baritone guitars !!!!

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"La Bamba" by Los Lobos
Danelectro Bari. Excellent. :D
 
Sheryl Crowe's bass player uses a Danelectro baritone, on the song "Redemtion Day," and from what I saw on the DVD that I've seen this performed on, there is no bass in the song. Despite seeing some assertions that there's not much use for baritone guitar in popular music, or that it's use is still experimental, I'd guess that it's not necessarily either of those, but that it's currently being rediscovered, and employed more in other genres outside of country & western and jazz.

Matt
 
one reason why baritones would be harder for some people to use that might be overlooked is that you have to know where the notes are on the fretboard in the different tuning if you want to play a bari in a band with a standard guitar or bass. it would be much harder for those people who like to just use a simple power chord progression with the bass playing the root note, because you couldnt just copy the fret and not know what you're doing.
 
i used to play in a band where we played B-F#-B-E-G#-C#. talk about knocking you the fuck out man. that shit was so deep and low, it was killer.
 
enferno said:
i used to play in a band where we played B-F#-B-E-G#-C#. talk about knocking you the fuck out man. that shit was so deep and low, it was killer.

the real question is, could the audience hear a difference in chords?
 
Echelon said:
the real question is, could the audience hear a difference in chords?

actually it wasn't as crazy as you would have thought.
 
ibanezrocks said:
one reason why baritones would be harder for some people to use that might be overlooked is that you have to know where the notes are on the fretboard in the different tuning if you want to play a bari in a band with a standard guitar or bass. it would be much harder for those people who like to just use a simple power chord progression with the bass playing the root note, because you couldnt just copy the fret and not know what you're doing.


I elegantly side-step this problem by not knowing the notes on a regular guitar either :D


talk about problem solving capacity :D :D :D
 
AlfredB said:
I elegantly side-step this problem by not knowing the notes on a regular guitar either :D


talk about problem solving capacity :D :D :D

WOW! So I'm not the only one! I'm the same way, with keyboards/piano/organ, though. I can sit down and play up a storm, but if someone was to ever stick sheet music in front of me, while playing, it'd likely bring me to a dead stop, since I don't read music.

Matt
 
Unsprung said:
WOW! So I'm not the only one! I'm the same way, with keyboards/piano/organ, though. I can sit down and play up a storm, but if someone was to ever stick sheet music in front of me, while playing, it'd likely bring me to a dead stop, since I don't read music.

Matt
You are not alone... not so long as I am here...

Hold me...
 
AlfredB said:
I elegantly side-step this problem by not knowing the notes on a regular guitar either :D


talk about problem solving capacity :D :D :D

It's not that hard, really. You just have to think in a different key. When the other guitarist is playing in C, you finger the notes and chords as though you're playing in F.
 
Try tuning it to:
CGCFAD
Which is basically D Tuning, with the D String Dropped down to C. It is basically a Drop D, one step down. I keep my Hamer tuned that way, and I love it. It is low and heavy.
 
amra said:
Try tuning it to:
CGCFAD
Which is basically D Tuning, with the D String Dropped down to C. It is basically a Drop D, one step down. I keep my Hamer tuned that way, and I love it. It is low and heavy.

What would "double drop D" be? I know about drop D tuning, but I'd never heard of "double drop D," until a folk guitar player visiting one of my past college classes explained that's where he was tuning to, to play a particular folk song.

Matt
 
I am pretty sure that is where you drop the low E to D, and the high E to D.
It gives you a "drone string" on the high strings. This is mainly used on accoustics. Listen to collective sould, "the world I know", and also the Goo Goo Dolls "iris". I think they both use this tuning.

Found a link to an Iris tab:
http://music.trentadams.ca/category/21/blogid/1

Amra
 
amra said:
I am pretty sure that is where you drop the low E to D, and the high E to D.
It gives you a "drone string" on the high strings. This is mainly used on accoustics. Listen to collective sould, "the world I know", and also the Goo Goo Dolls "iris". I think they both use this tuning.

Amra

Thanks for the explanation, as well as the link, which also explains double drop D tuning. Now that I understand, I'm guessing that double drop D is better suited to finger picking?

Matt
 
The times I have seen it used, it was played with a pick with an emphasis on strong strumming of the bottom strings to let that bottom string "drone" with the other strings.

Here is an example
(not my recording)
]

Amra
 
Last edited:
Very interesting.

I can imagine also, that baritones might be very useful for "sludge" metal, when a player does not want to adapt to the neck of a 7 string.
 
yeah .. imagine SUNN O)) style droney goodness with a couple of baritones dropped way down thru some monstrous (real/old) Oranges!! Think I'll give this a try with the DanElectro sitting at the rehearsal studio.. I have to get new (and real bari strings) ...

do most GC carry "baritone guitar strings" .. just like that? My buddy gave me his baritone - but it had huge "six string bass strings" and not the lower gauge bari strings .. of course, like I said earlier, he had "cranked up" the lowest string to an E (and tuned like a guitar) .. not B like a six string bass.

I just have to get the "correct" strings and then .. whack 'em down for the FLOOR style "sludgefest"
 
I've got an old Series 10 that I turned into a baritone. The B string is a .75(lol I had to drill out the tuning peg) and I put a 59 in the bridge. I used the "quieting the beast" mod. After rewiring it, the guitar sounded pretty decent. Using it clean with the neck single coils really gives you a deep, powerful, clear sound.

My friend has one of the new Ibanez MMM1 baritones. 28" scale, string through, neck through and an oil finish. Yeah, It basicly brings new meaning to the word "beef" :D
As soon as I get some money (or win the loto :p ) I'm going to buy one.
 
Unsprung said:
What would "double drop D" be?
Matt

CGCFAD -> drop D
CGCFAC -> double drop D (1st and 6th string are both a tone below regular)
 
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