baritone uke ==> parlor guitar

jupiteruke

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Let me state right off, that I have never liked the feel of a guitar. They are simply too big, they don't sit comfortably in your lap, you have to reach way around to play them, etc.

A friend brought over a baritone uke she had purchased at a yard sale for $5. It needed a bit of tune-up, but was basically in pretty good shape. Got some new strings for it and I really liked the sound. So much so that I decided to make the forms and templates to make a baritone instead of just tenors. Now a baritone is tuned 1/5 below a tenor, that makes the 4 strings the same as the top 4 strings on a guitar. I realized that I could put a 6 string neck on the baritone body, instead of a 4 string neck, and I would have a little 'parlor' guitar. So that is what I did.

20 3/8" scale length, strung with Saverez high-tension classical guitar strings. It sounds really good, is small, personal, sits lovely in one's lap as one tries to learn to play guitar. I encourage baritone builders to try putting on a 6 string neck and help bring back the very 'personal' guitar.

Cocobolo back and sides, sitka spruce top, curly maple binding, K&K Twin-Spot passive electric pickup.

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Nice looking, well made instrument. I admit I am a sucker for cocobolo... Mmmmmmm cocobolo... I always liked the look and feel of the parlor guitar but loved the power and sound of a dreadnought. After playing ukulele for so long, I played a friend's Martin D-28 dreadnought the other day and it felt like I was holding a frigging horse in lap! Felt very strange after playing so much uke lately.
 
I made all the baritone jigs and forms to make myself a ukulele bass from a buzzard field kit. It came out great and now I have cut the soundboards out of the same lump of walnut for a baritone uke to match. Maybe I could also do a parlour guitar to match them both. Good idea
 
I think five strings makes a lot of sense in that size. Same as guitar without the low E. It just gets in the way anyway.
After reading Keith Richards' book I highly recommend giving it a try.
-Vinnie in Juneau
 
Love the size of a smaller guitar. Built a couple of steel strings and a nylon, around 22" scale, bodies under 16" in length and 12-13" in widths. Have one Walnut cut out for around 11", still need to decide on the scale length though.
 
I used Savarez S.A. Cristal Corum High Tension strings thinking the 'high tension' would better deal with a shorter scale length, which means a floppier string. They seem good, a friend who is a guitar player had no complaints about string tension / floppiness.

It is tuned like a standard guitar.
 
Of course you can buy strings individually, tailoring the tension to suit. Unfortunately plain strings can become a little thick and muddy sounding when the gauge gets a little thick. Instruments that are around this scale length fit better when tuned in 'A' (as in the Guitalele) or in 'G'. That's not to say that you can't tune in 'E' though, a lot depends on what you are prepared to accept in terms of tension. I played a 19 1/2" scale in E and it was fine. It did sound better in G though.
 
great build. A fun instrument to play I'll bet. An interesting concept is a take off on the Tacoma Papoose, which was tuned A, just like a guitar capo on the 5th fret. 19" scale. It is an instrument that gets a lot of love. I am going to build two this winter Koa/redwood. One will be a six string the other a tenor guitar.
Vinnie in Juneau is right about the 5 string tuned open G, aka Keith Richards style. I have an old Guild dreadnaught set up that way and it is a blast to play. I may have to consider making a small parlor that way.
 
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