Baritone Guitar to Accommodate Mature Singer?

[michaelm101]

After a 20+ year hiatus, I'm finding a need to capo at the 4 & 5th fret to accommodate the age-related "change" in my vocal range.

Would I benefit from a Baritone guitar in my SOLO gig? Hoping widths are at least 1.8/48MM?

I'm particularly interested in the 8-string baritone to use with an entire repertoire of material.

Thanks in advance!

[Scott of the Sa]

I have a Baritone. It is fun to play especially with a regular tuned guitar. You have access to a whole variety of keys that are lower than standard.
Capo 3rd fret and you have a guitar tuned down two half steps.
I have seen the demos on the 8 string and they sound and look cool.

[The Bard Rocks]

I have a great baritone and I have called it a "reverse capo", enabling one to sing lower and keep the same fingering. I found I did not use it as much as anticipated and consequently have it for sale, but that's after 15 years. Certain songs sound heavenly on it. It would work well for a solo performer, especially someone as in your case.

I can't speak about baritones with extra strings as my experience has only been with 6 stringers..

[Wade Hampton]

Michael, I have a six string baritone, but I think the eight string version is cool. Tune it B to B and you’ve got access to a wonderful lower register.


whm

[L20A]

I own the Guild 8 string Baritone.
I use it for the same reasons as you listed.

Mine lives in different tunings all the way from B to B and up to D to D.
It's at D to D currently.
I used it today for one of my solo assisted living shows.

When I tune mine higher than B to B, I use lighter gauge strings.
In D to D, I'm using standard Medium gauge Martin Retro strings on it.

When I want to go a bit lower, I go with Heavy Gauge D'Addario strings
and tune C# to C#.
I also have a few sets of custom gauge sets that are between Heavy Gauge and Baritone Gauge sets.

The Baritone 8 string can be a very versatile instrument.
I really enjoy mine.

[Slothead56]

I’m about this this close to ordering a Guild 8 string for exactly the purpose you mentioned….

[michaelm101]

Originally Posted by Slothead56

I’m about this this close to ordering a Guild 8 string for exactly the purpose you mentioned….

I'm looking at that one too. What I don't like about all the available reasonably priced 8-string baritones is the on-board electronics. My preference is to add my own to a non-electrified guitar...

Just an FYI, if it's the same as the 70s style, the Guild Jumbo is pretty Jumbo!

I've owned both maple and mahog bodied Jumbos from back then...

[Br1ck]

You know, I know a guy who has gone baritone. It's a Taylor. Everything I dislike about the Taylor tone goes away with his. It is a compelling guitar. But you need to spend for one, just like regular guitars, not created equal.

[michaelm101]

Originally Posted by Slothead56

I’m about this this close to ordering a Guild 8 string for exactly the purpose you mentioned….

I just looked at the strings that are recommended, 16g...OMG???

[815C]

Can you learn to play the chords in a different key that won't require using a capo on your current guitar?

[Duff]

I recently purchased a black Alvadez 8 string cutaway acoustic electric with a great LR Baggs onboard active preamp with element pickup.

I purchased this about 4 months ago online fir $539 new.

This is a 'loud' baritone unplugged. It has great volume. I has an acoustic bass years ago, it looked great but the volume was very low and quiet when not plugged in. So it 'didn't' do what I purchased it for very well at all ... And I sold it. Far too quiet.

I was skeptical about buying a baritone because I thought it too would souls weak in the volume department. On the contrary my solid spruce top, laminated mahagony back baritone sound very loud. I'm happy with the booming volume and it compares to my jumbo acoustic or dread. Excellent volume from my Alvarez 8 string.

I removed the sympathetic 2 strings and I use my Alvarez baritone as a 6 string without any modification to the guitar. Simply switch the strings in the nut slots and at the compensated Bridge. No problem. Lines up perfectly and the string spacing is great for me, no problem. This has a wider fretboard but it does not require learning anything new in terms of string spacing.

I play my baritone almost every day, mostly unamplified. It sounds great. This is a very cool guitar. It sounds super great plugged in. Even thru a good tube amp this baritone sounds super great. And great through the PA.

[drive-south]

Bear in mind if a guitar has 1.75" nut, it will be wider as you go up the neck, so at the 5th fret it will be approx 2". At the second fret it should be right around 1.8". When I play my Larrivee BT03 I always keep a capo handy and use it a lot.

[L20A]

Originally Posted by michaelm101

I just looked at the strings that are recommended, 16g...OMG???

With the longer 27" scale length, the .016 high B string doesn't feel that big.

If you don't want to go that heavy, you can use Heavy Gauge strings and tune the guitar up to C#. That will drop the string down to a .014.

I currently use normal Medium Gauge strings and tune my baritone D to D.
This tuning is great for matching my vocal range.
I still use a capo on some songs though.

[Mobilemike]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

You know, I know a guy who has gone baritone. It's a Taylor. Everything I dislike about the Taylor tone goes away with his. It is a compelling guitar. But you need to spend for one, just like regular guitars, not created equal.

+1
I never liked the Taylor sound but everything that makes me not like their 6 string standard guitars is what makes me love the 8 string Baritone. I have a low voice too and I love the guitar for the same reason you described - it lets me use chord shapes and voicings that would be otherwise out of my range.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by michaelm101

After a 20+ year hiatus, I'm finding a need to capo at the 4 & 5th fret to accommodate the age-related "change" in my vocal range.

Would I benefit from a Baritone guitar in my SOLO gig? ARE THE NECKS AT LEAST 1.8/48MM?

I'm particularly interested in the 8-string baritone to use with an entire repertoire of material.

Thanks in advance!

Michael,
While it may accommodate your vocal changes, the longer neck & wider fret spans may not accommodate your hands.

Go find one and see if it works both ways before wasting time and money. It may be well worth stringing a guitar you own with mediums, tuning down a whole step, and seeing if that fills the bill.

HE