A baritone guitar is a six-stringed guitar tuned to B-E-A-D-G, which is lower than the standard tuning of E-A-D-G. The baritone guitar was first invented by Gibson and is similar in size to a bass guitar. It has a deeper sound, although it can be played with less volume. Converting from a standard guitar to a baritone can be done and doesn’t take much effort! In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about how to convert a guitar to baritone.
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The history of the baritone guitar
The baritone guitar is a six-stringed guitar tuned to B-E-A-D-G. It was first invented by Gibson and has a deeper sound than the standard tuning of E-A-D-G. The baritone guitar is similar in size to a bass guitar, with a deep, full tone that can be played at lower volume.
The baritone guitar was first invented by Gibson in 1935. Gibson did this because they wanted to make guitars accessible for everyone, and many people had trouble playing the high strings on electric steel guitars. They wanted to create an instrument that was easier to play, and the baritone quickly became popular because it had such a warm tone.
Overview of the conversion process
The conversion process from a standard guitar to a baritone is not too complicated. You will just need to make a few modifications to your instrument.
First, you’ll need to restring the guitar with lower-tension strings. The width and thickness of the strings will also be different – they’ll be thicker and wider than the standard ones. This is because the soundbox size on a baritone is larger than that of a standard guitar!
Another thing you’ll have to do is lower the bridge on your instrument. The neck angle relative to the body is also different on this type of guitar so the bridge needs to be adjusted accordingly. To achieve this, you’ll need to shorten the back of your saddle by 1/8th inch and raise it by 3/16th inch.
Lastly, we recommend installing new tuners because they are more durable for this type of string material and provide improved tuning stability.
Conversion Process
Start by tuning the guitar to E flat. Slide the bridge up as close as you can to the nut. This will give you maximum string height, which is necessary for conversion. Remove the strings from the tuning pegs and place them on the new tuning pegs for E flat. The string that was tuned to E should be placed on the G string peg, and so forth. Adjust the intonation of each string so that it sounds in tune with your original guitar strings when they were tuned to standard tuning (EADGBE). Once this is done, replace all of your strings with baritone strings. The thickness and material of these strings will vary depending on your preference, but make sure they are slightly thicker than regular guitar strings.
Bridge and Nut Adjustments
The first step is to make adjustments to the bridge and nut. The bridge will need to be lowered, while the nut will need to be raised. This can be done with a screwdriver or wrench. You’ll also have to raise the strings on the guitar by wrapping them around their tuning pegs and tightening them so they don’t snap. Once those steps are completed, you’re ready for the next step-tuning your guitar!
To tune a guitar into a baritone, you’ll need to tune it down three whole steps-from E down to D. If you want a half step down, then you’ll go from A down to G. You’re now ready for your first test strum!
Tools Needed to Convert a Guitar
– Guitar
– Phillips Head Screwdriver
– Adjustable Wrench
– Nut Slotting File (optional)
– String Cutter (optional)
– Baritone Guitar Strings
The first step is to remove the strings and bridge. You’ll need to loosen the strings on the neck before detaching them, otherwise they might break. After that, you’ll need to detach the bridge in order to remove it. The bridge is held in place by string tension, which makes this process difficult and tedious. You may find it easier with an adjustable wrench or nut slotting file if you have one available. Remove the old baritone guitar strings from the guitar and attach your new ones in their place. Adjusting the tuning of the strings can be done by turning the tuning pegs at the headstock by alternating between forward and backward rotation until you reach your desired pitch for each string. Once all of these steps are completed, you should be all set!
Strings
The first thing you’ll need to do is change the strings on your guitar. The traditional E-A-D-G-B-E tuning will have to be changed to A-D-G-B-E for baritone conversion. You’ll also need heavier strings.
Fretboard Material and Trim
The first step of converting your guitar to baritone is deciding what you want to do with the fretboard. You have a choice between rosewood and ebony, which are both great options. Ebony is more durable, but rosewood will give you better tone.
If you’re not sure about how to choose, think about the sound and feel you’re looking for. Do you want a darker sound or a lighter sound? You’ll also need to consider how much maintenance the fretboard will require. Rosewood needs less care than ebony, but it won’t last as long.
Another factor to keep in mind is the type of trim you’d like on your neck. If you decide on ebony, then it’s best to keep the neck natural-looking so that it doesn’t stand out against the darker fretboard material. However, if you choose rosewood, then an abalone or mother of pearl inlay is a great option.
Tuning the strings
The first thing you want to do when converting is tuning the strings. You’ll want to tune your baritone guitar’s strings to B-E-A-D-G and not E-A-D-G like a standard guitar. This means that if you played an E chord on a standard guitar, it will sound like an A chord when converted to baritone tuning.
The easiest way to tune the strings is by using an online tuner. These are fairly easy to find online and should only take a few minutes at most. If you prefer, you can also use a tuning fork or another instrument with similar notes as the six strings of your guitar for tuning purposes.
One thing you’ll need to do before converting is tuning all of your strings. Converting to a baritone tuning will require lowering the first three strings (E, A, D). The standard guitar tuning for EADGBE is:
1st String- Low E – E
2nd String-A – A
3rd String-D – D
4th String-G – G
5th String-B – B
6th String-High E – High E
Choosing a guitar strap
You’ll need a strap that is longer than your standard guitar strap. The baritone guitar has a wider neck and the strap needs to be able to accommodate it. You can buy this type of strap from stores like Musicians Friend or any other music store.
Changing from standard folk guitar to baritone
The first step to converting from a standard guitar to baritone is lowering the strings. Locate where the tuning pegs are on your guitar and loosen them with a wrench. If you can’t find them, try looking at the bridge for two screws that are holding down the strings. Once all of the strings have been loosened, take out the thinner string and replace it with a thicker string. Repeat this process with the other three strings.
Once all of the tuning pegs have been loosened and replaced, tighten the tuning pegs by turning them in an anti-clockwise motion until they become tight. After that, retune your guitar to B-E-A-D-G and then tune each string individually by turning each peg anticlockwise until they sound right on pitch and then tighten it again by turning it clockwise. You should now be playing a baritone guitar.
How to convert a guitar to baritone FAQS
If you know how to play the bass guitar, you can easily learn how to play the baritone. Learning the baritone is relatively simple as they have many similarities between bass guitars and standard guitars.
First, get an electric tuner. The best type of tuner is one that has a needle that moves along with the sound (also called needle-style tuners). You’ll also need some form of electronic tuning device, which can be smartphone or tablet apps for tuning, or small electronic devices such as this chromatic guitar tuner. Finally, if your current strings are nylon, you’ll want to replace them with metal strings. If you are converting from a steel string acoustic/electric guitar, you might want to replace your low E string with either a G or D string from your acoustic/electric set so that it will be easier on your fingers when playing chords and scales in the lower octave range.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a more versatile instrument that you can use for a variety of purposes, a conversion to a baritone might be your best bet. The baritone guitar is tuned the same way as a standard guitar, but with a longer scale length. If you already have a guitar, converting it to a baritone is an easy and inexpensive project.
Converting a guitar to baritone may sound like a daunting task, but with this guide you will be able to convert your guitar in a few simple steps.
A baritone guitar has a deeper sound than a regular folk-guitar and is tuned an octave lower. Baritone guitars are perfect for beginners who are interested in the bass strings of an acoustic guitar. All you need is a baritone guitar conversion kit, a screwdriver and some time.
