Baritone guitar project...

seachto7

Hi all,

Picked up this super strat on adverts yesterday, and am thinking of doing it up, and getting a baritone neck made for it. I would probably leave the stock pickups in it, but might refinish it, and will get new hardware for it too. When I say I'll do it, well, someone else will, but I'll pick up the parts for it...

A guy I know who is getting into guitar building would be interested in taking it on as a project too..

Any thoughts, opinions?

martinedwards

certainly do-able.

watch your measurements. I'd get a big sheet of card and draw out the bridge and neck pocket, then from that you mark on your nut at the scale length.

then work back to find how long the neck needs to be.

straight forward enough, but you'll need to have your brain switched on!!

seachto7

Yup, the guy who will hopefully do it, has built his own bass guitar already. I would go for something standard, neck wise, (when it comes to baritone).

I will more than likely replace the bridge too, anything I should take into account for a baritone?

Squidgy Black

Other than using heavy strings like .13s and up, I can't imagine you having problems. Stock pickups mightn't capture the low end, that's the only thing.

zafo

I'd just put a set 12/13s and down tune the hell out of it rather than going full baritone on it, save yourself a load of hassle. Which Baritone tuning were you thinking of using?

Other than that, you can get the neck and then measure bridge out from there don't think you need to get a particular bridge but I'd go hardtail for tuning stability.

I've seen some cool Dano projects where they've taken a short scale bass and filled the tuner holes and replaced with six guitar tuners and a new bridge to make it a baritone.

seachto7

Yeah, the bridge looks like it has been through the wars, so I'd like to replace that.
There's a thick C shaped neck on it at the moment. Like a baseball bat!
I could replace the pickups too. I'm going to get a new volume and tone nob, as well, as a new pup selector switch.

I do like thinner necks, but would try and use this with a lower string gauge if you recommended it?

What would you recommend for passive baritone humbucker replacements?

From what I can gather, most baritones are tuned to B or C, correct? Is there a "standard" baritone tuning?

I played a Dano off the shelf, but couldn't tell you what it was tuned to. It just sounded great. So I would have the option of getting a longer scale neck fitted if it paid off in the long run.

Also, is there anywhere I could get a replacement plastic cover for the electrics in the back?

Any recommendations on a hardtail bridge? I could just go o stewmac and make a bulk order!

seachto7

So, ordered the woods for it already.

Any ideas on a bridge for it? Will post pics as this progresses. (slowly)

seachto7

Update on the baritone project.

I have abandoned the idea of using the guitar in the original pics for this. The wood on the body is very light.

I am now going to buy some wood and have it designed like a fender telecaster. I'm not going to model it on the blacktop telecaster HSS baritone though.

However, would I be right in assuming that stock tele single coils won't capture the low end?

My options could be route the body for 2 humbuckers, or get single coil size humbuckers and install as normal on a tele body..

Ravelleman

seachto7 wrote: »

I have abandoned the idea of using the guitar in the original pics for this. The wood on the body is very light.

Why is this a bad thing?

seachto7

I was informed that it's probably not the best wood. It's a cheapo guitar, so not too sure. I don't know what the wood is myself to be honest...

The guy who is going to build it suggested I could get some nice wood and go for it. He'll shape it. I kind of agree.

Basically, he's new to the game of axe building, has already built his own bass, which is a beaut so if I buy the woods, he won't charge me for labour. So I reckon I could get a nice guitar out of it..... May as well go all out....

Ravelleman

It could be plywood but that doesn´t necessarily mean it will sound bad.

There´s nothing inherently wrong with light wood either. I much prefer lighter guitars to heavy guitars. People talk about how heavy Les Pauls and the like sound better but it´s just part of the mystique. Light wood is more expensive.

Squidgy Black

Yeah the body could be plywood, but if you're getting a body made out of ash or basswood for cheap then why not go for it.
Decent tele pickups could capture the low end I'm sure, the modern player baritone uses standard tele pickups.

seachto7

Any advice on pickups?

I was looking at the seymour duncan site, and they also have single coil size humbuckers, so that could work too...

I assume I'll be needing pickups to take advantage of the low end...

They don't have to be SD pickups, but I just used it as a reference...