imperialbari
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2010
- Messages
- 123
- Reaction score
- 1
My baritone is a Clearwater roundback (like my concert). Not very prestigious, but not distilled junk either.
When it came, the strings allegedly were Aquilas, but I doubt that, as the strings were black and not very sophisticated.
I soon changed them to the original Aquila nylgut strings, which were better, but not as alive, easy-played, and projecting as I would like. Since then I also have tried Martin and Addario strings, which where even worse.
As tenor and concert strings come much longer than needed, I got the idea to try them on the baritone, as at least the thickness would be less of a problem.
My little stock of spare strings now was all-Aquilas with the tenor strings being the new nylgut version.
I had to give up on the concert strings. They were long enough, but at least the 4th string was rough in one end, so that the sounding length of string wouldn’t be all smooth, when mounted on the baritone.
The scale of the baritone is roughly 15% longer than the tenor scale, so from pure Pythagorean math one might expect the ideal tuning being a little less than a minor third lower than the tenor.
However my ears prefer the tuning to be in Ab a major third below the tenor. And a semitone above the 4 top strings of the guitar, which is all fine with me. I practice chord progressions all around the circle of fifths, but some keys definitely are less friendly than others. That is where transposing instruments are helpful.
I like the response and clarity of the tenor strings on the baritone, and they are a bit easier to hold down. It also feels like I am a little less prone to un-intendedly dampen strings in (for me) more complex fingerings.
If I have become a radically better player? No way! But at my modest level all help is welcome.
To be fair part of the clarity may come from linear to re-entrant tuning.
Klaus
When it came, the strings allegedly were Aquilas, but I doubt that, as the strings were black and not very sophisticated.
I soon changed them to the original Aquila nylgut strings, which were better, but not as alive, easy-played, and projecting as I would like. Since then I also have tried Martin and Addario strings, which where even worse.
As tenor and concert strings come much longer than needed, I got the idea to try them on the baritone, as at least the thickness would be less of a problem.
My little stock of spare strings now was all-Aquilas with the tenor strings being the new nylgut version.
I had to give up on the concert strings. They were long enough, but at least the 4th string was rough in one end, so that the sounding length of string wouldn’t be all smooth, when mounted on the baritone.
The scale of the baritone is roughly 15% longer than the tenor scale, so from pure Pythagorean math one might expect the ideal tuning being a little less than a minor third lower than the tenor.
However my ears prefer the tuning to be in Ab a major third below the tenor. And a semitone above the 4 top strings of the guitar, which is all fine with me. I practice chord progressions all around the circle of fifths, but some keys definitely are less friendly than others. That is where transposing instruments are helpful.
I like the response and clarity of the tenor strings on the baritone, and they are a bit easier to hold down. It also feels like I am a little less prone to un-intendedly dampen strings in (for me) more complex fingerings.
If I have become a radically better player? No way! But at my modest level all help is welcome.
To be fair part of the clarity may come from linear to re-entrant tuning.
Klaus