Best Baritone Guitars for Drop C, B Standard and A Standard, Compared
Written with AI help · Updated
The Ibanez RGIB21 is the best baritone for most players who live in Drop C, B standard or A standard. Per Ibanez, it has a 28 inch scale, active EMG pickups and ships with D'Addario EXL157 (.014 to .068) for B standard. The Squier Classic Vibe Baritone Custom Telecaster is the budget pick at 27 inches. Skip heavy sets on a 25.5 inch guitar when you can buy a real baritone.
The short answer
A baritone guitar is built for the notes a 25.5 inch guitar struggles with. The scale is longer, so the strings stay tight at B standard and A standard. That is the whole pitch.
We looked at five baritones that are sold today. Every spec below comes from the maker's own product page. We have not played them, so we do not rate feel. We rate what the specs say and who they suit.
| Scale | Strings from the factory | Best for | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squier Classic Vibe Baritone Custom Telecaster | 27 in | Nickel plated steel, .014 to .068 | Entry level, clean to mid gain | $ |
| Ibanez RGIB21 | 28 in | D'Addario EXL157, .014 to .068 | Best overall, metal and hard rock | $$ |
| ESP LTD SN-1 HT Baritone | 27 in | D'Addario XL158, .013 to .062 | Modern 27 inch build | $$$ |
| Ibanez RGRTBB21 | 28 in | D'Addario EXL157, .014 to .068 | Premium neck-through | $$$ |
| Schecter Kenny Hickey Solo-6 EX S | 26.5 in | D'Addario NYXL1260, .012 to .060 | Shorter-scale feel, Sustainiac | $$$ |
Our overall pick is the EXL157-equipped Ibanez RGIB21. It shares the longest scale in the lineup with the premium Ibanez, has an active pickup pair and a spec page that states the factory tuning. It also sits a price tier below the premium model.
Iron Label RGIB21 Baritone
Why this one: Our overall pick. A 28 inch scale, active EMG 81 and 60 pickups, and a stated factory tuning of B standard with D'Addario EXL157 strings, per Ibanez.
Why a baritone beats heavy strings on a 25.5 inch guitar
You can tune a regular guitar down. Plenty of people do. The trouble starts when you go past Drop C and keep a 25.5 inch neck.
Tension depends on three things: scale length, pitch and string mass. Lower the pitch and you lose tension. Add mass to win it back, and the string gets thick. At some point the set stops feeling like a guitar string. Bends get stiff. The nut slots may need work.
A baritone fixes the first variable instead. The scale is longer, so you can keep a more normal feel at a much lower pitch. That is why baritone sets exist. Our baritone gauge chart breaks the sets down by scale and tuning.
Here is the honest limit. For Drop C on its own, you do not need a baritone. Our Drop C guide covers regular scale gauges that work well. A baritone earns its place at B standard, A standard and anything below. Our B standard guide says the same thing: a baritone-scale neck is the better platform.
The tradeoff is real. A baritone is a second guitar. It has a longer reach, wider fret spacing and fewer standard accessories. If you only play in Drop C, buy a good heavy set instead. If you want B standard and A standard to feel like real guitar tunings, buy the baritone. For the physics in plain language, read our scale length explainer.
Best entry baritone: Squier Classic Vibe Baritone Custom Telecaster
This is the cheapest way into a real 27 inch baritone from a major brand. Per Fender's product page, it has a 27 inch (686 mm) scale, a maple C-shape neck, an Indian laurel fingerboard with a 9.5 inch radius and 21 narrow tall frets. Both pickups are Fender-designed Alnico single-coils. The strings are nickel plated steel in a .014 to .068 gauge.
That gauge matches D'Addario's EXL157 (.014 to .068), so it is the set we would restring with when the factory strings wear out. Fender's page lists the gauge but not a factory tuning, so we do not claim one. B standard is the common baritone tuning, and it is a sensible place to start.
Single-coils are the tradeoff. They sound great for clean, jangly and mid-gain playing, and they do not push a high-gain rig the way active humbuckers do. If you want tight low-end chug, step up to one of the Ibanez or ESP models below.
Classic Vibe Baritone Custom Telecaster
Why this one: The budget pick. A 27 inch scale, two Alnico single-coils and a stated .014 to .068 string gauge, per Fender's spec page.
String set: D'Addario EXL157 (.014 to .068).
Best overall: Ibanez RGIB21
Ibanez lists the RGIB21 neck type as Nitro Baritone. Per its spec page, it has a 28 inch (712 mm) scale, a three-piece maple and bubinga neck, an Okoume body and a rosewood fretboard with 24 jumbo frets. The bridge is a Gibraltar Standard III. The pickups are an active EMG 81 in the bridge and an EMG 60 in the neck.
The detail we like most is that Ibanez states the factory tuning: B, F#, D, A, E, B, listed from the first string to the sixth. Read from low to high, that is B standard. It ships with D'Addario EXL157 strings at .014/.018/.026/.044/.056/.068. You know exactly what the guitar was built around.
The cost of a 28 inch scale is reach. The frets are farther apart than on a 25.5 inch guitar, and some players find that tiring at first. Active EMGs are also a taste. They have a compressed, distinct voice, and they are not for everyone.
For A standard, keep the guitar and change the strings. Our gauge chart points to Ernie Ball's Baritone Slinky (.013 to .072).
String set: D'Addario EXL157 for B standard. Ernie Ball Baritone Slinky if you go to A standard.
Best 27 inch modern build: ESP LTD SN-1 HT Baritone
ESP builds this one as a modern baritone. Per ESP's page, it is a bolt-on with a swamp ash body and a five-piece roasted maple and purple heart neck. The fingerboard is Macassar ebony, with 24 extra-jumbo stainless frets that are scalloped from the 17th to the 24th. The scale is 27 inches.
There is one pickup, a Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker in the bridge. A push-pull control on the volume knob switches between its two voices. ESP says its typical tuning is B-E-A-D-G-B, and it ships the guitar with D'Addario XL158 strings (.013/.017/.026W/.036/.046/.062). The 6-string version of B standard on our tuning page is spelled B-E-A-D-F#-B, so check ESP's wording against your own setup before you tune.
This is a good pick if you want a 27 inch scale with modern hardware and a single high-output pickup. The scalloped upper frets are a tradeoff. They help some players and annoy others.
SN-1 HT Baritone
Why this one: A 27 inch baritone with a Fishman Fluence bridge pickup and D'Addario XL158 strings, per ESP's spec page.
String set: D'Addario EXL158 (.013 to .062), the same family as the factory set.
Best premium neck-through: Ibanez RGRTBB21
The RGRTBB21 is the step-up model. Per Ibanez, it has a Wizard III Baritone neck: five-piece maple and walnut, neck-through. The body is an Okoume wing body, the fingerboard is ebony and the scale is 28 inches. Pickups are a passive DiMarzio D Activator pair, and the bridge is a mono-rail.
Ibanez lists the same factory tuning as the RGIB21, B standard, and the same EXL157 strings. So the difference is build and pickups, not pitch. You pay for a neck-through build and passive pickups instead of actives.
Passive pickups respond differently to your picking hand than actives do. If you like dynamics and a bit of looseness, that is a plus. If you want a compressed, tight attack, the RGIB21 may suit you better.
Iron Label RGRTBB21 Baritone
Why this one: The premium Ibanez. A neck-through build, 28 inch scale and DiMarzio D Activator pickups, with the same B standard setup as the RGIB21, per Ibanez.
String set: D'Addario EXL157, matching the factory gauge.
Best shorter-scale baritone: Schecter Kenny Hickey Solo-6 EX S
This is the odd one out. Per Schecter's page, it has a 26.5 inch (673 mm) scale, a three-piece mahogany neck, a set-neck mahogany body with an arched top and a rosewood fretboard with 24 jumbo frets. The bridge pickup is a Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB. The neck pickup is a Sustainiac.
The strings are a D'Addario NYXL1260 baritone set (.012/.016/.020/.034/.046/.060). Schecter does not list a factory tuning, so we do not claim one. A 26.5 inch scale is closer to a regular guitar, so it plays more familiarly and gives up some of the firmness of a 28 inch neck.
We do not have a CYS page for the NYXL1260. The closest baritone set we cover is D'Addario EXL158 (.013 to .062), which is a step heavier. Check it against our gauge chart before you buy, since the shorter scale changes the feel.
Kenny Hickey Solo-6 EX S Baritone
Why this one: A 26.5 inch baritone with a Seymour Duncan JB bridge pickup and a Sustainiac neck pickup, per Schecter's spec page.
String set: D'Addario EXL158 as the nearest CYS baritone option.
How to choose
Start with the tuning you actually use.
If you live in B standard, any of the five works. Pick on scale length and pickups. The Ibanez RGIB21 is the easy default. Buy the Squier if money is tight and you play cleaner styles.
If you want A standard, buy a 27 or 28 inch model and plan on the Ernie Ball Baritone Slinky. Our gauge chart says that set is the one built for A to A or B to B. A 26.5 inch neck can work, but it asks more of the strings.
If you mostly play Drop C, you may not need a baritone at all. A regular guitar with a heavy set is cheaper. Buy the baritone when B standard and A standard are your real home.
Whatever you buy, expect a setup. Heavier strings change neck relief and intonation. A new baritone often needs the truss rod and the bridge saddles touched up. Budget for a setup or learn to do one.
Our baritone players guide covers who plays these instruments and how, if you want context before you commit.