Baritone guitar retuning to A to A question

[icuker]

I have a Walden Baritone guitar. I would like to retune it A to A instead of B to B like it is currently. The reason is that I play ukulele and would like to use it with Uke music (it would make it easier to transpose), I guess it would be an octave ukuele at that point.

I tried retuning down a step but the strings are a bit floppy. Any recommendations?

Basically, I'm looking to tighten up the string tension without hurting the neck when going lower in pitch.

Thanks.

[The Bard Rocks]

I think the obvious answer would be to go to a slightly heavier string. In my own case, my guitar will go A to A, just barely, not as fun to play. I find the low A is hard to hear as it is so low.

[StewRacing]

Baritone strings, 16 to 70 should be fine or a set of Heavy Gauge 14-59 could work. I used both on two different baritones I have. My Ovation has a narrow nut so I use 14-62. I swap the 59 for a 62. I tune drop A#.

[fuman]

I have a baritone I tune A-a, and it sounds good with 16-70 or even 14-68, but mine has a 29" scale. I think you have to go with at least a 70 on the bottom with most baritones if you want to drop down to A. I sometimes play mine in drop G.

I would recommend John Pearse 80/20s, which sound great, but they don't last real long. I bought a set of Elixirs but haven't tried them yet. Have fun! Baritone guitars rule.

[dberkowitz]

Originally Posted by StewRacing

Baritone strings, 16 to 70 should be fine or a set of Heavy Gauge 14-59 could work. I used both on two different baritones I have. My Ovation has a narrow nut so I use 14-62. I swap the 59 for a 62. I tune drop A#.

Hard to draw that conclusion without knowing the scale length of his baritone, unless of course you have the same baritone.

What is the scale length of your Walden baritone? From there you can design a set that will work for that tuning. Understand that the shorter your scale length, the harder it is to do an A-A tuning.

[icuker]

I'll check the scale length when I get home tonight.

[icuker]

Checked the specs online. It's a 26 3/4 scale guitar

[Steve DeRosa]

LaBella makes a set with an .080 bottom string - might be just the ticket...

[Mycroft]

What gauge strings are you running on it now?

[icuker]

Must be the Elixer 80/20, sized as 16 - 70 now that I'm looking online at a package.

[Mycroft]

You might try and find someone with calipers to measure. Or you might try a set with .072 low string. Just remember not to tune back up. Or you might find that your scale is simply too short. A 26 3/4" is really a short-scale baritone.

And listen to Berkowitz, who is a small builder and builds fabulous baritones.

[dberkowitz]

You'll have to order a custom set from John Pearse, or order the singles from Just Strings, but start with this:

72w 60w 46w 34w 26w 18p

You may want to try a couple of gauges on either side of these until you get something balanced in tension and feel. These were calculated based on D'Addario's string tension formula and data. The 72 might be light, so perhaps even a 76. These work out to be about 160lbs of tension perhaps a hair more, but the string tension corresponds to a light gauge D'Addario set, string for string, with the exception of the 70 which is well under what a normal light gauge 6th should be, hence the 72 or 76.

-- db

[icuker]

Thanks, Dave, that helps!

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

You might try and find someone with calipers to measure. Or you might try a set with .072 low string. Just remember not to tune back up. Or you might find that your scale is simply too short. A 26 3/4" is really a short-scale baritone.

I agree with Mycroft here: that's a really short scale for a baritone. You're going to need to experiment, possibly for a while, until you hit on the best combination of gauges for that tuning on that guitar.

Mycroft continued:

Originally Posted by Mycroft

And listen to Berkowitz, who is a small builder and builds fabulous baritones.

Once again, I agree completely. David Berkowitz is one of the rare builders who considers the acoustic baritone guitar to be its own instrument, not just a long scale guitar, and thinks it through accordingly. As a result he makes some of the very finest acoustic baritone guitars on the planet.

If I didn't own my McAlister baritone, I'd own a Berkowitz baritone, it's that simple.


Wade Hampton Miller

PS: David Berkowitz may have a one man shop, but strictly speaking he's not actually a "small builder." He's larger than I am, and - I suspect - meaner, as well. I know I'd never deliberately make him angry!

[dberkowitz]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I agree with Mycroft here: that's a really short scale for a baritone. You're going to need to experiment, possibly for a while, until you hit on the best combination of gauges for that tuning on that guitar.

Mycroft continued:



Once again, I agree completely. David Berkowitz is one of the rare builders who considers the acoustic baritone guitar to be its own instrument, not just a long scale guitar, and thinks it through accordingly. As a result he makes some of the very finest acoustic baritone guitars on the planet.

If I didn't own my McAlister baritone, I'd own a Berkowitz baritone, it's that simple.


Wade Hampton Miller

PS: David Berkowitz may have a one man shop, but strictly speaking he's not actually a "small builder." He's larger than I am, and - I suspect - meaner, as well. I know I'd never deliberately make him angry!

Thanks, Wade. Not sure what made you say that, but ok. Working sound has made me both more relaxed and more demanding -- suffering production folks who don't bother to include sound in the budget makes my eyes bulge!