Baritone Guitar Tuning Q's

[H2O]

[UPDATE 8/3/17 - Post #8]

Good afternoon,

In anticipation of receipt of my soon-to-be completed Halcyon Baritone (the first to to have been commissioned) I have been doing quite a bit of research into tuning the instrument, but have not been able to locate a whole lot of information so far.

My baritone will sport a 28.5 inch scale (thanks for the advice on that Wade) and be braced to handle B-B standard tuning. However, I typically don't play in standard tuning. My go to is open C (CGCGCE). I also play in open D and open G a fair bit, as well as variations of all 3. Not being well versed in theory, I'm having trouble figuring out what tunings would work/be interesting to try on the baritone.

On a related note, I am planning to use baritone elixer strings initially. Does anyone have suggestions for other strings you've used and been happy with? The options are fairly limited based on my initial searches...

Any other general commentary on baritone's would be most welcomed! In these last weeks leading up to receiving my own, I want to absorb all the information I can on the subject.

Thanks

[Song]

Originally Posted by H2O

Good afternoon,
My go to is open C (CGCGCE) Thanks

Try B F# B F# B D# or A# F A# F A# D

[The Bard Rocks]

It can be played in Open B, Open C, and probably Open D - but I don't see much point in the D as you can get that on any guitar. And all sorts of lower tunings. I will often use mine as a "reverse capo" - when I want to use a fingering that will make a song too high to sing on a regular 6 string, I can use the barry, keep the fingering I want, and sing in an acceptable range.

Mine will accept A - A, but I discovered that the sound of the low A kind of disappears. And I like little more tension on the strings than A - A gives me, so I keep it in B and work from there.

One problem that i have that most won't experience is that I tend to be visual and if the printed music calls for, say a high E, but I am really playing middle B, my voice wants to reach for what I see printed instead of what I hear.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

...Mine will accept A - A, but I discovered that the sound of the low A kind of disappears. And I like little more tension on the strings than A - A gives me, so I keep it in B and work from there...

LaBella makes a PB baritone set that bottoms out at .080, designed for A-A tuning - should be no problem hearing the low A with a 27" or longer scale and a dread or larger body...

[Earl49]

One major point of the baritone is to easily "capo down". You can play lower pitches to better fit your voice, but using familiar shapes and licks, without transposing to a different key. I used my baritone tuned B-b, standard tuning minus five frets for a while. When my left hand began to weaken, I switched to EJ-18 heavy gauge strings (59-14, sometimes swapping out for a 62 bass) for an effective light gauge, and tuned C-c. Now I do the same thing on Taylor 615 jumbo, because even the 27" scale length became an issue (for me). I still like baritones, but my left hand cannot handle them any more.

D'Addario has a great string tension guide and PDF, so you can adjust and figure it all out for yourself. You want to have each string in roughly the same tension range, and the overall tension no greater than medium gauge at E-e tuning, or ~185 pounds total. That should be OK for any modern guitar. For your Open C tuning you would have to adjust down accordingly and figure out which gauge strings are needed for each position.
http://www.daddario.com/dastringtens...0-53f6d4383e1a

[AZ Slacker]

You might want to look at one of these DVD's:

Alternate Guitar Tunings Demystified by Martin Simpson / through Homespun.com

or

Martin Simpson Teaches Alternate Tunings / Alfred Publishing Company

or

Martin Simpson: Making Connections in Open Tunings / www.learnrootsmusic.com

None better.

AZ

[PiousDevil]

John Pearse makes a set of baritone strings designed for open G tuning.

[H2O]

I just want to follow up to this thread as I have now spent a couple of weeks with my Halcyon baritone and have made a few discoveries. I initially found that open A with the intervals of standard open D works fine. I have spent most of my time in that tuning so far. I also attempted to go down to open G (down from A) with the intervals of open C (CGCGCE); I found that the bass string lost clarity tuned down 2 steps from B-B standard so this was a no-go.

Last night I decided to try open A with the intervals of open C. I was a bit nervous tuning up as several of the strings would need to be tuned up a bit above standard B-B that the guitar was designed for (don't wanna lose an eye ya know ). Well, it tuned up just fine and the result is stunning. This guitar really sings in this tuning (AEAEAC#). Please note that I am currently using Elixer baritone strings that the guitar came with by request (I found the longevity aspect appealing).

Thanks for the comments and suggestions everyone; much appreciated.

[Quickstep192]

Do realize that the longer string length and larger gauges results in much higher string tension. I used D'addario string tension pro to match string gauges to special tunings to make sure I was keeping within the tension the guitar was designed for.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

Do realize that the longer string length and larger gauges results in much higher string tension. I used D'addario string tension pro to match string gauges to special tunings to make sure I was keeping within the tension the guitar was designed for.

To be honest I can't figure out any of the tension calculators. I've tried messing around with a few without success.

[fuman]

Congrats on your incoming baritone. John Pearse 80/20 strings are great. I like Elixirs, but have been really impressed by the JP's. They are cheaper, too -- you can get them for $9-10 a set plus shipping at Elderly.

[MrErikJ]

I look forward to hearing it in your crazy Open-A variation. I will try not to laugh when a high-string snaps and severs multiple fingers. No promises.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by H2O

Good afternoon,

In anticipation of receipt of my soon-to-be completed Halcyon Baritone (the first to to have been commissioned) I have been doing quite a bit of research into tuning the instrument, but have not been able to locate a whole lot of information so far.

My baritone will sport a 28.5 inch scale (thanks for the advice on that Wade) and be braced to handle B-B standard tuning. However, I typically don't play in standard tuning. My go to is open C (CGCGCE). I also play in open D and open G a fair bit, as well as variations of all 3. Not being well versed in theory, I'm having trouble figuring out what tunings would work/be interesting to try on the baritone.

On a related note, I am planning to use baritone elixer strings initially. Does anyone have suggestions for other strings you've used and been happy with? The options are fairly limited based on my initial searches...

Any other general commentary on baritone's would be most welcomed! In these last weeks leading up to receiving my own, I want to absorb all the information I can on the subject.

Thanks

I do use Open C on a standard guitar, but I've never tried it on my Baritone (28.4" scale). I usually look to go down a 4th or a 5th, so GDGDGB or FCFCFA, low to high, Open G and F respectively.

I do play a quite a bit in Open D, tuned down. AEAC#EA or GDGBDG, so Open A or G. I've tried Open B at BF#BD#F#B, but I did not like the tension. The tension at the Open A variant feels most like a standard scaled guitar in Open D, given the strings that I use. The Open G leaves the low string a bit floppy. (I use a .068 on the low string. I may try a .070 again sometime, and see how that goes.) I've also tried tuning to the Open G relationships, but these days I'm into Open D. In three different tunings, same relationships: Open D on the standard scale, the Open A (AEAC#EA) on the Baritone, and an Open C variant (CGCEGE) on the old Kay semi-baritone (26.9") squareneck.

Really you have to experiment. The trick with a Baritone, I found, is to base your tuning on what feels good on the outer strings given the gauge you use. I like the .068 low string because it feels good at B, setting up the Standard tuned down to BEADF#B which gives you cowboy chords in first position. I've also tried a .070 and .072.

Ah, strings. Did not like the Martin Cleartones. I do like the Elixer PBs, but their low string only goes down to a .070 or .072. No .068. I do use John Pearse strings a lot. Their Baritone set is nice, I have also taken a light set, moved everything over one string, thrown out the high string and put a single .068 on for the low. (And which also gives you a .016 instead of a .015 high string, which might work better if you want to tune that string down to G instead of A.) Go for a wound 2nd string. I've also got a Weissenborn set, with a .017 high sting and a .068 low, on deck to try. The Beneteau has Andaman Padouk back and sides, and as I generally find with Rosewood family guitars, I usually prefer 80/20s to PBs.

Of course, OMMV.

[gfspencer]

I tune my Martin Pete Seeger 12-string baritone C to C. Pete Seeger tuned in dropped Bb tuning (Bb to C). Martin also recommends B to B tuning.

Have fun with your new baritone.

[Mycroft]

Great. Spent 20 minutes answering the question asked by the OP in a Zombie thread. Why do I bother...