I was enamored of the Taylor baritones for a couple of years before I finally found one that wasn't an eight string. Just a personal quirk, but when I want the twelve string sound, I just play a twelve string. I found the two octave strings to be a distraction more than a benefit. Their six string baritone is basically an 816 with a longer neck on it, so a very nice guitar.
I actually bought a 416-LTD baritone in 2012, and sold it a couple of years ago. My left hand got weaker for a while due to a medical condition, and it just wasn't getting played. The heavy 70-16 strings and 27" scale length just wasn't working for me anymore. I tried everything -- EJ-18 heavy gauge strings tuned to C-c, some hybrid sets, etc. BTW, the new owner uses the EJ-18's (59-14) tuned C-c and just loves it.
But the baritone bug never quite went away. About three months ago I took advantage of the killer deals on the Alvarez ABT-610 that MF was running. I've been pretty happy with that one, and not just "for the price". Somehow the longer 27.8" scale has worked better for my hand. Yes, it's a little harder to play than a 25.5" scale with medium strings, but I often sit with it for 45-60 minutes at a time. No, it isn't quite in the same league with a Taylor baritone, but for under $400 with a JC-1 hard case added it sure gets me most of the way there. Mine could use a little set-up work, but is playable right now.
Hope this helps.......
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