Baritones and stuff like that

[tfarny]

Hey, I just bought a really cheap MIM tele body off of the bay, and I've got some tele parts laying around, and other tele parts when I'm done 'upgrading' my main thinline tele.
So I'm thinking, a basic Warmoth baritone tele neck (maple / pau ferro, perhaps) and a set of 'bill lawrence the human' keystone tele pickups (like $50) and I'm in business. I've even got a wiring plan I've never seen before.

So, any special considerations wrt baritone guitars? I read on the telecaster forum, I think, that ower-output pickups work better on a baritone, but no 'reason why'. I'm thinking 'country to basic rock' as far as sounds, nothing too sci-fi. I might try thick strings and  A to A tuning at first.

Pic of the body is here - nothing special but it'll do for an occasional player, something different. Any suggestions? I've only ever played baritones in the store, and even then rarely. I just think it seems like a cool idea, and I can't stop my GAS!!!!

 

[RLW]

Well, as far as pickups, none of my guitars have high output ones, just not my style. On my Warmoth Baritone, which I haven't seen in four years, I always used D'Addario XL157 strings, .014 to .068, tuned B-B. They worked very well.

 

[nathan a]

Make certain your big thick low 6 string will fit through the string-thru hole drilled in the body!

 

[Patrick from Davis]

The guys one the seven string forum tend to like the ceramic pickups for the really low stuff to keep the low notes well defined.  While I tend to favor Alnico pickups, and the seven stringers tend to be Metallers, it is something to keep in mind.
Patrick

 

[DanDeTora]

The guys one the seven string forum tend to like the ceramic pickups for the really low stuff to keep the low notes well defined.  While I tend to favor Alnico pickups, and the seven stringers tend to be Metallers, it is something to keep in mind.
Patrick

I prefer AlNiCo 5's but the only 7 string PU's I've tried happened to be ceramics and they do quite well. I agree, many of us 7 string players are metalheads so when talking about the low notes being well defined, it's usually in the context of ridiculous amounts of distortion.

 

[NonsenseTele]

Just can see why sometone would tune low with single-coils... In my mind B tuning = br00talz metal  :laughing7:

 

[tfarny]

Thanks guys. I don't really know how applicable the low-tuned metal experience is going to be for this - I'm thinking this is mostly going to be used pretty clean for recording - doubling the bass line, clean rhythm parts, etc. We'll see if I really end up using it very much. The advice you all gave makes a lot of sense though. It'll be a couple months before it all comes together, anyhow.

 

[nathan a]

Honestly I think you will end up using it, but more as just a low guitar. Low-tuning a standard scale guitar works for chugga-chugga but doesn't have a great clean sound. This baritone will sound sweet clean, and I think you are gonna really enjoy the totally new tonal response you get when playing 'the same old things' on the baritone.

 

[blue313]

Honestly I think you will end up using it, but more as just a low guitar. This baritone will sound sweet clean, and I think you are gonna really enjoy the totally new tonal response you get when playing 'the same old things' on the baritone.

This is what I'm hearing in my head when he's describing the project.  I think it'll be a great studio tool.

 

[tfarny]

Neck came today, and as expected, it's a beaut. The Pao Ferro could almost pass as Brazilian RW if you didn't know better. Feels great, very hard. Did you know that baritones only have the heel adjust, no side adjust? The pocket is going to need some sanding for sure on this one. Also got some blank bone nuts, I'm going to make my own from here on out if it goes well. Still thinking Bill Lawrence Keystone pickups.

 

[NonsenseTele]

Looks good!

 

[Mor Paul]

Cool. I'll need to hear how it sounds.

 

[mayfly]

I curious as well.  I used a low-tuned guitar on a couple of songs on our last record.  Have since sold that guitar and we have not done the songs since!

Perhaps this is an excuse to get a new guitar... :evil4:

 

[guitlouie]

The wind blowing is an excuse to get a new guitar.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

You know tfarny, I am unsure what would happen, but if you mentioned to the guy Bill Lawrence what you were trying to do, or the message board his that he and wife lurk around in, I am sure they could advise you on the pickups.  Nice run on there if I do say so myself.  Hell, with what I have heard, he might take it as a personal challenge to make a good set of pick ups for that specific guitar.  The neck looks great, keep us posted with how it is going.
Patrick

 

[blue313]

Its much cooler to call them.  If you start to get too technical for Becky she usually puts Bill on.  He'll talk for hours on pickups and theory.