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  #1  
Old 02-22-2012, 07:42 PM
L20A L20A is offline
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Default Acoustic Baritone String Choice?

I just ordered one of the Alvarez ATB60 Baritone Guitars.
I think that the strings on it will be D'Addario EXP's.[16-22-29-48-60-70]

What are good strings besides the D'Addario strings?
I plan to keep the guitar tuned B to B.

In looking a bit on the internet, I see that Martin offers their Lifespan strings in Baritone and they are gauged at [14-20-30-42-54-70]

Those of you that play an acoustic baritone, which strings have you found that you like best?

Who has the best prices for baritone strings?
Thanks,
L20A
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Old 02-26-2012, 04:08 PM
L20A L20A is offline
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I have bumped my thread back up, in hopes of someone having some experience with strings for Baritone Guitars.
Please let me know your opinions on string brand and gauge choice.
Thanks,
L20A.
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  #3  
Old 02-26-2012, 04:10 PM
blue blue is offline
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search Baritone strings on this site. I've replied enough times I don't feel like going into it again.
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Old 02-26-2012, 07:06 PM
Matt Mustapick Matt Mustapick is offline
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Those strings will be a little tight...tighter than those on a regular guitar. If you put these strings on a normal 25.5" guitar then the string tension would be the same. This is obvious when you consider that the 2nd string on a regular guitar is a .016 and it's tuned to B. Every instruments different so I can't speak to what's appropriate for yours. In general you might consider using these first and see if the tension is plenty for you...
http://www.juststrings.com/jps-3210.html
Having experimented with this quite a bit (though only on my own instruments), my strong personal opinion is that using the lightest string that gets the job done for you will result in the "best" tone...best for me anyway. If a lighter gauge than these Pearse's can work for you, than go lighter. My 2 cents.
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Old 07-25-2012, 10:55 AM
DennisC DennisC is offline
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I'm bumping this thread rather than starting a new one. I just got an Alvarez baritone last week; I absolutely love the guitar (guitar deal of the decade!) but I'm not very happy with the D'Addario EXPs. I don't like their feel (or noise) with nails, and I'd like more body in the 1st and 2nd strings to go with the richness of the baritone.

Hoping the ABT60's popularity is paralleled with new owners' string experiments since this thread started when the ABT60 was just getting to the dealers in numbers. Also...is there a website with strings vs. scale that helps string experimenters?
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Old 07-25-2012, 01:35 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Try the John Pearse acoustic baritone guitar strings. if you favor light gauge strings on your standard guitar, try the 3260L Light set: .015 to .068. If you're more accustomed to using medium gauge strings, try the 3280M Medium set: .017 to .070.

A lot will depend on your baritone guitar itself. I've found that there's really no substitute for hands-on experimentation with different string gauges and alloys.


whm
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  #7  
Old 07-25-2012, 03:10 PM
JMFingerstyle JMFingerstyle is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DennisC View Post
I'm bumping this thread rather than starting a new one. I just got an Alvarez baritone last week; I absolutely love the guitar (guitar deal of the decade!) but I'm not very happy with the D'Addario EXPs. I don't like their feel (or noise) with nails, and I'd like more body in the 1st and 2nd strings to go with the richness of the baritone.

Hoping the ABT60's popularity is paralleled with new owners' string experiments since this thread started when the ABT60 was just getting to the dealers in numbers. Also...is there a website with strings vs. scale that helps string experimenters?
Dennis,

I posted this earlier in another thread, but since this one is specific to strings, I'll mention it here as well.

I also have an ABT60, and didn't care for the string noise of the EXPs. I switched to an Elixir baritone set, and then made a couple of string changes. I replaced the plain steel 2nd with a .022 wound Elixir, and I replaced the plain steel 1st with a .017 nickel wound D'Addario.

I mostly play fingerstyle in open G formations (open D on the baritone - A,D,A,D,F#,A) so that tunes the 1st and 6th string to "A", which works great.

The .017 won't tune all the way up to "B" without snapping, so if I want to use standard chord formations, I use an A-A tuning instead of B-B (A,D,G,C,E,A)

Suits my style, and I've come to really like the sound of the wound first string.
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Old 07-25-2012, 03:34 PM
DennisC DennisC is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JMFingerstyle View Post
Dennis,

I posted this earlier in another thread, but since this one is specific to strings, I'll mention it here as well.

I also have an ABT60, and didn't care for the string noise of the EXPs. I switched to an Elixir baritone set, and then made a couple of string changes. I replaced the plain steel 2nd with a .022 wound Elixir, and I replaced the plain steel 1st with a .017 nickel wound D'Addario.

I mostly play fingerstyle in open G formations (open D on the baritone - A,D,A,D,F#,A) so that tunes the 1st and 6th string to "A", which works great.

The .017 won't tune all the way up to "B" without snapping, so if I want to use standard chord formations, I use an A-A tuning instead of B-B (A,D,G,C,E,A)

Suits my style, and I've come to really like the sound of the wound first string.
Good info, JMF. I don't know yet where my tunings will go with the baritone; I'm going to probably make some tuning compromises 'cuz I don't have room for two or three more guitars at favorite tiunings!
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Old 07-25-2012, 03:38 PM
Craigo Craigo is offline
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I've made the rounds of all the baritone strings I could find (either in stores or online) since getting my Santa Cruz Brozman baritone 2 1/2 years ago. I've come back around to the same favorite after several tries, and that's the John Pearse "Open F" strings. I don't have the product code handy, but the set is different than the ones Wade mentioned above. It has a bit ligher bass, with the sizes 15 - 19 - 30 - 40 - 50 - 62.

I also keep my baritone at B-B. Some of the other sets with thicker bass straings gave a little more clarity on the bottom end, but at the expense of playability. I also like the overall balance of the Pearse Open F strings. I play fingerstyle.
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Old 07-25-2012, 04:20 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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First, Dennis wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by DennisC View Post
Good info, JMF. I don't know yet where my tunings will go with the baritone; I'm going to probably make some tuning compromises 'cuz I don't have room for two or three more guitars at favorite tiunings!
With my McAlister baritone I went through about a year of experimentation with both strings and tuning before settling on what's now referred to as "B Standard" baritone tuning. It really does take a while to figure out how best to use these instruments.

Then Craigo wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Craigo View Post
I've made the rounds of all the baritone strings I could find (either in stores or online) since getting my Santa Cruz Brozman baritone 2 1/2 years ago. I've come back around to the same favorite after several tries, and that's the John Pearse "Open F" strings. I don't have the product code handy, but the set is different than the ones Wade mentioned above. It has a bit ligher bass, with the sizes 15 - 19 - 30 - 40 - 50 - 62.
That's the John Pearse 3210 Open "F" Tuning baritone set. I believe Bob Brozman is the one who originated that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Craigo View Post
I also keep my baritone at B-B. Some of the other sets with thicker bass straings gave a little more clarity on the bottom end, but at the expense of playability. I also like the overall balance of the Pearse Open F strings. I play fingerstyle.
So much really does depend on the player as well as the instrument itself.

That's been one of the things that I've found enjoyable about playing acoustic baritone guitar: I've really had to figure things out for myself as I went along. Not everyone will enjoy that, but I like being my own pathfinder.


whm
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  #11  
Old 07-25-2012, 04:38 PM
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riorider riorider is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DennisC View Post
I'm bumping this thread rather than starting a new one. I just got an Alvarez baritone last week; I absolutely love the guitar (guitar deal of the decade!) but I'm not very happy with the D'Addario EXPs. I don't like their feel (or noise) with nails, and I'd like more body in the 1st and 2nd strings to go with the richness of the baritone.

Hoping the ABT60's popularity is paralleled with new owners' string experiments since this thread started when the ABT60 was just getting to the dealers in numbers. Also...is there a website with strings vs. scale that helps string experimenters?
No additional info to that already given other than you can get string sets made by Strings and Beyond - the larger gauge strings have a minimum of 5 I think - but you can get what you want. I have not yet ordered them but will want to try Martin SP PBs - my string of choice for standard guitars. At this point I still have the D'Ad exp 23s.

But - I do have a website where you can figure out the string tension so you can keep the same overall tension as you change strings and tunings. Here you go -- written by an AGFr I think, and with some fussing around you'll get what you want. You can also build your own spreadsheet from data from D'Addario and others, but you'll have to enter all the tension figures for every string and I've never considered it worthwhile if I can get "close" with a generic tension app... http://70.61.82.118/StringApp/ Doesn't work well with Firefox; I use I.E. if I want it to display clearly.

Best,

Phil
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Old 07-25-2012, 06:19 PM
L20A L20A is offline
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I have recently tried a set of Martin Lifespan Baritone strings on my Alvarez.
I like them over the EXP's but I did change out the .020 F# string with a wound .022 PB string. These strings are an improvement to me. I really like the wound F# [second string].

I ordered mine from Guitar Center. I had them delivered to the store, which saved me shipping charges.
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Old 07-26-2012, 12:21 AM
Mycroft Mycroft is offline
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I've found that I like 80/20s more than Phosphor Bronze, as I find typical with Rosewood-family backed guitars. (The Beneteau is backed with Padauk) As to gauge I am also finding that I like a lighter Baritone set, with the low string a .068. I also like it tuned to A to A, and which feels similar to my standard guitars with light strings and tuned down to something akin to Open D, and which makes for easier fingerpicking. Tuned to B to B feels like standard tuning. The .068 eliminates the coated strings pretty much, as it seems most Baritone sets are .070s. John Pearse are the leading contender so far, and I just picked up some .068 80/20 Baritone sets, some single low strings so I can try mixing and matching a few sets, plus a few odds and sods like a Weisenborn set.

Fun stuff.

TW
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Old 07-26-2012, 10:20 AM
L20A L20A is offline
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As more people become Baritone owners, I hope that string companies will market a better selection of strings for them.
Right now, you almost have to buy loose strings and make your sets to get what you want.

I would like to try a set with a .68 bass string and a wound .022 second string in uncoated strings.
I would also be interested in trying some 80/20's.
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  #15  
Old 07-26-2012, 11:34 AM
DennisC DennisC is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L20A View Post
As more people become Baritone owners, I hope that string companies will market a better selection of strings for them.
Right now, you almost have to buy loose strings and make your sets to get what you want.

I would like to try a set with a .68 bass string and a wound .022 second string in uncoated strings.
I would also be interested in trying some 80/20's.
When I first became interested in a baritone, I assumed the B-tuning was pretty standard. Now I seem to read as many baritone players are using A-tuning and even C-tuning, as the B "standard". It makes me wonder if the string makers will be able to package "standard" baritone sets that will sell in enough quantity to be sustained.
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