Best baritone you ever played

[M Sarad]

After my SCGC D was refretted, Santa Cruz put on a set of Medium Tension Parabolic Strings. Due to impending age induced loss of grip strength, I tuned it down to Baritone Standard time with the low E extended to C. Sounded great and played more easily.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Teleplucker

It is a lot of fun to hear how a baritone guitar can introduce a new tonality to a finger style arrangement, and it's also cool to see what happens vocally when you use it as a "reverse capo".

Yeah, the “reverse capo” aspect is very useful. There are some songs like “So Happy Together” that I can play and sing in the original key if I’m in good voice and completely warmed up, but it’s a stretch. The Turtles’ recording was in A minor. I can also play it in G minor on a standard 6 string, but the riff lays out so nicely in A it’s kind of a shame to play the guitar part in a different chord voicing.

With my baritone tuned B to B, I put a capo on the third fret, and the problem is solved: I sing it in G minor but use the original A minor fingerings.

At church, there are a lot of hymns in the Episcopal Hymnal in keys like Bb and Eb. Instead of capoing at the third fret on a standard 6 string and using G formation for Bb and C formation for Eb, with the baritone I capo at the third fret and play in C formation for Bb, and capo 1 to play Eb in G formation.

It’s just a richer sound that produces fuller-sounding chords than those midrangey voicings you get capoing a standard 6 string at the third fret.


whm

[Teleplucker]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Yeah, the “reverse capo” aspect is very useful. There are some songs like “So Happy Together” that I can play and sing in the original key if I’m in good voice and completely warmed up, but it’s a stretch. The Turtles’ recording was in A minor. I can also play it in G minor on a standard 6 string, but the riff lays out so nicely in A it’s kind of a shame to play the guitar part in a different chord voicing.

With my baritone tuned B to B, I put a capo on the third fret, and the problem is solved: I sing it in G minor but use the original A minor fingerings.

At church, there are a lot of hymns in the Episcopal Hymnal in keys like Bb and Eb. Instead of capoing at the third fret on a standard 6 string and using G formation for Bb and C formation for Eb, with the baritone I capo at the third fret and play in C formation for Bb, and capo 1 to play Eb in G formation.

It’s just a richer sound that produces fuller-sounding chords than those midrangey voicings you get capoing a standard 6 string at the third fret.


whm

From one Episcopalian to another, " the lord be with you"

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by lppier

Hi, I’m in the market for a baritone guitar , I play fingerstyle , with a bit of percussion.
What was the best one you ever played?

"Best" is one of those concepts that is dependent on the individuals knowledge, experience and aims, but also subject to the vagarities of the memories ear.

I've probably played more Baritones than the average bear has. The one that sparked my interest was having played Wade Hampton Miller's Sitka/Koa McAlister Baritone, back when I was still a resident of Los Anchorage. Deep, low and complex, yet with great definition. I had no idea of how to play it, being more of a cowboy chord guy at the time. But I know that I liked it, and it became a sort of bellwether for any Baritone that I played afterward. It also inspired me to order my own McAlister (not a Baritone). I've played 4-5 of Roy's Baritones since, and they all had that sense of deep low end, complexity and definition in common. And the good ones have a very piano-like complexity to the voice. That colors my critique of many Baritones, that they may be deep, but ill-defined. I liken them to the rolling automotive boomboxes rolling through your neighborhood at 3 AM: big, huge, deep bass with no definition or character to it. Sort of a big, flabby, "blah" all over the place. Yeah, its got low end, but would you take it home to meet your mother?

I likely would have a McAlister but for Wade's aforementioned Beneteau Baritone, that he suckerpunched me with. Built with European Spruce over Andaman Padouk, which also has that deep, low, complex yet well defined characteristic. While in the Rosewood neighborhood, sonically, it is also has a different voice than any other Rosewood guitar that I've played, including Rosewood-backed Baritones. It is also a great fingerpicker, as that it what it was designed to be, as it was originally the Baritone built for the great Don Ross, and was his road guitar for a number of years. And it shows...

In between I made a habit of trying to play every Baritone that crossed my path. And while not exactly common, I live in a town with a lot of very, very good guitar stores. So over the years I played Baritones built by Goodall and Santa Cruz. National Resonator Baritones. Very nice examples built by D.L Noble out of Tri-cities. "Ed, jr." built by Lance McCollum with Padouk from the same tree that Lance had built "Ed," his personal Baritone that is on the Dream Guitars website, and belongs to a guy who I know down in Portland. A 26.75" scale Stella inspired 12-string by Franklin. A Brook Baritone, from a different guy from Portland. I've probably played a dozen Baritones by Vacouver BC luthier David Webber, as one of my best friends here was a dealer who moved about 1/3rd of David's annual output. That was interesting because I had the chance to play instruments all built with the same Small Jumbo j-185 type body, but with scales from 27" to 29" and with backs of Rosewood, Mahogany, Cocobolo, Koa and Walnut. A 7-string fan-fret Baritone built by Edwinson Guitars, when Steve still lived here, was a fabulous instrument. Larrivees, Taylors.

I think that someone asked about a Collings Bartone. Had a look at their website, and it seems to be a fairly new model. Dusty Strings hasn't had any yet, but I'll bet that they will as they move a lot of Collings.

As you move up the food chain, the guitars seem to increase in complexity, clarity and balance. (as one should expect.) I've also played a number of inexpensive Baritones, but usually not for long. (if that says anything). Most totally lacked the aforementioned complexity, clarity and balance, and my response was usually "meh..." I will note that I was surprised at a couple of the Alvarez ATB60s that I played over at Trading Musician that were under $500. While no one who had experience with both would confuse them with a boutique Baritone or even a builder like Larrivee or Taylor, they had surprisingly decent sonic quality at their price point and would seem to be an excellent gateway drug.

A number of baritones I've disliked because they were 27" scales, which changes the tension of the strings in a way that I' don't like. But I come from an odd place, in that most of my other Acoustics are 25" to 24.75" scales, plus I use light strings and also tune down to Open tunings a lot. The Monster (Beneteau) is currently living in Open A, Open D tuned down 2 1/2 steps to match the Rayco Baritone Weissenborn that I got last winter. 29" I find a bit to long, although a friend's Webber with 29" is a fabulous instrument. So your preferred scale will probably depend on the tunings that you might use and how you like the string tension to feel.

So "Best" that I've played, to answer the question, would probably be McAlisters, Beneteaus, Edwinsons. McCollums are great but I didn't like the shorter, 27" scale. Of those not played but mentioned in the thread, I'd bet Linda Manzer, Kathy Wingert, Greenfield and David Berkowitz would fit in that company. At a less stratospheric price point, I didn't care that much for the Santa Cruz or Goodall Baritones that I have played, again to to the 27" scale, although apparently from looking at the Dream Guitars website Goodall is making some 28" scale instruments. The same applies to Larrivees and Taylors. At a mid-price point a used Webber would probably be a great buy, if you can find one. (he really isn't building anymore) I've never seen a Furch anything in this neck of the woods, so can't comment, but they have a good rep. I didn't know until today that Gold Tone made Baritones, but their sqarenecks and Weissenborns are a pretty good buy of a decent but not great instrument if they are in your neighborhood. Otherwise, in the inexpensive price point, meh, although the Alvarez might be a good starter Baritone (and for many folks, as much as they will ever need)

Eggs. The Counselor needs eggs. And then has a bit of actual work to do. Might bust out the Monster then, as the rain is rolling in..

And, as always, Others Mileage May Vary...

[Wade Hampton]

Great post, Tony. You've had your hands on more acoustic baritones than I have, living in isolation in my lonely northern exile here...

Brrrrrrrrr............

whm

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Great post, Tony. You've had your hands on more acoustic baritones than I have, living in isolation in my lonely northern exile here...

Brrrrrrrrr............

whm

I seem to remember a tree by your igloo...

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

I seem to remember a tree by your igloo...

This is our summer place up north of the Brooks Range, Tony - when it gets all hot and sweaty in Chugiak (above freezing,) we like to head up north to cool off.


whm

[dennyman]

Great thread! I luv baritone guitars.

Wish l could find a SC I could afford.

[drive-south]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Great post, Tony. You've had your hands on more acoustic baritones than I have, living in isolation in my lonely northern exile here...

Brrrrrrrrr............

whm

I hope you have a humidifier running in that igloo.

[J185-4Me]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

The best baritone guitar I’ve ever played is the one I’m fortunate enough to own: the Sitka spruce and koa baritone that Roy McAlister built for me, which I received the day before Thanksgiving, 1999. It took me about a year to figure out to tune it and string it properly, which included having various gauges of low B strings custom wound for me - there wasn’t much selection for baritone strings twenty years ago.

Wade Hampton Miller

I love love LOVE Wade's McAlister baritone. My favourite one for sure!

It purt' near plays itself, and it has such rich and lovely sound.

One of these days, I may have to trade my J-35 for it...

Fred

[Wade Hampton]

J185-4Me in Darkest Coquitlam, British Columbia wrote:

Originally Posted by J185-4Me

I love love LOVE Wade's McAlister baritone. My favourite one for sure!

It purt' near plays itself, and it has such rich and lovely sound.

One of these days, I may have to trade my J-35 for it...

Fred

Yeah, dream ON, Freddy. That ain't gonna happen...

No, my McAlister baritone is one of my cold, dead fingers guitars, as in:

"You can take my McAlister baritone guitar when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers..."


Wade Hampton "I'm WATCHIN' You, Sport!" Miller

[jonfields45]

I have a friend looking for an entry priced baritone guitar. It seems the cheapest options at Musician's Friend are the Alverez Artist ABT60 and ABT60E. Any experience with the ABT60?

[Wade Hampton]

Oh, sure. They’re remarkably good instruments for the money, and several folks on this forum own them. I’m sure some of them will chime in here shortly.


whm

[dberkowitz]

My thanks for the kind words from everyone. Although I retired from luthiery a few years ago, I thought I'd share a piece from a client Chin Sheng Huang of Taiwan. This is his composition on a JB-28C baritone, 28.59" scale, 30yr old German spruce top and old growth East Indian Rosewood back and sides. It was recorded with a vintage Telefunken ELA M 251E microphone for the sound hole and a AKG 414 for the room.

Nostalgic Hometown Sunset, Chin Shen Huang, Berkowitz JB-28C Baritone Guitar

[colins]

Originally Posted by dberkowitz

My thanks for the kind words from everyone. Although I retired from luthiery a few years ago, I thought I'd share a piece from a client Chin Sheng Huang of Taiwan. This is his composition on a JB-28C baritone, 28.59" scale, 30yr old German spruce top and old growth East Indian Rosewood back and sides. It was recorded with a vintage Telefunken ELA M 251E microphone for the sound hole and a AKG 414 for the room.

Nostalgic Hometown Sunset, Chin Shen Huang, Berkowitz JB-28C Baritone Guitar

Very nice David, thank you.