Can You Tune a Baritone Guitar to Standard

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Tuning a standard guitar to baritone range

• Thread starter rbuist
• Start appointment Sep 21, 2014

• #i

I bought a Blacktop Baritone Tele a few weeks ago and I'm loving it. Today was the first practice with a friend who plays drums and it went great. I own a Gibson SG standard and I'one thousand seriously considering bringing information technology to my tech to accept him set it up for B to B.

I know that a lot of modern metallic and punk bands melody their guitars downwards- does anyone have first hand feel with this? I expect I'll need to get the nut slots cut wider to fit thicker strings- just what gauges should I look into? I similar to play 12's on my SG when it was in Eastward to E, but will I lose an absurd amount of string tension from going to B?

Any advice about this is definitely appreciated. Too, feel free to tell me this is a horrible idea and to await for another guitar- I'm considering that as well. Cheers for reading.

• #2

When tuning B to B, you lot shift the set up of strings, to the next lower position. So, what you what to do is buy a set of 9's or 10's, throw away the 1st string, put the 2d string in the first position, third string in the second position, and and then on. Then you buy a heavier 6th string (elevation string). Only the top string, which is heavy, will have a lower tension. I hope that I explained this in a style that fabricated sense.

• #3

Despite Popular opinion, a 24 3/4" Scale Guitar like your SG does not lend itself well to Baritone Tuning. There is a reason that a Bari uses a longer calibration length.

• #iv

Despite Popular opinion, a 24 three/4" Scale Guitar like your SG does not lend itself well to Baritone Tuning. There is a reason that a Bari uses a longer scale length.

I realize that it's non going to play like my real baritone- mainly considering of the calibration length. All the same, I've read a few interviews of guitar players in heavy music that have their everyman string tuned to B on standard guitars. This article from Russian Circles comes to mind:http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/19620-rig-rundown---russian-circles-mike-sullivan-brian-melt

That guy can definitely beget to become a baritone, yet he nonetheless chooses to play a standard Les Paul. If yous read the "guitars" section yous'll meet his tuning and gauges- the tunings are whacky, but he does go B to B and their new record sounds really heavy. I believe their bass player plays a baritone on some songs.

It seems like it must work for some guys and I'g certain information technology depends a lot on getting the neck adjusted properly to handle the lower tension. Just looking to hear from people who have done the lower tuning and to run across if it would actually be worth trying it out.

• #v

SGs in B standard totally work. the only business organization is that with the 24.75" scale tuning that low might cause some inharmonicity in the strings, which is what baritone scale guitars are designed partly to avert. Personally, I used to play an acoustic tuned to AEADEA (DADGAD downward a fourth) with a 24.8" calibration and it was fine. For the nut, you lot'll most likely be able to get abroad with a quick run of sandpaper in the grooves. as for strings, I'd try 14s or 15s to beginning. that should nearly line up with the tension you get from 12s in East. Come across where you lot want to go, tone- and tensionwise. You have a baritone tele and an SG, you lot might like one to exist 'snappier' and 1 to be 'sludgier', which seems to be the gamut of B-tuned guitars in my feel.

• #6

Despite Pop opinion, a 24 3/four" Scale Guitar similar your SG does not lend itself well to Baritone Tuning. In that location is a reason that a Bari uses a longer scale length.

There is a reason, just it's not the reason you seem to be suggesting: it's because that calibration length at that tuning creates a particular tone. It's entirely possible to get usable results in baritone ranges with shorter-calibration guitars, depending on the effect you're using to create. I know of a couple of players who tune 24.75"-scale guitars downwardly to F - yes, a half-step above the bass low E. They play doom. It seems to work for them. I play 24.75"-scale 7-strings in BEADF#BE and observe them to exist perfectly satisfactory. YMMV.

• #7

Couldn't yous merely purchase a pack of strings for a 7-string and throw away the highest 1?

• #8

Couldn't you lot simply buy a pack of strings for a 7-string and throw away the highest i?

Yous could, if you're happy with the string tension unsaid by the high E in that pack, which is usually a 9 or 10. The OP prefers 12s tuned in standard, and I can pretty much guarantee that you won't detect a commercial vii-cord set with a 12 on top. (Unless you want flatwounds, in which example you lot might find a jazz fix, but the low strings in those are usually chosen for tension when tuned to low A.)

• #11

Couldn't you just purchase a pack of strings for a 7-cord and throw away the highest one?

Or you could just buy a set of baritone strings. D'addario XL157 would be my suggestion for the OP. Fender has some sets besides. I'll add that personally I'd go with a 25.five scale guitar simply at the tension he's using I don't think there would be much tuning consequence. I actually similar baritone tuned "regular" guitars because going to a Dano or Bass VI is too much of a stretch for me in a regular gig situation.

• #12

Or yous could just buy a ready of baritone strings. D'addario XL157 would be my suggestion for the OP. Fender has some sets equally well. I'll add together that personally I'd get with a 25.5 scale guitar but at the tension he'southward using I don't call up at that place would be much tuning consequence. I actually similar baritone tuned "regular" guitars because going to a Dano or Bass VI is besides much of a stretch for me in a regular gig situation.

I've got an extra set of Baritone Lights from D'addario- but not sure if I could get abroad with 13s... In whatsoever case, this thread has me convinced to give information technology a shot.

Thanks for your replies everyone!

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Source: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads%2Ftuning-a-standard-guitar-to-baritone-range.1482892%2F

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