NGD! Alvarez 8 string baritone (pics added)

hobbio · April 2021

I actually got this a few weeks ago. It sounds epic when strummed, even basic chord progressions absolutely sing. I'm sure some people could get beauty out of it fingerstyle too, but that's not me. Good electronics and accurate tuner built in too, even if the tuner display is tiny.

EDIT: Finally got the pics to show. Did exactly the same thing on mobile as I've just done on my laptop but mobile wouldn't display the pics.

Tannin · April 2021

Nice! There is nothing like a baritone. What woods is it?

hobbio · April 2021

Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides. It's a pretty top but not too flashy, same with the binding and rosette. I love it mate.

Tannin · April 2021

Nice, and a great combination for a baritone, I reckon. (I don't think rosewood is right for baritones, too plummy.) Mine is spruce and maple - a very similar sound to mahogany - and it works well. I've never played an Alvarez baritone, Hobbio, neither the 8-string nor the 6-string. People I trust tell me that they are very playable with a great sound.

Baritones are hard to find in my neck of the woods. Apart from my Tacoma Thunderhawk, which I found second-hand in a local shop last year, the only other one I've seen here is a Taylor 8-string (used but only 12 months old) the other week which surprised me a lot by sounding very muddy and uninteresting. Whether that was the short scale or just poor strings I'm not sure. I would like a second baritone, but they were asking well above a market price for that Taylor; I wasn't going to buy it so I didn't investigate further.

Enjoy that beauty of yours!

hobbio · April 2021

The 2 octave strings are what I think makes the difference and stops it sounding muddy. They absolutely cut through the chords and ring out beautifully.

equalsql · April 2021

That's really a nice bit of kit, but the angle on the low B string from the nut to the tuner is excessive. I would string it in reverse on that tuner to keep the string-run straighter. I've got the six string version (the ABT60) and it sounds great, very sonorous, those higher two strings will really some sparkle to that deep tone. I play finger style and found the strings from the factory just too thick, so ended up buying the lightest gauge acoustic baritone strings I could find. Those lighters strings made it much easier to play but still retained the deep bass.

I think you're going to have a lot of fun with that beast.

hobbio · April 2021

Looking at the string run now, I see what you mean. I might well switch it up when I restring it to straighten things out, although in all fairness it stays in tune well and it doesn't bind in the nut. Looks weird though.

I can totally see why you're playing lighter strings for fingerstyle, I would probably do the same but for my strumming and attempts at flatpicking I like the gauge it came with. It sounds epic!

ToneControl · April 2021

The official demo from Tim, also on this very forum

https://fb.watch/57vKDwC3cX/

ToneControl · April 2021

Was it Taylor who first started making the 8 string ones a long while back?

Pat Metheny did something in between for "One Quiet night" using a baritone 6 string
with the middle 2 strings an octave up (i.e. not pairs in the centre, just the upper octave)

you might like to try it one day by removing the 2 middle thick strings

hobbio · April 2021

Both those demos sound great, but the bottom one is greaterer lol. When I come to restring it I'll try it with just the octave strings for a while certainly.

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NGD! Alvarez 8 string baritone (pics added)

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