Taylor's 8 string baritone guitar

[Wade Hampton]

I've been playing acoustic baritone guitar since 1999, when my McAlister baritone first arrived. Roy McAlister and I have since kicked around several ideas for yet another baritone for me, and stringing it as an 8 string, with octave courses on what would be the D and G strings of a guitar (and are the A and D strings of the baritone) is one of the ideas we've kicked around.

Now it appears that Taylor has gone ahead with this idea. I already own a Larrivée L-03R standard guitar that I converted to an 8 string, with octave courses on the D and G, but haven't yet had a chance to try one of these Taylors.

Have any of you seen one yet?

Just curious.


Wade Hampton Miller

[ukejon]

Yes, both Neal and I got a chance to play one the other day. It is a very curious beast. Kind of fun and tonally interesting, but also sort of sounds like a guitar on Quaaludes.

[LiveMusic]

I have no idea what the qualudes reference means but I bought one a few days ago and wow, do I love this guitar. Especially on ballads, it is incredible. I like it fingerstyle, as well. A Kyser capo won't hold the strings down, I need to find my Shubb and try that.

[stratokatsu]

Wade - I would love to see a picture of how you converted your L03R to an 8 string. Where did you put the 2 new tuners, how did you modify the bridge, etc.

I have an L03SP, all sapele I dearly love. I don't know if I would risk it to a mod like that, but I am so interested in the Taylor 8 string, I might consider letting someone who could do it professionally do it for me.

[Chuck Sylvester]

Haven't had the chance to play one yet, but I'm fascinated by the possibilities - lower bass notes, a little extra jingle added by the 2 octave stirings.

I imagine it's unlikely that I'll find one in a GC or other chain store. Has anyone happened to see one in a store anywhere near Philly?

"guitar on Quaaludes." -YIKES!!

Chuck

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by stratokatsu

Wade - I would love to see a picture of how you converted your L03R to an 8 string. Where did you put the 2 new tuners, how did you modify the bridge, etc.

I have an L03SP, all sapele I dearly love. I don't know if I would risk it to a mod like that, but I am so interested in the Taylor 8 string, I might consider letting someone who could do it professionally do it for me.

Wade, I'd love to see a pic to. As far as the bridge go, did you use the same hole to put both strings in, like the David Crosby 12-string?

[jhchang]

Here is a sample clip:
http://www.myfavoriteguitars.com/pro...cat=297&page=3

[ukejon]

Whoops! The "guitar on Quaaludes" reference wasn't intended to be a condemnation of this guitar. Rather, as with baritone electric guitars it simply is a bit odd to play familiar songs tuned several steps down. Even at the same tempo, things sound a bit slower and droopier. I'm sure folks will have a lot of fun exploring with this instrument and figuring out how to make it sing. It definitely is fun to play....

[Chuck Sylvester]

Originally Posted by jhchang

Here is a sample clip:
http://www.myfavoriteguitars.com/pro...cat=297&page=3

Thanks for the clip, jhchang. It sounds nice and full, pretty much what I expected

ukejon - no worries about the "guitar on Quaaludes" reference. I think I got what you meant. It was a very entertaining description.

I definitely would love to try to play one of these. The cost is out of my range at the moment; it would be nice if they would offer a non-cutaway, no electronics version to bring it down a bit.

[jhm-614]

Originally Posted by LiveMusic

I have no idea what the qualudes reference...

Oh, he just means it sounds like a 714. A Lemmon 714... or would that be a Lemmongrove 714.

just kidding, just kidding -- it doesn't sound like a 714. But I'll bet that made somebody out there grin.