Baritone conversion

[M Sarad]

After SCGC refretted my Dread Cutaway, they put on a set of Medium Tension Parabolic Strings. I found them a bit hefty for Standard tuning, so I went to DADGAD. The strings were still a bit tight, so I dropped it down to CGCFGC. A new door of sonic bbq sauce opened up. Deep, smoky, throaty, tons of delicious sonority.

Anyone else experimenting lately?

[tadol]

Not very recently - but I have used SCGC mediums on a baritone, and found C# was about as low as I could go before they got a bit flubby. I’ve used heavies, and they could go to C easily, to B was pushing it. True baritone sets could get to B pretty easily, but they are like playing bridge cables. I want to try a set of the lights, moved up one slot, and then see if Richard could recommend a string size for the lowest one. If I can bring it up in our next podcast with him, maybe I’ll see what he recommends -

I’m surprised you can get down to C on a standard scale!

[Howard Emerson]

Matt,
A very long time ago a friend taught me how to play ‘Spanish Harlem’ & ‘Jamaica Farewell’ in open C tuning (1-5-1-5-1-3).

I now compose in that tuning quite often.

I’ve been using regular light wounds & medium plains on 24.9” scale Flammang with that tuning. No issues.

People spend/waste inordinate amounts of time trying to adhere to nonsensical/nonexistent “rules” about scale/tuning/gauge, etc.

If it works, it works.

Best regards,
Howard Emerson

[Mycroft]

I first tried Open C (As Howard says, 151513) so as to play the Stones version of "You Got To Move." (McDowell played it in Open D, but I suspect the change suited Jagger's range better) Since I HAD to learn something else because I wasn't going to keep retuning for one song, I picked up "Foxglove" by Bruce Cockburn, and Howard turned me on to his own "And Why Not..." I also drop the 5th string to a 6th for Zepplin's Bron-yr-aur.

I play on several guitars ranging from 24.75" to 25," and one in 25.4" and all with light strings.

If the only frame of reference for how much tension there should be is a 25.4" scale tuned to standard, then a person might have problems tuning down. Others might like it.

OMMV

[Misifus]

I thought it was something else entirely. Some years ago, Hill Country Guitars had a baritone conversion that I loved. It started as a D-35 based twelve string that someone had the Martin custom shop convert to a six string baritone. It’s been nearly twenty years, so I don’t recall the details, like scale length, but it was sweet.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by M Sarad

After SCGC refretted my Dread Cutaway, they put on a set of Medium Tension Parabolic Strings. I found them a bit hefty for Standard tuning, so I went to DADGAD. The strings were still a bit tight, so I dropped it down to CGCFGC. A new door of sonic bbq sauce opened up. Deep, smoky, throaty, tons of delicious sonority.

Anyone else experimenting lately?

Not lately, but I will now

[Earl49]

I experimented a lot a few years ago. A hand issue caused me to have trouble with my then-new Taylor baritone-6 with a 27" scale length, and those "bridge cable" 70-16 baritone strings were no picnic either. I started playing around with standard 25.5" scale length guitars tuned down but wearing heavier strings. In the end my favorite was D'Addario EJ-18 heavy gauge (59-14) tuned C-c. Sometimes the 59 was replaced with a single 62 if I intended to try any alternate tunings, like dropped-D equivalent or Open G equivalent.

I spent a lot of time studying tension data from string makers to verify that I was not overloading the guitar. The typical light gauge set (53-12) is about 165 pounds, give or take. Medium gauge strings (56-13) when tuned E-e are about 185 pounds total, which most modern guitars can handle OK. Tuned to Eb they are about 165 pounds, and tuned D-d becomes about 145 pounds total. That is where truss rod adjustments became necessary.

My journey with heavier string started once I began playing with lowered slack-key Hawaiian tunings. More tension was needed to keep the strings from being too floppy. Then I discovered that certain guitars just blossomed at D-d tuning.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Matt,
A very long time ago a friend taught me how to play ‘Spanish Harlem’ & ‘Jamaica Farewell’ in open C tuning (1-5-1-5-1-3).

I now compose in that tuning quite often.

I’ve been using regular light wounds & medium plains on 24.9” scale Flammang with that tuning. No issues.

People spend/waste inordinate amounts of time trying to adhere to nonsensical/nonexistent “rules” about scale/tuning/gauge, etc.

If it works, it works.

Best regards,
Howard Emerson

I regularly tune my 0-16 Martin down to C(GCGCE), with standard lights (12-53 or 54)

It wants for nothing, and sounds delicious. Oh, and I don't seem to have any trouble playing it in tune either.