to myself " Fuck it . I'll just buy a Hellcat and mod it some" .

The Gretsch baritone for sale is nice . I actually thought of it . But if I bought that , replaced the Bigsby ( looks like the arm busted off) and threw in some nifty pickups ( almost always change pickups. I know it's stupid) I am back in the price range of a new Hellcat .

Guess what I'm saying is there is no such thing as a Cheap Way with it . Unless you can score a used Argus or HarmVI.

As for now I just have one of my rigs tuned drop B with standard string just noodling . Actually pretty fun.

And that 51 pic ? It's a conversion Tele Baritone neck with a modded bridge set back . He prolly didn't even need to do that .

Sparky · Post by **Sparky** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:39 pm

Rox wrote:The Gretsch baritone for sale is nice . I actually thought of it . But if I bought that , replaced the Bigsby ( looks like the arm busted off) and threw in some nifty pickups ( almost always change pickups. I know it's stupid) I am back in the price range of a new Hellcat .

You can just slap an arm in there. He probably took the arm off because using it throws the whole guitar out. Lower string tension = more whammy woes?

jagsonic · Post by **jagsonic** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:48 pm

to get a cheap way: what about the DANELECTRO DEAD ON 67 BARITONE GUITAR?

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:20 pm

Oh shit!

Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice