I remember there was a "Nu Metal" band called Staind. The guitarist always had really good tone, and did a baritone thing. He even had a sig Baritone Ibanez guitar. It was a varation on the Sabre/S series. I always wanted one of those.
The Ibanez MMM1. I have had a couple, they are funny (all *rock* baritones that are no longer made have done this), no one knew about them for a really long time (I remember dreaming about owning own when I was 18-20/whatever age when it came out and I still listened to Staind...yea), then they were available for years for $500 pretty easy. Then all of a sudden, up, up, up, I think the last one I saw sold for over $1k.
It was a really nice playing guitar, I remember a really stark contrast to the PRS Mushok baritone there. The PRS was fine, the MMM1s were buttery and smooth. It was not just the unfinished neck, but that helped.
They were the muddiest guitars I have ever owned. The first one I just sold. The 2nd one, I put every set of BKPs that I thought would brighten it, Cold Sweats, Emeralds, Black Dogs, a JB, and Aldrich, everything sounded like mud, mush, unusable. I wish I had been able to work out the tonal issues. I also am not sure what else they expected with a neck-through with mahog wings tuned B-B.
Maybe some are not so dark.
Mike Mushok? Mike Mushok of Staind? I love Staind and that tone (aggressive doom?). But I wouldn't consider it clear like a piano
Haunting maybe.
Agreed. I think/know it was really that extra half step down to G# that made it sound so fucked up. I was talking with David Bendeth once about low tunings/string choice/etc, because I was having the effect of a open R5R power chord not sounding like a chord. A was fine, G# no good. Anyway it was his opinion that the guitar is unworkable below A (I think evertune has tweaked that a little, but mostly he is right), the strings move too much and sound too discordant from each other. Either way you adjust you are trapped; thinner strings; more movement due to less tension, thicker strings; more movement due to increased mass. Baritone can mitigate it somewhat, but what is a 27.7 scale, 2 extra frets? not much.
Since than I have notice that most bands I hear who are tuned very low leave the low open string out of it except for riffs, this seems like the best solution. Because I wanna be loooow (actually drop A works for me, I can play with instruments in standard by moving up a string).
