Guitar baritone

A Guitare baritone (or barytone, according to the word Baryton ) is a guitar tuned low than the traditional tuning semi - the - D - ground - if - semi thanks to a longer handle and with more spaced Frette S. It is located between the guitar and the low guitar. It exists primarily in version Electric guitar.

The length of its handle authorizes a Diapason larger than those usually met (26,50" or 27.50" and even 30" instead of 24.75" or 25.5" - tuning forks known as Gibson and Fender, respectively, for historical reasons). The tuning fork corresponding to the vibrating length of the cord S, it follows that a baritone can be granted low - for example in if serious instead of semi starting from the first cord, therefore if - semi - the - D - fa# - if (B-E-A-D-F#-B in international notation).

History

The baritone and seven cords

These guitars compete with and dissociate at the same time models seven cords: a guitar baritone with six cords amounts, if one sticks to considering the Tonalité S of the notes, removing the last acute cord of a guitar seven cords granted if serious. An immediate advantage is that a baritone makes it possible to avoid the use of ties of too high cords, which maltreat the fingers and cause more tension on the handle. For as much, the seven current cords often use a usual tie of cord, coupled for example with a raised rest, thus removing the risks of curling and the problems of accuracy. But the interest of a baritone does not lie in the tuning in if serious, accessible to the seven and even to the six cords.

A baritone authorizes tunings even more serious, which is its real characteristic. In fact, these guitars are especially currently used in metal, where they very often play the part of the rhythmic guitar supplementing the duet low - battery with dimensions of a guitar soloist. A baritone makes it possible to go without weakening until an octave below the standard tuning: handle and mechanics are adapted for at the same time supporting the tension of important ties of cords and offering the best resonance and the best definition of the possible notes. The more serious the tuning is, the more the tie of cord is raised, certainly, but less the variations of tension associated with its successive ties are felt. A very serious baritone granted approaches a low with very a sound good quality, which is impossible with one seven cords, more turned towards the rhythmic one and the positions of agreements - groups such as Metallica and Meshuggah are the illustration, and of the recent guitars such as the epiphone the Paul baritone also.

For as much, the guitarist virtuoso Steve Vai was made manufacture many guitars seven cords, which it contributed to popularize, and never complained some.

To however consider that the baritones are historically related to the metal is a coarse error. Well before the kind exists, Danelectro manufactured already baritones, used by the musicians of surfing-punk and psychobilly… and then taken again for film BO such as that of James Bond or by Enio Morricone for the westerns spaghetti. This famous expensive idea with the metal guitarists “the baritone is not that one seven cords with six cords” is completely false: the typical sound of the danelectro, the “twang” can be obtained only with one true baritone, whose cords are loose and vibrate lengthily, which is very different from a “normal” guitar: technically, the twang is related to a higher action, therefore with cords mollement tended to the more random and less precise attack. Moreover, the epiphone baritone mentioned above seems victim of the research of the metal guitarists of very precise definitions into rhythmic in serious tunings in its very saturated: why buy a baritone whereas the tension of cords with very strong tie on a “normal” guitar authorizes in agreement of drop D for example a much better definition than a little muddy twang of true the baritone. Moreover, the microphones are very different: the fatty humbuckers very rich in low registers of the Paul are one cannot further away from simple windings lipstick of a danelectro, them very close to the microphones handle of Télécaster… Paul will sound better last in a modern distortion standard Rocktron or Proco Rat and Danelectro in a tremor and a réverbe with spring: it is simply not the same guitar.

A last precision concerning metal: it is not enough to agree in if and of booster rocket the low registers of the distortion, still is necessary it to have an amplifier which boxes the sound and restores it in all its cavernosity. The amplifiers any lamps Orange and Sunn, just as the HP 12 inches Celestion Vintage have the reputation to be the only ones with being able to do it…

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