What is a Baritone Guitar?

[pisces7378]

I ran across this guitar: http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?partno=0259400

It is supposed to be a Baritone guitar. What in the hell is that?

And it mentions a Bass IV guitar. What is that?

 

[Light]

I ran across this guitar: http://www.fender.com/products/show.php?partno=0259400

It is supposed to be a Baritone guitar. What in the hell is that?

And it mentions a Bass IV guitar. What is that?

A baritone guitars is typically tuned down a fourth to an A, although some are only tuned down a third to a B. In order to acomidate the lower pitch, they have longer scale lengths, typically between 28-30 inches. They also usually use heavier strings.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
<M.K. Gandhi

 

[Clive Hugh]

The Bass IV is a 6 string bass guitar they brought out in the early 1960's, from memory the first time I saw one was in 1960. They were slightly ahead of their time, vey much like an extended Fender Jaguar.

 

[pisces7378]

How do you play the damn thing? Does it use regular cord fingerings like a standard guitar? Do you even strum it at all? I can't even imagine how it must sound. Does anyone know of a song that uses one of these "Baritone" guitars so that I could listen to it?

Thanks!

 

[Scottgman]

Godsmack uses baritone guitars... at least they did on their first big hit, 'Awake.' I'm not a Godsmack fan, per se, I just remember reading about it when that song was popular. Try to tune your standard guitar down low enough to play that song and you'll understand the need for a baritone guitar.

I'm sure there are lots of other bands that use them. It seems like the modern trend has been "how low can you go."

 

[cornjchob2]

I'm sure there are lots of other bands that use them.

Alice in Chains, Soundgarden--a lot of the acoustic-driven hard rock of the early 90's was either baritone on a baritone guitar, or on a regular guitar tuned to either drop-d or drop-c#. Used right, they're definately great things to have on hand. A good friend of mine has a barry, and it's a gorgeous instrument--you can get sounds out of that thing you wouldn't believe. Always fun to have something to experiment with.

 

[Purge]

I want that Ibanez Mushok baritone with the EMG's. Somebody give me one right now.

 

[AlChuck]

Allan Holdsworth used baritones on a few of his recordings, notably the newly-released Then! (a live recording from 1990) and Wardenclyffe Tower from 1992.

 

[RyanHubris]

The best use of them I've seen is in Desaparcidos.

 

[Doombot]

I want that Ibanez Mushok baritone with the EMG's. Somebody give me one right now.

Don't be stupid Purge. Gibson is putting out a Baritone Les Paul, check that out before you do anything.

What kind of name is Purge anyway?

 

[jfrog]

I want that Ibanez Mushok baritone with the EMG's. Somebody give me one right now.

Your guitar will be arriving shortly. Go sit on the front porch and wait for it!

 

[Thorguitarist]

Baritone Guitar... All i thought of when i saw that was Schecter... Tommy Lee has a baritone so does Seether I believe The neck is longer the strings are heavier, and the tuning is different, it's B/E/A/D/F#/B. Here's the link to the Schecter site...check out there "Sub-Sonic" ones Schecter Site

 

[Purge]

Your guitar will be arriving shortly. Go sit on the front porch and wait for it!

Awww crap...I don't have a porch. I'm hosed. No porch, no guitar, and I have to share a band with that Doombot fucker. Can anything suck more than my life?