In the mid '90s, prior to purchasing a "baritone" (I use quotation marks because it's a 27" scale length rather than the perhaps more usual longer scales...no judgement, I still call it a baritone), I experimented a lot with gauging up and tuning down on a '70s Takamine dreadnought. Some re-slotting of the nut and re-compensation of the saddle were required, and it's the compensation that limited the possibilities for me. This particular guitar just didn't have the ability to properly compensate for the lower pitched strings, though it otherwise sounded okay. It was okay down to D and C# standard, but beyond that it was hard to tune, and sounded dull and lifeless. It was a fun and educating experience, one which lead me to the eventual purchase of a baritone.
So in '98 I received a new Beneteau baritone. Initially I tuned it quite low for me, A standard, to accommodate song and tune arrangements of the celtoid band I was with. With mandolin and banjo family instruments, keys, and woodwinds, it was useful to get out of their way and move to a lower register whenever possible. Once that band split, I gradually moved the tuning up so that now it's usually at D standard with D'Addario PB medium strings.
It's a bit of a specialty guitar, which perhaps at least partly explains the less standardized tunings and dimensions of the breed. I mean, few players use a baritone exclusively. It seems that the variety helps us create.
I figure if someone can get what they want out of any guitar at any tuning or configuration, good for them.
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