Baritone guitars are a type of acoustic guitar with a longer scale length and lower strings. This results in a fuller, richer sound with deeper bass notes. Baritone guitars often take on the style of either classical or steel string acoustic guitars, as well as many electric versions.
In this baritone guitar buying guide, we’ll explore the history of the baritone guitar and how it differs from its standard counterpart. You’ll also learn about types of baritone guitars and their features to help you find the best baritone guitar for your needs.
Welcome to the Baritone Buying Guide!
First, what is a baritone guitar? A baritone guitar is a standard guitar tuned to a lower pitch. The two most common tunings for baritone guitars are B-E-A-D-F
There are a lot of interesting and unique guitar varieties out there to suit the tastes of players from all walks of life, but one that tends to get overlooked is the baritone guitar.
While it might not be as well-known as a 7-string or 8-string guitar, a baritone guitar is still an incredibly versatile instrument that can be used for practically any genre of music. It’s also great for those who want to fill out their sound with a lower end without having to buy a bass guitar.
If you’re looking to find out more about this great instrument then you’ve come to the right place!
In this article we’ll give you everything you need to know about baritone guitars and even recommend some of our favorites so you can get started playing one as soon as possible.
What is a Baritone Guitar?
A baritone guitar is essentially a regular 6-string guitar tuned down to B. This is the same tuning that a 7-string guitar uses as its lowest string, so it’s often said that 6-string baritones are like a 7-string with the top string removed. However, most baritone guitars have different scale lengths than their 6-string counterparts, and so they are often not simply 7-strings cut to 6.
Baritone guitars tend to be used in heavier styles of music – metal, hardcore, punk and similar genres – but there are players who use them in many other styles too. For example, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd was known for his use of a Fender VI on songs like “Fat Old Sun” (video), and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys uses one for slide guitar parts in songs like “I Got Mine” (video).
There are also players who use baritone guitars tuned up to C
A baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Typically pitched one whole octave below standard guitar tuning, it has become popular in recent years as a way for guitarists to get heavier tones without having to alter their technique or buy seven-string guitars. It’s also useful for players who have trouble handling the high tension of regular steel-string guitars.
Such is the case with the Fender Modern Player Marauder Electric Guitar. One of Fender’s most recent additions to their Modern Player series–and an electric guitar that definitely stands out from the pack–the Marauder has what Fender calls a “modern C”-shaped neck profile, a 25.5″ scale length (which is perfect for those of you with smaller hands), and an ultra-comfortable 9.5″-radius fingerboard. The Marauder comes equipped with three Fender Wide Range humbucking pickups, which were designed to give you that warm, familiar vintage tone while also providing you with plenty of overdrive and sustain. It’s also got coil-tap on all four knobs, which means you have access to eight different tones!
Then there’s the Travel
A baritone guitar is a guitar that has a longer scale length than a regular guitar, usually around 27-30″. The most common baritone guitar comes tuned one fourth down (B E A D F
The baritone guitar is a unique instrument that is mostly used in rock music by artists like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and Smashing Pumpkins. It is tuned one octave lower than a standard guitar, which gives it a deeper sound. Baritones are also longer than standard guitars, with scale lengths of around 28 to 30 inches.
Because of its length, a baritone cannot be played with a standard set of guitar strings. Instead, the strings must have a heavier gauge in order to compensate for the extra tension caused by the longer scale length. This also gives the baritone guitar a higher tension feel that is different from your standard electric guitar.