Baritone Questions

[Rev Mike]

I think my next build will be a 30in scale bari. Any tips from those who have already built one.

 

Wood type for neck?

string gauges?

tuneing?

 

ect,

 

Thanks,

rev

[surffrogg]

wood type= maple or oak with good hardwood fretboard works fine for me
string gauges=use what you would normally us
tuning =tune a 5th lower then you normally would for axample if you normally tune a three string dad tune a baritone aea

[Rev Mike]

Thanks Frogg,
That's about what I was planning on doing...except for using slightly heavier strings...just did wanted to hear from someone who had already built one.

rev

[Mister Tibbs]

I play a 30' baritone normally and am working on building a resonator version. I tune BEAD-F#-B, string gauges .070, 60, 48, 29, 22, 16.

D'addario strings are alright, but no matter what brand you get, if you get a premade package they might not be long enough for your instrument. Most are designed for danelectros with a bridge stop tailpiece, so if you have a gap between your tailpiece and bridge, you might need to order custom strings individually.

[surffrogg]

tibbs i have done several at up to a 32.5 inch scale and have not had a problem with most standard strings reaching...except the cheap ones i got from bez dez they where short even for a tenor

Mister Tibbs said:

I play a 30' baritone normally and am working on building a resonator version. I tune BEAD-F#-B, string gauges .070, 60, 48, 29, 22, 16.

D'addario strings are alright, but no matter what brand you get, if you get a premade package they might not be long enough for your instrument. Most are designed for danelectros with a bridge stop tailpiece, so if you have a gap between your tailpiece and bridge, you might need to order custom strings individually.

[Mister Tibbs]

The one I play is a Fender Jazzmaster with a Dano baritone neck filed down a bit and stuck on. The "Jazzbastard."

I never could find strings long enough for the extra string space behind the bridge, so I mounted the dano bridge right behind the floating jazzmaster bridge, run the strings through that and it works fine. Ain't pretty, but plays well and sounds great.

[rain-air]

Oh, wow, this reminds me of Netherlands avant punk heroes "the Ex" who appeared with a couple of MIJ Jaguar baritones a few years back - one was converted to lefty by reattaching the neck on the back side - somehow it works.

Anyway: I'd like to convert my homemade six-string bass (30", used neck from somebody else's project, beech & rosewood, very stiff without trussrod.) Is there any set of baritone strings using bigger (bass type) ballends?

[Mister Tibbs]

That's funny...The Ex are one of my favorite bands, and I had no idea they play baritones, much less Jag-bastards.

You'll probably have to buy 2 sets of strings if the ferrules for regular baritone strings poke out of the bridge...one regular ("medium" gauge?) and one set of "piccolo" bass strings. Then use 3 from each set.

[Mister Tibbs]

Hey, I found a physics site that can help with box-making issues, to get a bassier sound. I posted it in this other thread:
Resonator Body Materials

[Johnny Lowebow]

I buy Bulk singles and make up my own sets. Biggest guitar strings I've found so far ar.74.