25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
- DarrelT
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25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
Couldn't you just shift the strings and add a heavier one for the low b?
- Orang Goreng
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
I remember a review in the UK mag " The Guitar Magazine (TGM)" from somewhere in the '90s. Reviewed was a jazzmaster-shaped Hohner custom shop baritone guitar (it may or may not have been called "hollywood") that had a 25.5" scale. It was meant to be tuned G-G, but E-E was also tried, and apparently it worked.
Based on that review I put bass strings (plus some low guitar strings) on a strat copy, and sure enough, it was usable with an E-E tuning. Floppy, but usable.
I still have that mag somewhere, I'll see if I can dig it up.
Edit: found it, I'll scan the article. The name of the guitar is "Hohner custom edition Hollywood Bass VI".
Based on that review I put bass strings (plus some low guitar strings) on a strat copy, and sure enough, it was usable with an E-E tuning. Floppy, but usable.
I still have that mag somewhere, I'll see if I can dig it up.
Edit: found it, I'll scan the article. The name of the guitar is "Hohner custom edition Hollywood Bass VI".
Last edited by Orang Goreng on Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- Orang Goreng
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
TGM 3(12), 1994, p52-54. Apologies for the small font size, I underestimated the page width this window can handle.
Last edited by Orang Goreng on Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- Orang Goreng
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man's a freak.
- Orang Goreng
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man's a freak.
- DarrelT
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
Thanks O.G.
I also found that these string sets...
A baritone set..
EXL158 - Light
Item# Note inches mm lbs kg
PL013 B 0.013 0.33 20.9 9.49
PL017 F# 0.017 0.43 20 9.08
NW026 D 0.026 0.66 25 11.35
NW036 A 0.036 0.91 26.5 12.03
NW046 E 0.046 1.17 23.8 10.81
NW062 B 0.062 1.57 24.6 11.17
and a medium flat set..
D'Addario Electric Guitar Chromes Flat Wound Medium, .013 - .056, ECG26
1st E Plain Steel Locked Twist Ball End .013 27.4
2nd B Plain Steel Locked Twist Ball End .017 26.3
3rd G Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .026 35.1
4th D Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .035 35.1
5th A Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .045 32.9
6th E Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .056 27.0
I'd much rather go flats if possible. Also looking for a B-B tuning.
If this would work for 25.5" scale, I'm gonna have to rethink some of my projects.
I also found that these string sets...
A baritone set..
EXL158 - Light
Item# Note inches mm lbs kg
PL013 B 0.013 0.33 20.9 9.49
PL017 F# 0.017 0.43 20 9.08
NW026 D 0.026 0.66 25 11.35
NW036 A 0.036 0.91 26.5 12.03
NW046 E 0.046 1.17 23.8 10.81
NW062 B 0.062 1.57 24.6 11.17
and a medium flat set..
D'Addario Electric Guitar Chromes Flat Wound Medium, .013 - .056, ECG26
1st E Plain Steel Locked Twist Ball End .013 27.4
2nd B Plain Steel Locked Twist Ball End .017 26.3
3rd G Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .026 35.1
4th D Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .035 35.1
5th A Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .045 32.9
6th E Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .056 27.0
I'd much rather go flats if possible. Also looking for a B-B tuning.
If this would work for 25.5" scale, I'm gonna have to rethink some of my projects.
- matthew
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
Very interesting...
About 15 years ago I tried a similar thing with a strat copy I had lying around. I put bass strings and low guitar strings on it, and tuned it E-E. Although it worked reasonably,
I found that the string tension was just not good enough, and the low E and A n particular were too floppy. I can't tell you what guage strings I used (whatever I could find - I was just starting University, and had no money - buying a set of Bass strings was out of the question, so strings were used until they broke, and then if I could fix them, I'd use them again).
It had potential though, and if I had the money to experiment with string guages, and perhaps try a A-A or B-B tuning it might have been more successful.
About 15 years ago I tried a similar thing with a strat copy I had lying around. I put bass strings and low guitar strings on it, and tuned it E-E. Although it worked reasonably,
I found that the string tension was just not good enough, and the low E and A n particular were too floppy. I can't tell you what guage strings I used (whatever I could find - I was just starting University, and had no money - buying a set of Bass strings was out of the question, so strings were used until they broke, and then if I could fix them, I'd use them again).
It had potential though, and if I had the money to experiment with string guages, and perhaps try a A-A or B-B tuning it might have been more successful.
- aen
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
Of course! I rock a modified B-B on a squier tele. .70-.11 strings. WOrks great! YOu can even go as light as 56 or so, but it gets a little floppy at that point.
I prefer their older stuff.
- MiHu
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
Having read from jaguar bass vi owners that the low e on their instruments (28,5") is a bit floppy, I imagine the low e on a 25,5" would be very floppy!
I'm currently fantasizing about a jaguar bass vi used as a baritone guitar a-a or b-b
I'm currently fantasizing about a jaguar bass vi used as a baritone guitar a-a or b-b
- DarrelT
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
I'm not interested in going E-E on a 25.5" scale, but rather B-B. The Fender Custom Shop Bajo Sexto is approx 30" (ish) and has a B-B and an A-A set designed (or at least named) for it.MiHu wrote: Having read from jaguar bass vi owners that the low e on their instruments (28,5") is a bit floppy, I imagine the low e on a 25,5" would be very floppy!
I'm currently fantasizing about a jaguar bass vi used as a baritone guitar a-a or b-b
- flatfiver
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
Most 7-string guitars I believe are standard scale lengths. As long as you use heavy enough strings it ought to work out well enough to do A-A or B-B tuning on a 25.5" scale.
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- DarrelT
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
Okay, so here's a flatwound 7 string set.
D'Addario Electric Guitar Chromes 7-string Jazz Lite, .011 - .065, ECG24-7
NOTE DESCRIPTION DIAMETER INCHES TENSION LBS
1st E Plain Steel Locked Twist Ball End .011 19.6
2nd B Plain Steel Locked Twist Ball End .015 20.5
3rd G Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .022 25.3
4th D Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .030 24.6
5th A Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .040 25.8
6th E Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .050 21.5
7th B Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .065 22.9
Geez, this may actually work. I'm used to playing the Chromes 11's, and this set's guages are the same. Only thing I may want to change is a .020 plain for the wound 0.022.
D'Addario Electric Guitar Chromes 7-string Jazz Lite, .011 - .065, ECG24-7
NOTE DESCRIPTION DIAMETER INCHES TENSION LBS
1st E Plain Steel Locked Twist Ball End .011 19.6
2nd B Plain Steel Locked Twist Ball End .015 20.5
3rd G Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .022 25.3
4th D Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .030 24.6
5th A Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .040 25.8
6th E Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .050 21.5
7th B Chromes Stainless Steel Flat Wound .065 22.9
Geez, this may actually work. I'm used to playing the Chromes 11's, and this set's guages are the same. Only thing I may want to change is a .020 plain for the wound 0.022.
Last edited by DarrelT on Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
- aen
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
I prefer their older stuff.
- cmatthes
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Re: 25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?
If you're starting from scratch or parts, try a reverse headstock 6-in-line. Same scale, but the extra string length on the bass strings really does make a difference.