If you search for "baritone" you'll find pages of conversations about baritone guitars. But here's something I hadn't seen before. It looks really interesting. A Gretsch Jet Baritone guitar, with Bigsby.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gretsch-guitars-g5265-jet-baritone-electric-guitar

This looks almost perfect. A Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI Baritone with offset-style vibrato. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/fender-pawn-shop-bass-vi-electric-baritone-guitar

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Last edited: May 19, 2013 08:21:54

Eastwood has some options, including a Sidejack Baritone and a Sidejack Bass VI.

THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.

www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal

I think those Blacktops use conversion necks. If that's confirmed you could buy just the neck from eBay and put it on the body of your choice.

Danelectro has issued baritone versions of more or less all their designs at some point or other. That would be the cheapest option I think. But no trem...

Rondo music usually have a few baritones (offsets, thinlines, LPs and possibly others) on their online catalog. Look for the 627 code (6 strings, 27" scale I suppose). They are very cheap, not sure about quality. I remember people on SG101 saying the cheaper, normal scale SX Liquids from Rondo were ok.

Also, you'll want to pay attention to scale depending on what tuning you want to use. Bass VIs are 30" scale which allows an E to E tuning. Danos are 28,75" (I think) which should be ok for A to A or at least B to B. The blacktop Tele is 27" and I'm not sure you can comfortably tune them lower than C to C, maybe B to B as well?

Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.

Last edited: May 20, 2013 11:34:16

One suggestion, get something that can be set up with regular, albeit heavier guitar strings. The Baritone gauges while sounding tradition can limit the use of the instrument.
We build these for a lot of studio players who still want to be able to play "normal" lead guitar lines but have the luxury of low tunings and a vibrato.
Probably more expensive than most people want to spend but you get the idea in this video:
O.K. for some reason the video link wants to take you to another demo video (Jaguar Pickups) of ours so if this doesn't work and you have a minute check out the video demo we made called Alto Fullerton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_DxlKag-CI

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic

CrazyAces wrote:

One suggestion, get something that can be set up with regular, albeit heavier guitar strings. The Baritone gauges while sounding tradition can limit the use of the instrument.
We build these for a lot of studio players who still want to be able to play "normal" lead guitar lines but have the luxury of low tunings and a vibrato.
Probably more expensive than most people want to spend but you get the idea in this video:
O.K. for some reason the video link wants to take you to another demo video (Jaguar Pickups) of ours so if this doesn't work and you have a minute check out the video demo we made called Alto Fullerton.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_DxlKag-CI

B to B? I ask because you know how it is. I can really use a C below low E now, but what will I need later? And the Fullerton sounds terrific. Why'd you call it an Alto?

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Last edited: May 20, 2013 12:08:05

CrazyAces wrote:

B to B, yes sir. I know one guy who tunes his to C
We called it an Alto because of the diversity it offers, being a little more guitar like with the .012 - .054 D'Addario EXL 145's with an unwound .020 G
And, well, we just didn't want to call it a Bari because here in Nashville people think big strings and limited use when they think Bari.
FWIW, The Eastwood Bass VI is very cool but sounds more like a bass. Oscar, our bass player uses one and we're astounded at how full and bass-like it is.
There Bari's would be a better choice for a guitar player....UNLESS he or she wants a bass as well

I already have a bass. That isn't the tone I want to hear when I'm playing my guitar and want to keep playing down from low E into the next octave. So, yeah, your guitar sounds perfect. I'm kinda thinking either the Tele or Pawn Shop VI Baritone would get me what I want, depending on how low I want to go.

The quest really never ends, does it?

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Last edited: May 20, 2013 12:33:36

The fender bass vi seems like overkill to me, I'd like something that's closer to a guitar.

Danos, tele and Eastwood seem like the best choices. Is it that simple to convert a tele to baritone? Just a longer scale neck?

From the youtube videos I find Eastwood's P90s to be too dark and mellow sounding. I much more prefer the lipstick sound, next comes the Gretsch.

https://zakandthekrakens.bandcamp.com/
https://www.dirtyfuse.com

RaistMagus wrote:

Is it that simple to convert a tele to baritone? Just a longer scale neck?

Yes, if said neck is a conversion neck, i.e. it has been made to adapt to a body with normal (25.5") scale bridge placement.

I'm pretty sure the Blacktop tele neck is a conversion neck for 27" scale bari scale (better check that though!). Warmoth also make a 28,75" scale conversion neck. So yes, you should be able to use a normal 25.5" scale body with either of those without having to move the bridge.

EDIT: look here.

Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.

Last edited: May 20, 2013 13:07:32

Not a terrible idea at all but you might want to change that humbucker out for something clearer for cool bari tones.

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic

For something like that....hard to beat those GFS Surf 90's.
Keep things in a good cost bracket but good sound.

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic