25.5" scale baritone - can it be done?

[DarrelT]

Couldn't you just shift the strings and add a heavier one for the low b?

[Orang Goreng]

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".

[Orang Goreng]

TGM 3(12), 1994, p52-54. Apologies for the small font size, I underestimated the page width this window can handle.

[Orang Goreng]

[Orang Goreng]

[DarrelT]

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.

[matthew]

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.

[aen]

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.

[MiHu]

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

[DarrelT]

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 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.

[flatfiver]

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.

[DarrelT]

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.

[aen]

You can even do a 24" scale baritone!

index.php?topic=580.0

[cmatthes]

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.