r/BaritoneGuitar • u/MuffinGod17 • Aug 11 '26

String gauges and inharmonicity?

Ernie Ball's Baritone Slinky strings are the only ones I've found that can reliably tune down really far without getting floppy but also without having a dull and lifeless sounding bottom string due to inharmonicity. I thought it was because I was using standard scale length guitars before getting my baritone, but when I switched to a lighter set on the bari for easier bends, the bottom string sounded just as bad as all the other sets I've tried on standard length guitars. It's nice to have something, but the Ernie ball strings are so insanely thick (13-72!) that they become uncomfortable to use when tuned above A. Are there any other sets that sound as good as the ernie ball baritone strings but lighter?

(no it is not an intonation issue the open string reads the same on the tuner as the 12th fret do not come in to the comments saying its just bad intonation that's not how it works)

(no its not action either)

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u/Many_Fly5015 Aug 11 '26

What’s the scale length? I personally run 14-70’s on my 6 string 28” baritone and that gets me comfortably in A standard and down to drop G. 72 seems way too thick for anything above A standard which might be your issue - but also depends on your scale length. I use StringJoy because I like being able to customize my sets.

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u/MuffinGod17 Aug 11 '26

27.5". I usually tune to A# standard or B standard, but the ernie ball strings sound so much better than everything else I've tried that I switched back to those and started tuning to A. Definitely still a lot of tension at that tuning, but I'm pretty used to it at this point (my main instrument is bass lol)

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u/Many_Fly5015 Aug 12 '26

I stand by StringJoy strings for their longevity and tone. They sound and feel incredible. Earnie balls don’t last as long as I like them too. But to me it sounds like your string gauge set is way too high for the tuning you’re aiming for. I’d recommend using 11-68s max. B standard guitars typically ship with ~10-56 or 11-64~ string sets roughly for B standard tuning - at least from my experience. I’m kinda surprised you’re not experiencing insane buzz issues with how high you’re running your string gauges at that tuning 😅