Leaderboard

Warmoth Baritone tuned to EADGBe?

TV Robot

Junior Member
Messages
25
Does anyone think that having a Warmoth partcaster with a baritone neck tuned to EADGBe is risky? I know the Buckethead Les Paul has a scale length of 27" so I'd imagine as long as the strings are light enough it could be done or does anyone think that's too bananas?
 
With the appropriate strings, absolutely. I think it'd be kinda cool.  I have a spreadsheet with D'Addario's data, and basically the difference in tension between 25.5 and 28.75 is almost exactly one string gauge difference (.008's to .009's, .009's to 0.010's).  I think 8's on a baritone would be really interesting - I'd expect it to have a lot of zing and clarity without the slinkyness we normally associate with 8's.
 
I couldn't tell you whether a tremolo would be safe to use. I get the impression from an old Doc'n'Rock post with a baritone VIP with a floyd, that the long neck and the tremolo didn't go well together. I cannot tell you what tuning higher would possibly do. It's such uncharted territory that I wouldn't touch it myself, but I'm just a square...

What I can tell you is that Garry Goodman of octave4plus.com makes strings for extreme range instruments (eleven string basses, eight string guitars etc.) and even has a high a string (the a above a typical high e) that can maintain that pitch on instruments with up to a 30" scale! That website should have the strings you want!
 
At 28.75", that's 4" longer than the Gibson scale.  Needless to say, dive bombing would certainly be different.  It should take more to create the same effect.  .008s on 24.75 would be loose, not so much with a scale 4" longer, it would only seem logical the same movements on a Floyd on both scales wouldn't translate to being equal.
 
Hm - .008's tuned to standard on a 28.75" scale guitar seems mighty likely to end up with a lotta busted e-strings, particularly if you go in for heavy whammy bar abuse.  Just a thought.
 
Well to heck with the idea then. Do you think Warmoth could route the neck slot an inch higher on a body blank? I'm determined to have a 24 fret guitar with at least 5.75" between the fretboard and bridge (for various pickup/sustainer/whatever you can put on a guitar experimentation, for lack of a better term).
 
:icon_scratch:
If the distance from nut to bridge is changed and the frets don't reflect that.....

In other words, just moving the neck pocket and leaving the bridge stationary makes the frets useless for Western music.
 
Not sure how much help this would be, but Rob Flynn of Machine Head uses a Baritone V (Epiphone), and has a signature model out.  You may wanna hop over to Epiphone's website and see what type of hardware that guitar's packing.  :occasion14:
 
Super Turbo Jack Ace Deluxe Custom said:
:icon_scratch:
If the distance from nut to bridge is changed and the frets don't reflect that.....

In other words, just moving the neck pocket and leaving the bridge stationary makes the frets useless for Western music.

What if it was fretless?

[Edit] Or you know what that wouldn't work nevermind. [Edit]
 
Super Turbo Jack Ace Deluxe Custom said:
That'd work.  Stubhead, it's your turn.  Show us the alternate scale 5 string fretless.

Would it be able to hit all the notes a regular 24 fret neck could hit?
 
If you want to tune a baritone to standard, go for it. Baritones already have strings tuned that way anyway, they just usually choose to drop the high string and use a lower one.

Think about baritone 7 and 8-strings, they're doing what you're talking about as it is.

Some people just like the baritone sound and use it for everything, if it sounds cool to you, do it.

I don't think a tremelo would make any difference. Everything on the guitar will feel slightly different anyway, it's not like a tremelo will just like "stop" working because your neck is an inch longer than a Strat's. Get it if you want to.

Btw an .08 gauge for high E at 28.625" scale is like 13 pounds of tension. I use this scale length and like lighter strings but I would go heavier than that. .085 would feel good for me, ymmv.
 
The trem wouldn't stop working, just work differently.  With a 3" longer scale, the trem would have to move more for the same effect, that's all.

And I believe the OP wasn't particularly after anything other than a 24th fret with less overhang so the realestate between the fretboard and bride would remain wide open for pickup experiments.  And FWIW, the baritone necks are effectively conversion necks.  That is, there is no such thing as a baritone body, so the room for pickups is unchanged.
 
Back
Top