Alvarez Baritone at a blowout price at Musician's Fiend

[Wade Hampton]

First, AZ wrote:

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

You know I have been thinking about one of these for a while don't you?

Evil enabler you are. It's getting old Wade. Really. I mean, I still have that Larrivee Parlor from the first run way back in the RMMGA days.

But 3 bills... Still have to get a case but still, and I like the shadeburst.

I like that finish, too. The Danelectro baritone I bought almost twenty years ago had a similar finish, and I think it's pretty cool.

Then Flip wrote:

Originally Posted by Flipguitar_pro

Thanks for the tip! Ordered!

Never played one before but can't wait to try!

Well, then you might want hire some security before you play it in public, because attractive members of the opposite gender will be seized by an irresistible impulse to fling their undergarments at you the minute you do...sure, it SOUNDS fun now, but it won't be after the twentieth time it happens.

It has something to do with those lower registers you're playing in, I reckon, but none of us know for certain. Top research scientists from the CDC are working on the problem now....

Then AZ concluded:

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

I also succumbed to Wade's machinations.

Not just mine - my evil co-conspirators in the musical-industrial-acoustic-baritone-guitar complex contributed a great deal to the mind control efforts we orchestrated.

Have fun with your new acquisitions! If your experiences are anything like mine, it'll take you anywhere from six months to a year to figure out how best to use it, but getting used to my McAlister baritone was one of the most enjoyable R&D periods I've ever had.


Wade Hampton Miller

[bmish]

Got one on it's way! Don't even know much about Baritones.... but it sounds fun to me for that price. Thanks!

[s2y]

Originally Posted by L20A

With low string tension and a 1 13/16th "nut the Alvarez Baritone is actually quite easy to play.
Some people think that the string spacing is too tight but I like it.
My action is low. Just at the point of buzz when played hard.
I installed a pickup in mine for when I need more volume.
I have only used the pickup once.
This thing is a lot louder than I expected.

Mine is built by Kronbauer and 28.6" scale. The action is reasonable. I can't tell if the strings are stiffer or higher in tension. Between that and increased scale length my small hands seem to get a workout. Unless I know a guy has big hands, not sure if I'd recommend a baritone to a beginner.

[Mortimor]

Originally Posted by s2y

Perhaps. Also a slight risk if your technique isn't up to par. The action tends to be a tad higher and fret spacing is wider due to the longer scale length. I feel like I have to be a lot more mindful of my fretting technique when I play mine since I have very small hands.

Originally Posted by s2y

Mine is built by Kronbauer and 28.6" scale. The action is reasonable. I can't tell if the strings are stiffer or higher in tension. Between that and increased scale length my small hands seem to get a workout. Unless I know a guy has big hands, not sure if I'd recommend a baritone to a beginner.

Thank you for the advice. Even though I love the sound, I passed on this deal. At this point in the journey, I think it is best to stick to basics. I can easily tell the difference between my Ibanez with a 24.9" scale length and my Yamaha with a 25.6" scale length. Throwing something with an almost 28" scale length into the mix would just complicate matters. Maybe in a year or two...

I hope to see some nice new guitar day posts!

[Brian's Twin]

I succumbed too. I love playing bass and often switch back and forth during the jam groups I run, so curious if this will allow me to reduce my gear hauling load. It may also by necessity improve my on-the-fly transposition skills.

Can somebody post a link to the correct case?

[L20A]

I got my case with the guitar.
It's an Alvarez case. Tweed cover. Nice looking case.
I think it was about $90.00.

[Frogstar]

Originally Posted by Brian's Twin

I succumbed too. I love playing bass and often switch back and forth during the jam groups I run, so curious if this will allow me to reduce my gear hauling load. It may also by necessity improve my on-the-fly transposition skills.

Can somebody post a link to the correct case?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...ic-guitar-case
Some people seem to think it's a bit snug, but it appears to be the intended case for it.

[JMFingerstyle]

For a gig bag, this one from Levy's Leathers fits the ABT60 perfectly. Street price is around $45.

http://www.levysleathers.com/shop/economy-em20j/

[L20A]

String suggestion for a baritone.
When I first started to play my baritone, I noticed that the second [plain steel] was a bit hard to fret.

I saw some suggestions about trading that string out with a wound .022 string.
I gave it a try and liked the feel.
It was softer and easier to fret.

That was a few years ago. Now that I have been playing the baritone every week for a few years, I no longer feel the need to trade the strings.

My string choice is Martin Lifespan strings. Just changed them for a new set yesterday. The old set was a year old and still sounded good but because of some talk about using lighter string sets, I tried a set of regular heavy gauge strings.
After replacing the low B string, I saw that this was not going to work for me.
The string tension at B to B was very loose and sloppy.
Very little string tension. Not enough to be playable at B to B.
If you want to try lighter strings on a baritone plan to tune the guitar C to C or D to D.

I use my baritone in my band and it is a must to keep the guitar tuned B to B for me to be able to play in keys that allow me to use the baritone in either open or capoed up to the third fret.
This lets me play G chord position, and D chord position, in a lot of keys.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by Frogstar

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...ic-guitar-case
Some people seem to think it's a bit snug, but it appears to be the intended case for it.

That's the case I ordered. Will happily report on the fit when I have both the case and guitar in hand.

[TheJackal]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

That's the case I ordered. Will happily report on the fit when I have both the case and guitar in hand.

It's a nice case and fine fit for the Alvarez Bari. I've had mine for about a year, it stays out on a stand and always brings me a grin. It will change your playing style when you play it (don't worry, it won't mess up your other playing).

Great buy and I really like the burst finish. Mine is plain looking by contrast. Regardless of looks, these are a lot of guitar for the money.

[Brian's Twin]

Originally Posted by Frogstar

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...ic-guitar-case
Some people seem to think it's a bit snug, but it appears to be the intended case for it.

Thanks for that. My searches kept coming back to this case, but nowhere on any site (including Alvarez's) could I find confirmation that this would fit the bari. Looks like it will arrive tomorrow!

[s2y]

Originally Posted by Mortimor

Thank you for the advice. Even though I love the sound, I passed on this deal. At this point in the journey, I think it is best to stick to basics. I can easily tell the difference between my Ibanez with a 24.9" scale length and my Yamaha with a 25.6" scale length. Throwing something with an almost 28" scale length into the mix would just complicate matters. Maybe in a year or two...

Something worth having in the long run once your technique is up to par. Bass is obviously longer. I have also known guys with bad technique who have done damage to their hands. A good setup and good technique will go a long way.

[Frogstar]

Looks like right now, if you order the Alvarez JC1 case from Guitar Center, you can use the coupon code save25 to take 25% off the price, bringing it down to $67.49 (plus tax for most of us, I imagine).

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by Frogstar

Looks like right now, if you order the Alvarez JC1 case from Guitar Center, you can use the coupon code save25 to take 25% off the price, bringing it down to $67.49 (plus tax for most of us, I imagine).

Good Find.

Not worth the effort of returning the one I ordered from MF and getting it from GC just to save $17, but if anyone ordered one without adding the case this would certainly be the way to go.