Taylor Baritone 8 question

[Earthworm]

Hi,
After many years GASless, I am now jonesing for a Taylor Baritone 8. I would prefer to have the octave 4th string to the right of the D. In other words, when finger picking I want my thumb to land on the D first not the octave.

Is this possible?
Why is it the other way?
and How am I going to sell this to my long-suffering spouse?

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Earthworm

How am I going to sell this to my long-suffering spouse?

Just do whatever you did to buy a 2010 Olson SJ!

[Earthworm]

Play one year full of gigs while working full time? I don't have that kind of get-up-and-go anymore. Of course, the baritone isn't priced in the outer reaches of sanity.

[worshipvertical]

Not sure of how to sell it to the spouse but it is possible. The nut would need to be replaced but otherwise I don't see an issue with it.

Not sure why it is that way. Probably just following the 12 string pattern.

[Earthworm]

Originally Posted by worshipvertical

Not sure of how to sell it to the spouse but it is possible. The nut would need to be replaced but otherwise I don't see an issue with it.

Not sure why it is that way. Probably just following the 12 string pattern.

Thanks. I had the same issue with their 12 strings having the octave string first.

[Earl49]

Earthworm, I played a lot of Taylor 8's in stores when they were introduced before I finally got my hands on a six string baritone 416-LTD. The eight's were fairly common because Taylor was pushing them, but the Baritone 6's were pretty few and far between. (I also played the nine string, which had octaves on the G, B and e strings, like a twelve string without octaves on the there bass strings). You could take a Taylor twelve string guitar and remove strings to experiment, if you haven't played a Baritone 8 before.

I certainly get the concept behind the octaves for the D and G strings -- it helps to brighten up what can be a muddy tone on the middle strings, especially when strummed. But when I want a twelve string kind of sound, I choose a twelve string guitar. I even went as far as asking my dealer to throw in a six string nut (and saddle if they were different) set up for removing those two octave strings. But before I could pull the trigger on that, the LTD came out in mid-2012 and I pounced. It didn't hurt that the 416-LTD was about $1K cheaper than the rosewood Baritone 6 or 8, which is basically an 816 with extra strings.

I also routinely swap the octaves on a twelve string, putting the wound D and G on top (closer to the ceiling) so that my thumb down stroke hits both strings on D and index finger upstroke hits both on G. With the normal twelve string arrangement, the upstrokes with the index finger only hits the wound G string and misses the octave entirely. Sometimes this swap requires a new nut, sometimes some slot filing, and sometimes no change at all. I'm even pondering a Rickenbacker style set-up for my twelve string, where all four wound strings are on top. That would definitely require a new nut.

Hope these rambling thoughts helps you...... I can't help you with convincing the spouse, however.

[Brucebubs]

Here's the Rickenbacker 12-string set up with the octaves under the primary string.

[Earl49]

^^ Yeah, that! Thanks, Brucebubs. For the price of a new nut blank and some time to carve it, I can experiment and see how it works. Now all I need is the time.......

[Wade Hampton]

I have an eight string Larrivee L-03R that a buddy and I converted from a standard six string. I have the Rickenbacker stringing on the two octave courses on the D and G strings because that’s what I prefer. I also have the Rickenbacker stringing on my Seagull 12 string, as well.

That arrangement allows me to decide when to use the octave chime and when to omit it. I find it to be more flexible and thus more musical, at least for the way I play.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Earthworm]

Thanks everyone! Lots to consider.