Baritone Guitars

Baritone guitars commonly feature a larger body and a longer neck than their traditional counterparts. This is usually tuned to either B standard or A standard. The neck is longer to incorporate a 27” scale length. This ensures low notes can intonate effectively. Traditional models use single coil pickups; contemporary models favour high output humbuckers.

Baritone guitars are mainly used within rock and heavy metal. Everyone from Stephen Carpenter (Deftones), Robert Smith (The Cure), John Petrucci (Dream Theater) and Pat Smear (Foo Fighters), to James Hetfield (Metallica) and Claudio Sanchez (Coheed and Cambria) have used one for recording and/or playing live at one point or another.

Fender have experimented in the past. One such model was the Fender Blacktop Telecaster Baritone, however, it has since been discontinued.