Need a Baritone - PRS SE-277? Duesenberg? Reverend Descent?

AngryGoldfish

I've always wanted a baritone, but it's only in the last year or so that my music has really needed one. So I'm gonna sell my vintage Ibanez, which I don't play any more but is an awesome instrument, and buy a baritone. I'd love some thoughts on which one to go for. The main culprits are the PRS SE-277 Semi-Hollow Soapbar, Reverend Descent W, Duesenberg D6, Hagstrom Viking Deluxe, and Supro Westbury. Used there's the Fender Blacktop Baritone and Ibanez MMM1. Dunno what else there is. 

I don't really want humbuckers, and definitely not hot or active ones, but some humbuckers have enough cut. P90s would be perfect. The scale length really can't go beyond 28" as I play a lot of weird-ass chords with painful stretches. It's hard enough on a Gretsch, let alone a 30". As long as it's above 25.5" and below 28", I'm down. Budget is around £1000. I'm flexible with most other aspects. Used or new, floating or hardtail, colour, finish, woods, doesn't matter. I'd rather avoid any 'metal' looking guitars as they generally have EMGs and not fret markers, but pickups can always be swapped out and I can get used to no fret markers if the guitar is right. The ESP LTD MH-400B and Ibanez RGIB6 fit that bill. 

Daneff

I did a mini review in my amp build thread of the SE-277. Theres an audio clip in there. Lovely guitar. One was on facebook at a great price very recently as they dont seem to pop up as very niche. Stock pickups are ace, i have some bareknuckles in a box but havn't been bothered to fit them yet

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/101878/custom-amp-build-ngd#latest. ;

Funkfingers

What about the Burns Barracuda? @HarrySeven is the man to ask about them.

Eastwood Guitars probably still does at least one baritone instrument. 

Pre-owned Steinberger Synapse Trans-scale? 

Possibly, the most practical option would be to purchase one of your existing Fender-derived guitars a Baritone conversion neck.

AngryGoldfish

@Daneff I'm reading through the thread now. You mentioned the fat neck. I'm not big into... big necks, but with the limited choice of baritone guitars and the nature of them not being shred machine, and also possibly requiring more mass to stay stable, I might have to lump it. 

@Funkfingers The Barracuda is 30" in scale. I do think I could get used to a 30" neck, but it would limit what I could play dramatically. 

I've looked into Eastwood, but unless I can try one out I don't know if I can trust them. The custom shop stuff might be a safer bet, like the Jeff Senn Model One Baritone. PRS and Reverend are usually a sure thing. 

I could look into retrofitting a baritone neck to a Tele body, but the better baritone guitars, so I've read, are usually ones that were built to be baritone guitars. As in, it's not just the neck that's longer, the distance between the bridge and the neck is longer as well. 

grungebob

Take a look at Jericho guitars, they do a lot of baritone options even multi scale that might work well for you. 

NelsonP

Just read this. Now I want a baritone too. Despite having no apparent need for one previously. 

AngryGoldfish

@grungebob Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about Jericho. Thanks for the heads up!

@NelsonP Going to see Jessica Lea Mayfield perform in Dublin earlier this year solidified my need for a baritone. She uses the Gretsch G5265 Jet and she let me have a little mess about on it. She's a pretty slight thing and has to play it like a bass guitar. That's fine for her stuff because it's generally quite stripped down (punk-rock mixed with folk kind of style), but my stuff is more like... post-metal mixed with folk... As in, all those weird chords from bands like Periphery but with folk and indie leanings. 

DarnWeight

Cort Sunset Baritone?  They're discontinued, but you do see NOS and used ones pop up.  They come close to ticking a lot of your boxes - scale is 28.5", pickups are TV Jones Magnas (Dyansonic-voiced, but humbucking), very Gretschy looking.  Chambered body too, so not as much of a boat anchor as some baris.  I love mine.

Very few videos/clips out there, but the first minute and a bit of this one should give you some idea if it's the kind of thing you're after...

TheMarlin

TV Jones (or Gretsch) Spectrasonic baritone sounds pretty damn epic. https://youtu.be/1VKYLJeXDwo

Creed_Clicks

In your budget, I'd say the Rev Descent would be the one with all around best reviews. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the Supro if you've played one?
There's also Third Eye Guitars who make baritones with passive humbuckers.

Creed_Clicks

AngryGoldfish said:

@grungebob Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about Jericho. Thanks for the heads up!

@NelsonP Going to see Jessica Lea Mayfield perform in Dublin earlier this year solidified my need for a baritone. She uses the Gretsch G5265 Jet and she let me have a little mess about on it. She's a pretty slight thing and has to play it like a bass guitar. That's fine for her stuff because it's generally quite stripped down (punk-rock mixed with folk kind of style), but my stuff is more like... post-metal mixed with folk... As in, all those weird chords from bands like Periphery but with folk and indie leanings. 

How did you find the Gretsch? I've heard mixed reviews? What's the scale lenght on them again?

AngryGoldfish

@Creed_Clicks Lea Mayfield's Gretsch was lovely. A bit of a dead plank acoustically, but my Japanese Ibanez AR100 is a dead plank acoustically. It's only when you plug it in that it becomes something awesome. It's also hard to judge the guitar as a whole on her example since she's a professional touring musician and has had the instrument for years. I imagine it's been worked on quite a few times and improved by various experienced techs and studio guys. The scale length was indeed quite a challenge (30" or thereabouts), and the weight of the guitar wasn't to be snuffed at either. I lift much heavier weights at the gym, but I don't like heavy guitars. It's the main reason I don't play my Ibanez any more. 

I haven't been able to try any Supro guitars. There is actually a dealer in Ireland (which is weird since Ireland usually only ever stocks Fender/Gibson/Martin-type stuff. But when I asked about their only Supro guitar on their wall, the guy who owns the shop said the guitars were not that good and he wasn't going to be getting them in any more. He loves the amps and pedals and stocks them, but he wasn't enthused by the guitars at all. I've read a few other people say they weren't impressed by the new Supro guitars. I trust the dude since he's created rather quickly arguably the best guitar shop in Ireland and stocks the likes of Chase Bliss and B&G. He deals mostly with used instruments and they're usually all excellent. 

@TheMarlin I'd LOVE a TV Jones baritone, but unless I can find one used, they're out of my price range. 

@DarnWeight Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for a used one. 

NelsonP

Now I've seen this



I like the black one.

£300.

Must......resist......

Bridgehouse

Bryn Terfel?

Funkfingers

Technically, B. T. Jones is a bass baritone.

AngryGoldfish

Bridgehouse said:

Bryn Terfel?

Now he's definitely going to be too heavy. xD

Bridgehouse

AngryGoldfish said:

Bridgehouse said:

Bryn Terfel?

Now he's definitely going to be too heavy. xD

Lol and the ongoing maintenance costs would be extortionate

Bridgehouse

Funkfingers said:

Technically, B. T. Jones is a bass baritone.

I try to avoid technical accuracy in my jokes and aim more for “in the ballpark”

ToneControl

Baritone black top tele? might be some still around

AngryGoldfish

@ToneControl Yeah, I'm keeping my eye out for one of those. 

ToneControl

AngryGoldfish said:

@ToneControl Yeah, I'm keeping my eye out for one of those. 

I changed the pickups on mine
put a Joe Barden on the bridge, it needs something crisper, and noise-cancelling fenders on the other 2

Be wary: mine was an early one, and the intonation could not be set properly without a bit of work from my luthier. Fender Uk paid for this, so it was not a subjective problem - the posts were set in a place that meant the saddles couldn't go far enough. I think he reversed a couple, and did some other thing to sort it out, So take a tuner if you buy one.