Thanks for posting your experience. Baritone guitars have lots of cool uses. A couple minor innaccuracies: 1. 27" is 1 fret longer than 25.5", not two. 2. A heavier gauge low E will make the saddle intonation farther back, not farther forward. A couple other observations: changing out the saddles was a great idea. Maybe changing to a shorter modern saddle, like graphtech or likewise, would solve the intonation issue. Dropping the action down might also help, as long as buzz and comfort aren't issues. If it's too annoying of an issue, you can also fill the neck screwholes and try to shim between the neck and the pickup-facing side of the pocket, although it looks like the neck is already very tight, so it'd likely develop into another project to do so.
A very instructive video. I've been wanting to het me a Baritone guitar myself, and having watched this video this is definitely going to help! :-) At the moment I have a custom Thinline Telecaster body and a genuine Fender Sub-Sonic Baritone Telecaster neck (pau ferro, because maple just isn't my thing) coming up, so ... a bit of anxiety. I'm probably going for a 'vintage' setup, with the ashtray and brass saddles, and vintage style tuners, but who knows, maybe some locking type. Oh, and a P90 at the neck position, I'm thinking.
Excellent as always, Huw. My nail-biting thought was whether the low string would fit through the tuner hole, but the issue never materialised. Phew. Nice track too.
I have a Fender Custom Shop Subsonic and a Fender USA Subsonic neck. Both have the same problem with intonation on the low E. I think this is why Fender stopped making these. The Custom Shop will intonate with the spring removed from the saddle. The USA will almost intonate with the spring removed. There are slight differences in the fret spacing, but I think the 12th fret is in the same place. I’m going to try a 3 saddle bridge. I believe that will give a more intonation room.
Mm iLike this experiment, but why block of the tremolo? If you need it a bit more resistance, just add 2 springs on the tremolo would do the trick i guess, and a tremolo on a baritone can’t be half bad ?
Yes. But. Some (all?) Fernandes Japan use the metric spec, like 80s Fender Japan, that is slighter wider than Fender USA, and some cheaper (non-Japan) Fernandes use a metric spec that is slightly smaller.
What year model of the stratocaster is that?
I think it's a 1979 Model Or 1978 model.
Great vid! But why didnt you cut the 6th saddle to shorten it?
Good job and informative. A worthwhile conversion.
Thanks for posting your experience. Baritone guitars have lots of cool uses. A couple minor innaccuracies: 1. 27" is 1 fret longer than 25.5", not two. 2. A heavier gauge low E will make the saddle intonation farther back, not farther forward. A couple other observations: changing out the saddles was a great idea. Maybe changing to a shorter modern saddle, like graphtech or likewise, would solve the intonation issue. Dropping the action down might also help, as long as buzz and comfort aren't issues. If it's too annoying of an issue, you can also fill the neck screwholes and try to shim between the neck and the pickup-facing side of the pocket, although it looks like the neck is already very tight, so it'd likely develop into another project to do so.
A very instructive video. I've been wanting to het me a Baritone guitar myself, and having watched this video this is definitely going to help! :-)
At the moment I have a custom Thinline Telecaster body and a genuine Fender Sub-Sonic Baritone Telecaster neck (pau ferro, because maple just isn't my thing) coming up, so ... a bit of anxiety.
I'm probably going for a 'vintage' setup, with the ashtray and brass saddles, and vintage style tuners, but who knows, maybe some locking type. Oh, and a P90 at the neck position, I'm thinking.
Stuck at taking the strings off…ok guys hope you liked that video 😂😉
Awesome tutorial. Always wondered if this was possible.
Excellent as always, Huw. My nail-biting thought was whether the low string would fit through the tuner hole, but the issue never materialised. Phew. Nice track too.
Why not higher grub screws?
I have a Fender Custom Shop Subsonic and a Fender USA Subsonic neck. Both have the same problem with intonation on the low E. I think this is why Fender stopped making these. The Custom Shop will intonate with the spring removed from the saddle. The USA will almost intonate with the spring removed. There are slight differences in the fret spacing, but I think the 12th fret is in the same place. I’m going to try a 3 saddle bridge. I believe that will give a more intonation room.
Mm iLike this experiment, but why block of the tremolo?
If you need it a bit more resistance, just add 2 springs on the tremolo would do the trick i guess, and a tremolo on a baritone can’t be half bad ?
Good job and good sound.
Do you think it would fit a Fernandes?
Yes. But. Some (all?) Fernandes Japan use the metric spec, like 80s Fender Japan, that is slighter wider than Fender USA, and some cheaper (non-Japan) Fernandes use a metric spec that is slightly smaller.
And we actually get to hear the fruits of Huw's labour - Hoorah!
Good one. Much appreciated.
Interesting stuff Huw
prefiero como original.
Ty but you are way to slow for me his. Drove me nuts but ty