Baritone guitars often get pigeon-holed as “metal” guitars due to their lower, heavy-sounding tunings and bass-like qualities. However, the humble baritone has been used across more musical genres than you may realise! In this article, we look at the rise of baritone guitars in popular music from the 1950s to today.
Baritone guitars are synonymous with metal music, and for good reason. Their lower tunings and tight low-end are perfectly suited to heavy riffage and yield a more aggressive sound. However, baritone guitars are far from one-trick ponies! Baritones have featured prominently in many different genres of popular music from Jazz to Country, Surf to Swing!
Let’s start off by briefly discussing what a baritone guitar actually is. Baritone guitars look very similar to standard guitars but feature a longer neck and scale length (the distance between the bridge and the nut). They are typically tuned a perfect 4
Exploring The History Of The Guitar
(A1–D2–G2–C3–E3–A3) below standard tuning and are played in the same way as conventional guitars, but produce a much lower sound. This is one of the main reasons they became so popular within the metal genre. However, the baritone’s legacy extends far beyond just the metal community, with acoustic models dating back as far as the 1800s. The electric baritone was first introduced in the late 1950s by the Danelectro company and quickly found popularity in Surf music and film scores.
If you are interested in reading about baritone guitars and their benefits in more detail, be sure to read our Baritone Buyer’s Guide.
As alluded to earlier, baritone guitars have been used across a wide range of musical styles, from Surf to Country, Metal to movie scores. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous examples and a few lesser known gems. You might just be surprised!
History Of The Electric Bass Guitar
“Wichita Lineman”, arguably Glen Campbell’s biggest hit, features the distinct twang of a baritone just before the main guitar solo. Campbell recorded no less than sixty studio albums over his decorated career and was a regular user of the baritone guitar.
Released in 1960, Duane Eddy’s instrumental hit “Kommotion” was recorded with a legendary Danelectro baritone. The baritone’s unmistakable twang is what makes the song so catchy and played a bit part in Eddy’s sound.
Kommotion Provided to YouTube by Virtual Label LLC Kommotion · Duane Eddy · Duane Eddy $1, 000, 000 Worth Of Twang ℗ 2006 Jamie Record Co. Released on: 2006-01-01 Auto-generated by YouTube. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kPmcmrO_F-M/default.jpg PT2M58S 2015-08-12T00:57:50Z
Thomann Online Guides History Baritone E Guitars
This popular song by the legendary crooner was adapted from a composition by German composer Bert Kaempfert and was released in 1967. Despite being low in the mix, you can clearly hear a baritone guitar in the background, playing the role of a bass by accentuating the root notes.
The World We Knew (Over And Over) Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group The World We Knew (Over And Over) · Frank Sinatra The World We Knew ℗ 1967 Frank Sinatra Enterprises, LLC Released on: 2010-01-01 Producer: Jimmy Bowen Composer: Bert Kaempfert Composer: Herbert Rehbein Author: Carl Sigman Auto-generated by YouTube. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dthgRdTf0Ds/default.jpg PT2M48S 2018-07-29T21:06:25Z
The dirty, sleazy riff in this lesser known Van Halen song was recorded using a custom made Music Man double neck guitar. Eddie played the main riff on the baritone neck and would switch to the standard neck for the guitar solo.
String & Baritone
Van Halen - Spanked (Live) [The best tour in Van Halen history.. (1992-93) Audio Edited HD] 01. Poundcake: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=46s 02. Judgement Day: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=6m5s 03. Man On A Mission: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=11m7s 04. When It's Love: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=16m45s 05. In 'n' Out: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=22m5s 06. Right Now: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=27m12s 07. Pleasure Dome/Drum Solo: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=38m59s 08. Spanked: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=50m5s 09. Runaround: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=55m6s 10. Finish What Ya Started: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=1h8s 11. Eagles Fly from Sammy: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=1h6m48s 12. 316 (Guitar Solo): http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=1h13m22s 13: You Really Got Me/Cabo Wabo: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=1h27m6s 14. The Dream is Over: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=1h35m 15. Jump: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=1h40m16s 16: Top of the World: http://youtu.be/qdBqQ_ZA2Os?t=1h44m30s https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FDvra4vyx5Y/default.jpg PT5M7S 2012-02-04T13:37:04Z
Canadian Rock giants Nickelback are no strangers to writing huge radio-friendly rock hits! From their 2003 album The Long Road, “Should’ve Listened” features a baritone acoustic guitar throughout, over which Chad Kroeger sings. The guitar’s lower tuning perfectly matches Kroeger’s vocal range and is extremely effective.
Should've Listened Provided to YouTube by Roadrunner Records Should've Listened · Nickelback The Long Road ℗ 2003 The All Blacks B.V. Engineer: Joey Moi Unknown: Alex Aligizakis Additional Strings: Brian Larsen Additional Strings: Cameron Wilson Guitar: Chad Kroeger Producer: Chad Kroeger Lead Vocals: Chad Kroeger Voice: Corinne Youchezin Unknown: George Marino Additional Strings: Henry Lee Digital Editor: Joey Moi Producer: Joey Moi Bass Guitar: Mike Kroeger Producer: Mike Kroeger Unknown: Randy Staub Drums: Ryan Vik Vikedal Producer: Ryan Vik Vikedal Digital Editor: Ryan Andersen Guitar: Ryan Peake Producer: Ryan Peake Background Vocals: Ryan Peake Additional Strings: Zoltan Rozsnyai Writer: Chad Kroeger Writer: Mike Kroeger Writer: Ryan Peake Writer: Ryan Vikedal Auto-generated by YouTube. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7ocpcd0YbxE/default.jpg PT3M43S 2017-05-07T02:04:08Z
A Brief History Of Smashing Guitars
Prog-Metal legends Dream Theater are known for their often complex and highly technical song arrangements. From their 2005 album Octavarium, “These Walls” features a simple but heavy riff recorded on a signature Music Man John Petrucci baritone, played by the shred-extraordinaire himself!
Nowadays, vintage guitar aficionado Joe Bonamassa tends to favour old Gibson and Fender guitars. However, when recording the song “The Ballad of John Henry” from the album of the same name, he used several modern guitars, including an Music Man BFR John Petrucci baritone model. The riff sounds extra-heavy thanks to the baritone’s lower register!
Joe Bonamassa - The Ballad of John Henry - Official Music Video ► STREAM JOE NOW: https://jbonamassa.com/streaming/ ► FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD - http://goo.gl/9oI018 ● Official Tickets ● http://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/ ● Official Social Links ● https://www.facebook.com/JoeBonamassa https://twitter.com/jbonamassa https://instagram.com/joebonamassa/ https://www.pinterest.com/jbonamassa/ ● Official Merchandise ● http://shop.jbonamassa.com/ https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DRxawmG5MfM/default.jpg PT6M30S 2013-12-20T21:53:33Z
Danelectro '56 Baritone Electric Guitar
Regular viewers of our YouTube channel will be more than familiar with the afro-sporting chug-machine Rabea Massaad! Rabea is a keen baritone player and even has a number of his own signature guitars. In the video below, he can be seen playing his monstrously heavy song “JUSCOS” on his Chapman Rabea Massaad Signature ML3 Bea Baritone in Irthyll Burst Green!
JUSCOS | Original Song By Rabea Massaad It’s been a while since i made some grimace inducing riffs with my baritone. So just because, here’s some filth! Enjoy Rig: Chapman ML3BEA Irithyll Burst Neural DSP Quad Cortex Preset Available on my NDSP Cortex Profile #rabeaafro #riffs #juscos ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Feel free to read this ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Hey guys, I’m Rabea. Thank you so much for checking out my channel. If you wanna follow me and check out my music, my collaborations with brands or my other social channels, check out the links below! -------------------// MY MUSIC -------------------------- Grinding Gears 3 - https://songwhip.com/rabeamassaad/grinding-gears-vol-3 Grinding Gears 2 - https://songwhip.com/rabeamassaad/grinding-gears-vol-2 Grinding Gears 1 - https://songwhip.com/rabeamassaad/grindinggears Toska - https://www.toska.tv Frog Leap - https://www.frogleapstudios.com Dorje - https://www.dorje.tv -------------------// COLLABORATIONS -------------------------- Sleepless Apparel - https://sleeplessapparel.co.uk/ Chapman Guitars ML3 Bea - https://chapmanguitars.co.uk/ Bare Knuckle Pickups Silo - https://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/pickup/humbucker/silo Victory Kraken - https://www.victoryamps.com/kraken-series Riff Writing Course - https://www.musicisum.net/writing-progressive-rock-riffs -------------------// FOLLOW ME -------------------------- 📹 YouTube - http://bit.ly/29M2DC6 📷 Instagram - http://bit.ly/2bhVpc7 🌍 Facebook - http://bit.ly/2bImlyW 🐥 Twitter - http://bit.ly/2bRfxOUi https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vBP4uvgPAoE/default.jpg PT3M13S 2022-03-18T16:00:35Z
Here at Andertons, we are proud to stock a wide range of baritone guitars from a number of respected manufactures. If you’re looking to dip your toe into the baritone world, there are a lot of great options that won’t leave a hole in your wallet.
A History Of The Baritone Guitar In Metal
Alvarez have several fantastic acoustic baritones in their popular Artist Series. Offering top-level craftsmanship and exceptional playability, you would do well to find many other acoustic guitars that offer so much bang for your buck! English company Faith are another popular acoustic brand who offer baritone models in their catalogue. Much like Alvarez, Faith pride themselves on their build quality and attention to detail for the best possible playing experience that won’t break the bank!
If you’re looking at electric baritones, there are many different models available from Chapman, Squier, ESP, PRS and more. In most cases, these brands offer baritone versions of their most popular designs, giving you the benefits of a baritone guitar in a familiar package! Certain brands such as Chapman and ESP cater more for metal players, with modern, ergonomic body shapes and high-output pickups. If you’re looking for a more old-school vibe, you may choose to look at more traditional brands like Fender/Squier and Gretsch as these guitars will feature more vintage specs and appointments.
Baritone guitars may not be for everyone, but they certainly have their merits. If you’re looking to expand your creative horizons without straying too far from your comfort zone, a baritone may just be what you’re after. They have been responsible for some truly memorable music over the years, spanning myriad genres, and continue to inspire songwriters today.
Guild Guitars |guild Baritone Guitars
Chris is a Senior Digital Product Marketer at Andertons and a self confessed guitar nerd. With a love of all things 80s Rock and Hair Metal, Chris favours humbucker equipped guitars, high gain amps and plenty of chorus and reverb! Clean tones and spandex leggings are optional!Tucked in a register between standard guitar and bass guitar, the baritone has a sound and vibe all its own. Discover what makes this 6-string so appealing
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