Baritone Guitars

GreenKnee · Post by **GreenKnee** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 10:23 am

I'm on the hunt for a Baritone guitar, but all I can find is stupid black, super-strat guitars. The Schecter Hellcat looks like my best option, but I don't like the idea of a VI style guitar tuned E-E, I'd rather it be B-B.

I have found a PRS that is alright:

or

The holy grail seems to be discontinued...

Does anybody have any they could recommend?

Jack

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 10:45 am

Getting the obligatory Dano mentions out of the way first: if you can live with your conscience, the Danelectros are grand, but they're filled with bad vibes and ill will, so I'd always advise against them. There are Eastwood baritones, but they're quite spendy for what they are. I'd recommend buying and Allparts or Goldtone telecaster/strat baritone neck and bunging this on a Squier of your choice - did this with a tele recently and it's grand.

GreenKnee · Post by **GreenKnee** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 10:49 am

benecol wrote:Getting the obligatory Dano mentions out of the way first: if you can live with your conscience, the Danelectros are grand, but they're filled with bad vibes and ill will, so I'd always advise against them. There are Eastwood baritones, but they're quite spendy for what they are. I'd recommend buying and Allparts or Goldtone telecaster/strat baritone neck and bunging this on a Squier of your choice - did this with a tele recently and it's grand.

That sounds like an excellent plan! May have to buy another Squier CV Simon Neil strat, and chuck on one of those necks

They're quite pricey though, and out of stock

Thanks for the idea!

Also, the Dano's aren't really my taste, they do look quite cool, but they just don't do it for me.

jagsonic · Post by **jagsonic** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 1:19 pm

Fender jaguar baritone special. Tuned A-a. Sounds very heavy, but can also sound bass-like. But i don't use it very much, so i'm thinking about to sell it...

aen · Post by **aen** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:10 pm

TO ME.

JK. Out of money.

I played that gray PRS a while back, it's actually pretty nice. I've enojyed a number of baritones over the years, but in the end my favorite is The Beast

25.5" scale Squier tele custom II, tuned A,E,A,A with .70-.15 Big strings make the tension familiar, if a little loose. Standard scale makes it really easy to play. I went back to this in my Heavy Psych band because it's so much easier to get intentional feedback, compared to

This blacktop Jazzmaster with a conversion neck. The tension is greater, and the sound is a bit "tighter" this would be the one to use for more delicate picking and single string stuff. I use it in my doom metal project, as my style is much slower and more deliberate in that. This one sounds more like a bass than the Beast.

Gretsch baritone. can be tuned E-e. Never really got attached to this one. I had it set up D-e, A-a, but the Beast beat it out. Pickups are really quiet, never took the time/effort/cash to upgrade the pickups. The neck is very wide compared to guitars, or even conversion necks.

I've played a few of those Jaguar Special Baritone Bass Vi Limited Edition Custom Whatever guitars. And they are fuckng amazing, really the best of all worlds in baritone terms. I dont think it would work worth a shit for E-e, as it is EXTREMELY short for bass.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 3:14 pm

Also maybe worth mentioning - I got all excited about tuning down to E-E, which most of these stated are capable of, but it's not half as much fun as tuning A-A, B-B or C-C as you can't really play chords anymore.

aen · Post by **aen** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 3:52 pm

On my jazz bass chords sound pretty shit (except for octaves) up until about B on the low strang.

finboy · Post by **finboy** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:01 pm

check out rondo's offerings, i know they do a LP in 27" scale.

i have an eastwood baritone sidejack, they look cool but the finish isn't great (lots of yellow in the clear coat) and the electronics could stand to be replaced. it is 28.5 scale, but comes with tiny strings. i plan on swapping the trem, getting some cheap replacement pick ups, and then setting it up with some beefy strings that can handle A to a

cur · Post by **cur** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:33 pm

I remember this from rondo

Agile Argus 630 Toast Black Extended Scale Guitar

30" Scale 6 String Guitar By Customer Request !
Solid alder body and a beautiful maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and 22 frets which helps deliver excellent tone and sustain
The design of the neck and adjustable roller bridge provide excellent action
Two dual coil (humbucker) toaster pickups with 3 way selector with 1 vol and 2 tone knobs.
Trus-rod adjustable neck, fully adjustable bridge and non-locking tuners
Overall length: 42"
Width at its widest point: 14 1/2"
Width of the neck at the nut: 1 3/4"; at the 20 fret: 2 1/4"
Thickness of the neck is 13/16" at the nut and 15/16" at the 12th fret
Setup to intonate with 24 34 44 56 72 84 gauge strings

aen · Post by **aen** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:43 pm

Don't really get why manufacturers think they should put light gauge strings on a SHORTSCALE INSTRUMENT.

moguitars · Post by **moguitars** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:23 pm

Anyone try the XOX baritone designed by Billy Sheehan called the BillyTone? From the demos, the tonal range seems stunning, from jazz to metal.

Here is Billy's rambling explanation of it.

http://youtu.be/1vxJqtRN7rk

George · Post by **George** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:48 pm

moguitars wrote:Anyone try the XOX baritone designed by Billy Sheehan called the BillyTone? From the demos, the tonal range seems stunning, from jazz to metal.

Here is Billy's rambling explanation of it.

http://youtu.be/1vxJqtRN7rk

Well, I'm sure it's technically a very proficient guitar (I can't glean such information as it wasn't played in the video), but:

- It's $5000
- It looks like ass - though I concede that beauty is in the eye of the beholder
- My hunch is that you are probably involved with Xox guitars somehow and pushing a product
- It's $5000

moguitars · Post by **moguitars** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:03 pm

Ouch!!!

Nope, not involved with XOX. I've just seen them a couple times and I've been a big fan of Billy since his Talas days in the mid '80s, so it seemed like a good place to ask about it.

Wow man, this is a tough bar (or pub) to hang out in...

George wrote:
moguitars wrote:Anyone try the XOX baritone designed by Billy Sheehan called the BillyTone? From the demos, the tonal range seems stunning, from jazz to metal.

Here is Billy's rambling explanation of it.

http://youtu.be/1vxJqtRN7rk
Well, I'm sure it's technically a very proficient guitar (I can't glean such information as it wasn't played in the video), but:

- It's $5000
- It looks like ass - though I concede that beauty is in the eye of the beholder
- My hunch is that you are probably involved with Xox guitars somehow and pushing a product
- It's $5000

George · Post by **George** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:07 pm

Sorry, I didn't mean to bite and I take back what I said about you being a pusher. I do stand by those things I said in that it looks a bit silly and expensive(!) though.

GreenKnee · Post by **GreenKnee** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:12 pm

moguitars wrote:Anyone try the XOX baritone designed by Billy Sheehan called the BillyTone? From the demos, the tonal range seems stunning, from jazz to metal.

Here is Billy's rambling explanation of it.

http://youtu.be/1vxJqtRN7rk

That thing looks vile haha.

I think I'm going to go with the PRS for now, see what it's like, and then at a later date, I may butcher a guitar to put on a baritone neck.

I do not get on with humbuckers very well though, are there humbucker sized single coils, just as there are single coil sized humbuckers?

Jack

Rox · Post by **Rox** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:37 pm

IMO the best Baritone for the money new would be that Rondo Agile semi hollow baritone . Only flaw I saw on it was the cheap plastic nut . Easy fix . There's a guy who posted a bunch of Youtubes on it . Sounds proper .

The PRS Mushok is a good player . Nothing really wrong with it . Maybe for me the colors but that's a frivolous opinion .

My personal favorites are the Hellcats . The worst thing about Hellcats those is frickin finding one . They're out there but still a bitch to find . The Ultra VIs are even harder. Going online is a whole other story.

The Jag baritones ( and I'll prolly get bashed for saying it ) are hit or miss. I've played 3 . 2 with the single coils and one of the HB ones . Didn't care for the HB one and the 2 single coiled ones sounded and played different . And the same guitar.. Was odd. That one you might want to play yourself before you buy if ever interested . But the Single Coil ones were a lil pricy .

I've been hunting for about a year for both a 12 string and a baritone . Been trying out A LOT of equipment . And if you wanna stay under 800$US that's about it .

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:39 pm

GreenKnee wrote:
I do not get on with humbuckers very well though, are there humbucker sized single coils, just as there are single coil sized humbuckers?

Dream 90's and Mean 90's.

moguitars · Post by **moguitars** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:39 pm

There are Split Single Coils that are the size of humbuckers. My favorites are Lindy Fralins, but I've never tried them on a baritone.

GreenKnee wrote:
moguitars wrote:Anyone try the XOX baritone designed by Billy Sheehan called the BillyTone? From the demos, the tonal range seems stunning, from jazz to metal.

Here is Billy's rambling explanation of it.

http://youtu.be/1vxJqtRN7rk
That thing looks vile haha.

I think I'm going to go with the PRS for now, see what it's like, and then at a later date, I may butcher a guitar to put on a baritone neck.

I do not get on with humbuckers very well though, are there humbucker sized single coils, just as there are single coil sized humbuckers?

Jack

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:17 pm

Rox wrote:My personal favorites are the Hellcats . The worst thing about Hellcats those is frickin finding one . They're out there but still a bitch to find . The Ultra VIs are even harder. Going online is a whole other story.

Yeah, I got my Hellcat and Ultra online... no Schecter dealers anywhere close to me. They're solidly playing instruments with mildly ho-hum Duncan Design pickups... if ya got one, you might consider upgrading them, though they are mini-humbuckers, so finding good, same-size replacements isn't easy. The Hellcat would be much easier to mod than the Ultra, though, so you might want to keep that in mind if you want one. The Ultra's lack of pickguard means that fitting new pickups as singles or full humbuckers will require some body work, whereas the Hellcat would just need a new pickguard or the pickguard cut (and maybe expanding the route a little if you go full size).

They are basses, though, tuned in the bass register. I haven't tried tuning up to a baritone tuning on either model. I've been thinking of getting some lighter strings and tuning the Hellcat as a baritone... but haven't yet.

GreenKnee · Post by **GreenKnee** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:54 pm

Ok,

So it looks like I'm getting myself a Jaguar Baritone HH if all goes well

Im just wondering if anyone knows if there are after market pick guards available for these? I'll be swapping the HBs for a couple of AVRI Jag pickups I have around, so I'm after a guard that will accommodate them

Jack