scale patterns, and licks remain the same—
everything simply sounds lower. Pitch-wise,
a baritone sits between a guitar and a bass.
(Some people refer to a guitar tuned an
octave below standard as a “baritone,” but
technically a sub-octave guitar is a “bass VI,”
which takes its name from the long-scale
Fender instrument introduced in 1961.)
On a baritone, the scale length—the
distance from the string nut to the bridge
saddles—typically falls between 27" and
29". String gauges range from .012 for the
1st string up to .072 for the 6th string.
Several string manufacturers, including
D’Addario, Ernie Ball, GHS, Elixir, and La
Bella make baritone sets.
In the late 1950s, Danelectro unveiled
the world’s first long-scale electric guitar
and it quickly found a home in popular
music. Once film and television composers
heard Duane Eddy’s 1959 “Rebel Walk,”
the Dano’s gnarly twang spread like wildfire.
Even Wes Montgomery got into the act
playing bass VI on his 1960 album Movin’
Along (check out “Sandu” and “Tune-Up” to
hear some ripping drop-tuned bebop). The
Beach Boys used the instrument to fatten up
“Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Caroline, No”
and Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman”
and “Galveston” featured gorgeous long-scale
guitar solos. At the time, the available instruments were tuned an octave below guitar,
but it wouldn’t be long before the baritone
evolved as a unique 6-string pitched between
the bass VI and standard guitar.
Over the years, the baritone’s popularity
has grown from initially being considered a
“color” instrument for studio musicians to
now having a significant presence in country,
jazz, metal, and—thanks to the Cure—alter-
native and indie rock. In fact, some contem-
porary guitarists consider the baritone’s growl
e l m
essential to their sonic palette—and a few
even make it their primary instrument.
overview and Caveats
We began this project with a 2011 Fender
American Vintage ’ 69 Tele Thinline. The
owner had selected this specific model
because he wanted a Thinline with a 4-bolt
neck, and most Fender Thinlines (such as
the American Vintage ’ 72) have a 3-bolt
configuration. He’d also ordered a Warmoth
baritone neck (WD Music Products and
USA Custom Guitars also make bari necks),
and my job was to create a viable instrument from these parts without making any
irreversible modifications. This meant he
could always take his Tele back to its original form without devaluing it.
Be aware that this is not always possible
with a baritone conversion. When installing a replacement neck, the most critical
element is how well (or even if ) it fits the
neck pocket. When retrofitting a neck, the
two most common problems are the neck
pocket being too loose or too tight, or the
neck screws not lining up with the holes in b
pocket being too loose or too tight, or the
the new neck. Solving either of these issues
requires irreversible modifications to the
neck or body—or both.
Without the proper tools and skills, this
type of project can quickly turn into an absolute nightmare. If you’re thinking of doing
a bari conversion on your own, I urge you
to read this article from beginning to end so
Tools You Need
for this Baritone
Conversion Project
to replace the neck
and do a setup:
• Large and small Phillips screwdrivers
• Electric drill and small drill bits
• 6" precision metal ruler
• Rubber- or nylon-tipped hammer
• Soldering iron tip or round, sharp
pilot-hole starter
• Gauged nut slotting files
• Allen wrench set
• Truss rod wrench
• String action gauge
• String radius gauges
to cut a bone string nut
(optional):
• Bone saddle blank
• Precision shaping file
• Machinist rule
• Mechanical pencil
• Radius block
• 600-grit paper
• Super glue
e
