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Well, I reviewed my excellent Gretsch Baritone a while back, and am watching the new Schecter Hellcat VI (not a baritone per se but related).

I've been curious about the Danelectro-style baritones for a different vibe (more twang), but haven't seen one anywhere yet (I've looked at various stores across the country that carry off-beat guitars).

mhschmieder wrote:Well, I reviewed my excellent Gretsch Baritone a while back, and am watching the new Schecter Hellcat VI (not a baritone per se but related).

I've been curious about the Danelectro-style baritones for a different vibe (more twang), but haven't seen one anywhere yet (I've looked at various stores across the country that carry off-beat guitars).

MH,my friend you do astound me! lol
If you don't mind me asking,how many guitars and bass guitars do you have in your collection?
I'm afraid to ask if you've ever kept a talley of how many you've had over the years?
I have 3 acoustic drumsets(vintage Radio King,WFL and '60's era Ludwig)+ 5 or 6 snare drums but I suspect you could open a Guitar boutique warehouse with your collection!

Just wondering........

mhschmieder wrote:Well, I reviewed my excellent Gretsch Baritone a while back, and am watching the new Schecter Hellcat VI (not a baritone per se but related).

I've been curious about the Danelectro-style baritones for a different vibe (more twang), but haven't seen one anywhere yet (I've looked at various stores across the country that carry off-beat guitars).

I played a 'Wild Thing' danny baritone the other day. It played fine and sounded OK (not the best listening circumstances). I wasn't impressed with it though - the build quality is what you would expect, functional but not much more. The neck on the one I was looking at has significant bowing, and although you could work that out through adjusting the truss-rod, etc. I just wasn't convinced that the neck would stay true over time. Danelectro have also released a new (2012) baritone, it might be worth looking at. I prefer the look of the Dead on 67 baritone, but methinks I would have the same issues with any Danelectro.

Yes, I went back through this thread and saw what you wrote about the Gretsch. My problem with that is that no-one in my neck of the woods seems to have one, so I can't tell if I would like the way it feels/plays.

I kind of like the look of the Eastwood Sidejack, but again, I would want to play one before I buy, and I don't know how easy that is going to be.

At the moment, my list, in priority order, looks like this:

• - Fender Telecaster HH ~$700 (this way I get a tele and a bari, I can slip that capo up a few frets, use an open tuning, and I can channel my inner K Richards)
  - Gretsch G5265 ~$600
  - Eastwood Sidejack ~$700

Can't speak to the current models (Wild Thing or Dead-on '67), but I have one of these:



I think they just called it a Reissue. Very stable neck, twangy lipstick pups. The wiring is a bit odd, making the bridge pickup alone kind of wimpy... I've been meaning to have a look inside, but the sound of both pups together is so delectable I haven't bothered. Cheap if you can find one.

Everyone's taste is different, but I found the Telecaster HH Baritone EXTREMELY muddy and nothing like a traditional baritone or a Tele for that matter. It just sounds like a VERY low-end Les Paul, in my view. Not to mention that I found the neck very uncomfortable for chording.

mhschmieder wrote:...EXTREMELY muddy... Not to mention that I found the neck very uncomfortable for chording.

How can it be muddy when its got those HH's? H=Hot right, HH=Hotx2, right? Hmmm. I was going to just plunge sight unseen, but I am going interstate in a few weeks, maybe I'll go somewhere to have a play around with both the Gretsch and the Tele. Gotta check out that other newer Danelectro too. I have bought from Elderly before, they were nice to deal with.

I find most low-end humbucker pickups to be muddy. I guess it's all in the ear of the beholder. As a bassist, I am hyper-sensitive to bass frequencies, and hate it when guitars get all muddy down there. Many guitarists love nothing more than to stomp all over the bottom end, in a really squishy way.

mhschmieder wrote:As a bassist, I am hyper-sensitive ... in a really squishy way.

Selective editing?
Bah! Never heard of it!

I know lots of drummer jokes, and in Keith Richards' autobiography he describes 'LVS', or 'Lead Vocalist Syndrome', but I don't know any bassist jokes...

I know what you mean about mud, and it is my enemy as well. I also know what you mean about the stock pups on Fender's budget lines. When I got my Jaguar HH, I had the pups replaced with a couple of red-hot Pafs, and it really cuts through nicely now, but the stocks pups were useless. There are a few guys here in Oz that do a variety of hand-wound pups, I could always get some made up special for the Tele baritone.

So then it comes down to the play/feel. The Danelectro I played had rough edges on a number of the frets and the neck was too rounded for my taste. I assume (still haven't been able to play one) that the Tele baritone's neck is essentially the same profile as other stock Teles. Although I don't prefer that sort of profile myself (I really like my Jaguar and Casino necks), I can live with it for the little baritone-ing-ing (new word) that I would be doing.

mhschmieder wrote:[...]Many guitarists love nothing more than to stomp all over the bottom end, in a really squishy way.

Many guitarists, including me, do it when gigging without a bass player. Just need to think, and act, differently when the bass player is back!

Fender is in the process of announcing a new American Vintage series that partially replaces but also expands the models that have been available for almost ten years now:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/new-fend ... cid=201274

The Fender website has removed the earlier American Vintage editions and has not yet posted these new ones.

Musician's Friend has photos and prices only; no data regarding woods, pickups, etc.

They're more expensive than the previous editions, and some look to have bound fretboards (which I don't like).

I'm mostly curious about the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, as the previous models were '62 basis vs. '65.

Considering '65 is the year CBS took over, I highly suspect the new models won't be as good.

I essentially already have an Esquire with my Select Tele

"What is a Fender No Load tone control and how does it work?

The Fender No Load Pot is used on some USA Strats, Teles and Fender basses and is wired like a standard tone control. From settings 1-9 it works like a standard tone then clicks in at 10 (full clockwise/ bright setting) and removes the pot and capacitor from the circuit. This eliminates the path to ground that exists with standard pots even in the full treble position. By eliminating the path to ground thru the pot, the only load on the pickup is the volume pot. So if 250K pots are used, the load is reduced from 125K to 250K and if 500K pots are used, the load is reduced from 250K to 500K (high resistance = low load) The reduced load allows more power output from he pickup and reduces the amount of high frequencies that bleed off to ground. This gives a noticeable increase in brightness and output in the full treble setting. The no load pot can be used in place of any standard tone control on any guitar or bass."

OK, so, as I suspected, leaving the tone knob at max on my Select Tele makes it behave like a Fender Esquire at pikcup position 1, and using the tone knob makes it behave like a Fender Esquire at pickup position 2 if you also disengage the bridge pickup using the three-way Tele switch.

An Esquire is still unique with its third pickup position, which also disengages the tone knob but adds a tone colour circuit that cuts most of the highs and some of the lows. Fender did that back in the day so a guitarist could cover when a bassist wasn't available; not sure I'm interested.

Oh dear.
Looks like I might be importing a baritone/bass VI from Japan soon.

Fender Japan have re-issued a version of the old Fender VI bass/Jag thingy.
I have found a place happy to sell and ship to me, just need to decide to make the plunge.
Don't click - unless you like to see shiny new guitars

Why, you little minx, you!

Nice guitar, that. Very nice indeed!

Don't look now, but a local guy has just created his dream guitar using 3D printing:

http://www.sfgate.com/technology/articl ... 948205.php

Guy claims this plastic guitar sounds better than most wood guitars.

Although this is not a competition, I do admit to feeling like a winner right now.
Here is my new baby.
She is named Candy.
Bass VI in the classic tradition made by Fender Japan as a new re-issue.
Took ages to get through customs and all, but 'tis here now.
Loverly.
Everyone is invited over to have a play.