Baritone guitars for non-metal genres – thoughts?

[fishbones]

The reverend baritones such as the descent w and ra and the danelectro '66BT have always caught my eye but I'm not sure how useful they'd be.
I play stuff from experimental rock, jazz, slow core, post rock, shoe gaze but I've never been into hard rock/metal so I'm wondering how much use they'd ever have for me.

Geordie Greep from Black Midi uses a reverend descent ra which is what initially drew me to the idea of getting one. It sounds so good but I wouldn't want to buy a 'one trick pony'.

Does anyone have any good bands and albums of the genres I named above that use baritones so I can hear how they sound?

Thanks for the help guys

 

[scheffer]

I completely understand where you're coming from because I feel largely the same way about getting a baritone and have been on the fence about it for awhile. I've come very close to pulling the trigger on one for the last year but always wound up spending my money on other stuff because I'm just not sure how much I'll really use one.

As for bands that use them who are on the more experimental side Blonde Redhead have used them off an on. (Especially earlier in the their career) Mostly Fender Bass VI I think. Robert Smith from the Cure also uses a Fender Bass VI on occasion...

 

[Rocco Crocco]

These guys use a baritone guitar very well.

 

[J Factor]

Mark Lettieri has a superb whole album based around baritones. It's not metal at all.

Deep: The Baritone Sessions

This is a teaser trailer for the album but you can find it on spotify or wherever you prefer.

 

[doublescale1]

they've been using a Bari guitar in country music for a long time - if you can play a song on a guitar you can play it on a bari.

 

[Norrin Radd 1966]

Mark Lettieri has a superb whole album based around baritones. It's not metal at all.

Deep: The Baritone Sessions

This is a teaser trailer for the album but you can find it on spotify or wherever you prefer.

Yeah - this is also a really fantastic album!

 

[ripgtr]

they've been using a Bari guitar in country music for a long time - if you can play a song on a guitar you can play it on a bari.

^^^
Came here to say exactly this.
It just a guitar tuned down. That doesn't make it a Metal or any other style guitar. (I wasn't even aware they used bari in metal).
Country music uses a lot of fiddles too. That doesn't stop people from playing classical or jazz or even rock on them.

 

[phoghat]

I think the key to a great non-metal bari tone is flatwound strings.

I've got a custom bari that is as far from a metal guitar as you can imagine (single Filtertron, Bigsby), but it's the flats that really put it in another zone.

I couldn't love it more.

 

[romiso]

I have a conversion baritone neck from Warmoth for those times I want a baritone. It spent most of its time on a Strat body but I'm in the process of selling that. I'll eventually get something inexpensive (and hardtail - much less hassle!) at some point. It's a great sound to have!

Where are you guys finding flatwound baritone strings, because I'd love that flavor next time I decide to set it up?

 

[Guppie]

I've had a Squier bass VI. Not really a baritone but in the same realm. I play alt. rock, shoegaze, post rock as well but I didn't really find a good use for it. It was a awesome instrument nonetheless but I couldn't justify keeping it. You really have to create music around such instrument.

 

[RGB]

Fun to play around with on my JTV59...use it for all kinds of non-metal stuff.

 

[dancehall]

The Evens is a good example of how a baritone can sound in a more chill, spare mix.

 

[nasonm]

I adore baritone guitar and love it in non-metal ways. So much of the Americana, Roots Rock, Surf, & Duane Eddy stuff I love has baritone guitars. My favorite affordable one is the classic Danelectro Baritone but dream baritone would be a Grez Mendocino baritone.

 

[bdm]

I’m currently having a baritone built by Madrid Guitars in San Diego with the intention of using it for very non-metal purposes. Sort of inspired by old Silvertones and Hagstroms. Custom wound mini-humbuckers. Probably will end up with flat wounds.

 

[Filmosound 621]

Thanks for the help guys

it is not just about the sound, but about the feel as well, it is way more than a downtuned guitar.

the longer strings have got a different kind of authoritiy to them, the Baritone originally has a slightly

different place in music as the guitar does, it covers different ground IMO.

but sure can be treated as a guitar at any given time, it is one great Jazz instrument and perfect for

solo noodling. Great for doing things slightly different, it is a change of perspective, always a good thing.






posted before, my Hapas Sludge 626 Metal Baritone, 27" Scale, Thomastik flatwounds, of course.












I found this video on youtube, where another satisfied Hapas customer has made this extremly cool Sludge Baritone

unpacking video. Sums up my impressions with this Baritone quite well.

 

[Jerrod]

Baritone guitars are only for metal? WTF?

 

[Filmosound 621]

Where are you guys finding flatwound baritone strings, because I'd love that flavor next time I decide to set it up?

depends on how long the scale length of your baritone is, at least somewhat.

the Thomastik Infeld jazz swing strings are quite long. I use the 13-53 set for my 27" Scale Baritone.


trick is to get rid of string #13, have the remaining 5 strings mounted one position downwards then

and find a flatwound Bass string to replace the now free place of the lowest tuned string on your guitar.

 

[Filmosound 621]

and one more thing, if I would be Mr.Rock-a-fella, I'd buy this one in a hurry, the sex:

Collings 360 LT M Baritone Sonic Blue

Exceptional build quality, feel, and tones, the 360 Baritone will have you exploring new riffs and song ideas in no time. Essential for recording players.

themusicemporium.com

 

[CanuckChris]

they've been using a Bari guitar in country music for a long time - if you can play a song on a guitar you can play it on a bari.

Exactly! Best idea is to not constrain your playing thinking a baritone is only good for metal. Play every song you know on baritone, some sound way better with a lower tuning, some do not. This applies across genres. I find myself using my baritone just as much for ambient playing as I do for metal.

 

[Endr_rpm]

I am in the process of finalizing my baritone build. Got a Warmoth neck early on in Quarantimes, initially mounted to a no name tele body just to get a feel for it. Decided I liked it, so just replaced the no name body with a super sparkly teal double bound MIC body of Ebay. GFS neck, lil 59 bridge, its FUN to play. Def a riff machine, my band is indie/alt music and with delay and verb I can get all kinds of neat sounds. Like any guitar, the limit is your imagination.