Tacoma Baritone Thunderhawk

harmarsh

good condition baritone guitar with pickup and hardcase. collection only in somerset. 

£1100

https://imgur.com/VIR8Zng

https://imgur.com/vN8hBqT

harmarsh

I forgot all about this and actually started using the guitar again, now another potential purchase is looming. £1000 before it goes to ebay.

Tannin

Unsolicited plug.

This is a unique and very, very special instrument at - if the condition is good - a very good price. If it was in Australia (where I live) I'd be all over it like a rash. As it is I contacted a UK-based mate from decades back giving him first chance to grab it before all you Fretboarders saw it, but he's just blown his budget comprehensively and won't be in the running.

The Tacoma Thunderhawk  is a huge jumbo with a very long neck (736mm scale length - 29 inches) and tone to die for.

It was designed to be tuned to A - i.e., a whole tone lower than a standard baritone - and has the body size and resonance to do justice to that very low tuning. Now you can do that with it if you want to and it's a worthy instrument that way, but rather limited in my book.

The thing to do with a Thunderhawk is put light gauge baritone strings on it and tune it to C. https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/string-sets-c865/acoustic-guitar-c33/john-pearse-80-20-bronze-15-68-baritone-acoustic-guitar-strings-light-p10318 This transforms it from an interesting curiosity of somewhat limited use into a mainstream tone monster. That low C is the same note as the low note on a cello, and the tone my Thunderhawk produces is cello-like indeed.

Now mine is a top-of-the-range BF28c in figured maple while this is (by the look of it) a cheaper BM6c in mahogany. (Both have Sitka Spruce tops, of course.) So they will sound different. But not very different unless I miss my guess. 

You will find it is not difficult to play despite the vast size of it. Yes, it's a little bit stretchy but way less than a bass and in any case you'll find yourself playing a little more slowly and using less complex voicings as the rich, deep tone is such that you won't feel the need to fancy things up as much as you do on a standard guitar. 

DISCLAIMER: I don't know @harmarsh and you must make your own assessment of whether he or she is a nice person to deal with, and whether the guitar is in good condition and so on. All the usual things apply. But if it's in decent condition, it's a wonderful and very special instrument. 

PS: Tacoma guitars often suffer from orange peel finish. Don't worry about that. It's practically a badge of authenticity and has no effect on the sound or the lasting qualities of the timber.