The baritone guitar is a type of guitar with a longer neck, a larger body, and stronger support inside. These features allow it to be tuned to sound lower. Since the 1960s, companies such as Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Schecter, Burns London, and many others have made electric baritone guitars. However, these guitars have been produced in small numbers because they are not very popular. Companies like Tacoma, Santa Cruz, Taylor, Martin, Alvarez Guitars, Ovation Guitar Company, and others have created acoustic baritone guitars.

Use

The guitar tuned to a baritone range was not common until the Danelectro Company made an electric baritone guitar in 1956. This type of guitar became popular in surf music and movie soundtracks, especially in spaghetti Western films.

Tuning and string gauges

A regular guitar is usually tuned to E2–A2–D3–G3–B3–E4, starting with the lowest-pitched string and ending with the highest. Baritone guitars do not have an official standard tuning, but common tunings include: a perfect fourth lower than a standard guitar (B1–E2–A2–D3–F♯3–B3), a perfect fifth lower (A1–D2–G2–C3–E3–A3), or a major third lower (C2–F2–B♭2–E♭3–G3–C4). Baritone guitars are typically strung with 13-gauge strings (.013–.062) or 14-gauge strings (.014–.068). Some players also use 12-gauge strings (.012–.060).

Baritone acoustic guitars usually have larger bodies and longer scale lengths than standard guitars. This allows the strings to be tuned lower while keeping normal tension. On a standard guitar, the scale length (the distance from the nut to the saddle on the bridge) is typically 24.75 to 25.5 inches (629 to 648 mm). For baritone guitars, the most common scale lengths range from 27 to 30.5 inches (690 to 770 mm).

Baritone guitarists

In the 1960s, some guitarists tuned their instruments an octave lower than standard tuning, which led to the use of a six-string baritone guitar as a type of bass. The Danelectro baritone guitar was used by guitarist Duane Eddy in many recordings, including "Bonnie Came Back," "Because They're Young," "Kommotion," "My Blue Heaven," "Deep in the Heart of Texas," and "The Son of Rebel Rouser." This instrument was mostly used on his 1960 album "The Twang's the Thang" and appeared regularly in his singles and albums. The "twangy" sound of his guitars, which included models made by Guild, Gretsch, and Gibson, added to the deep, twangy tone of the Danelectro baritone. Eddy used the common black model and a rare gray "Longhorn" model.

Brian Wilson sometimes included baritone guitars in The Beach Boys' recordings, such as in "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" (recorded in 1964 and released in 1965, played by Ray Pohlman) and "Surf's Up" (recorded in 1966 and 1971, released in 1967, played by Al Casey).

Singer Jimmie Rodgers also used a baritone guitar, which can be heard in the opening of his 1960 recording of "Woman from Liberia."

Singer Glen Campbell played a baritone electric guitar on several popular songs, including "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston," where he performed a distinctive baritone solo that followed the melody.

Baritone guitars have been used in country music for their deep, warm sound and the fullness they add to recordings. Some artists who have used baritone guitars include:
– Sara Evans in her song "Suds in the Bucket."
– Merle Haggard.
– Chris Hillman of the Desert Rose Band on "Desert Rose."
– Alan Jackson, who played a baritone guitar on "Life Keeps Bringing Me Down."
– Willie Nelson.
– Brad Paisley on "Whiskey Lullaby" with Alison Krauss.
– Luther Perkins, who played a baritone guitar on Johnny Cash's recordings.
– Bobby Randall of Sawyer Brown on songs like the solo to their cover of "The Race Is On."
– Sturgill Simpson on "Brace for Impact (Live a Little)."
– Chris Stapleton, who used a baritone guitar on his album Traveller, including "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore" and "Parachute."
– Aaron Tippin on "The Sound of Your Goodbye."
– Dwight Yoakam on "Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses)."

Baritone guitars became popular in heavy metal music during the late 1980s because musicians began using lower tunings. Early examples include the band Carcass, which used B standard tuning, and Bolt Thrower, which used A standard tuning on Realm of Chaos.

• Pat O'Brien of Cannibal Corpse uses a baritone guitar to play in G♯ tuning without tuning issues caused by his Floyd Rose tremolo system.
• Dylan Carlson of the drone metal band Earth played a baritone guitar on Hex (Or Printing in the Infernal Method).
• Machine Head uses baritone guitars tuned to drop B and C♯ standard (tuned 40 cents sharp). Robb Flynn, the band's singer and guitarist, has a signature Epiphone Baritone Flying V model called "Love Death."
• Brian "Head" Welch of Korn uses Ibanez baritone guitars on his solo album Save Me From Myself.
• Dino Cazares of Fear Factory used seven-string and eight-string Ibanez baritone guitars on Genexus.
• John Petrucci of Dream Theater has used Music Man baritone guitars in A and B♭ tunings.
• James Hetfield of Metallica uses his signature ESP baritone guitar "The Grynch" on "Invisible Kid" from St. Anger and occasionally plays it live. Hetfield also used a Danelectro 58 Longhorn Baritone guitar for a blues version of "Fuel" at a 2024 benefit concert.
• Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria uses a Gibson Explorer baritone guitar on songs from The Afterman: Ascension and The Afterman: Descension.
• Devin Townsend of the Devin Townsend Project and Strapping Young Lad often uses baritone guitars for open B and C tunings. His instruments include an ESP Custom 7-string, a Peavey signature Flying V, and a Framus-built "Ziltoid" Flying V.
• Stephen Carpenter of Deftones began using baritone 7-strings in 2002 for low tunings. His band's 2003 self-titled album used a baritone 7-string tuned to G♯.
• Jeff Loomis of Nevermore has used baritone Schecters since 2002 and has signature models. The deathcore band Whitechapel uses baritone guitars and has released signature models with ESP.
• Josh Middleton and Adam Christianson of Architects use baritone 6-string guitars from ESP, Ibanez, LSL, and Mayones, tuned to variations of C♯ standard.
• Tracy G used a custom baritone guitar on Dio's 1996 album Angry Machines and continues to use it in his work.
• Roman Ibramkhalilov of Jinjer uses custom OD baritone guitars since 2015, including on the album King of Everything and the track "Pisces."
• Erik Bickerstaffe of Loathe uses a Gretsch G5260 Baritone guitar and a Squier Vintage Modified Baritone Jazzmaster tuned an octave below E standard.

Rock guitarists also use baritone guitars. Benjamin Burnley of Breaking Benjamin uses custom PRS and ESP baritone guitars in Drop A♯ tuning. Ko Melina of The Dirtbombs plays a Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom. Teppei Teranishi of Thrice plays a baritone on The Alchemy Index and Major/Minor. Ian Mackaye plays a baritone guitar with The Evens. Joe Perry of Aerosmith played a six-string Fender VI bass tuned to G on "Back in the Saddle" from the 1976 album Rocks and now uses a Music Man Silo Baritone.

Eddie Van Halen used a baritone guitar on "Spanked" and "Runaround" from Van Halen's 1991 album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. His guitar was a double-necked Ernie Ball EVH Music Man (with the baritone as the top neck), visible in videos and live shows.

Pete Loeffler of Chevelle uses a custom PRS baritone and a Fender Sub-Sonic baritone in Drop B tuning. Mike Mushok of Staind has a PRS signature baritone guitar. Before that, he used an Ibanez MMM1 and a Novax fanned-fret baritone called the Expression.