the isaac eaton wrote:
B: make my current guitar into a baritone.
Easy peasey. GHS strings .70-11 gauge on a 25.5" scale guitar. Restring, setup, play low.
Im going to copy in the first post of my thread on the subject over at ilovefuzz.com
Ok, so this comes up a lot.
What I have tried for baritone:
Baritone conversion neck on a telecaster
Sounded decent, was a bitch to play. This may be because I wasn't in the know on the neck shapes, radius, and other tech specs when I ordered it, so it felt nothing like the necks I like. It also DRAMATICALLY increased tension, to the point where my standard baritone set (at the time) felt horrible. I was using EB "Not Even Slinkys" (56-12) and tuning to B. Due to the longer scale of these, you can use much lighter strings and tune down to B, as the scale length tightens things up. Warmoth was nice enough to cut my nut for a set of 9s, even though they said it would be cut for a "standard baritone string set" whatever the fuck that is.
Downtuned "full scale" guitars(Tele, strat, jazzmaster)
This is the best option for me. You simply compensate for the lack of tension you would experience with heavier strings. In fact, most of the times I've done this, the tension is so close to a standard tuned guitar, no truss rod adjustment is required.
For years I used the Not Even Slinkys. They worked well enough, obviously you need to reset your intonation after changing to these strings.
In recent years, much bigger strings have been available in my town. I use a GHS set that goes from 70-11. The eleven can flop a bit, but I've never had an issue with sound or performance, just a looser feel than usual. The 70 on the low B really tightens up the lower register, and the feel. I imagine you go down to A fairly comfortably. However, usually you neeed to file out the lower two slots in your nut. This is like a $5 tool, at most, just go slow and steady, checking often so you don't go too deep.
First place: Jazzmaster. The large body really lends itself to the low tuning.
Second Place: Tele custom II
Short scale guitars(jaguars)
I remember having pretty good luck with a vintage jag (69) but the newer models I tried were pretty poo in B. C was just fine. They is shorter scale. This makes perfect sense to me.
The Nay Sayers:
"you can't sound good/intonate/stay in tune with a standard scale guitar tuned to B
All Bullshit. You do need a decent quality guitar, with a certain amount of play in the individual string saddles to intonate these low notes. I've certainly experienced some shitbox guitars that would not intonate (Squier affinity strat, Jagmaster) in B. The Jagmaster wouldnt intonate to anything at all.
"Sounding good" is relative. But I can tell you with a smidge of smug certainty that I sound kickass in B on a tele custom II.
"Stay in tune" Use proper strings. This is the same issue we hear all the time with jags and mustangs. "My fuckin short scael guitar wont stay in tune!" You need proper tension on the strings to stay in tune. Take off your guilded angel hair, and put some guitar strings on there. Shit.
Others who say it can't be done at all, lets translate some math here. A fender Jaguar has a 24" scale, which is a 6% difference from a 25.5" scale strat, tele, or jazzmaster. Would anyone argue that you can't tune a jaguar down to D, or even C, just as you can a full-scale? Probably not, but never underestimate someone's power to argue.
A full scale guitar is
ghasp 6% different than the 27" "real" baritone scale. If math still rings true, with the proper tension on the strings, a 27" and 25.5" scale instrument should be able to tune to the same notes.
And you can trust me. I'm a professional.