Baritone guitar strings, explained: how to string a 27-inch neck tuned B to B

Fender's new 27-inch Jaguar Baritone is the latest reason to ask the question a baritone always raises: what do you actually string it with? The short answer is heavier, and the long answer is here.

By Bari, Baritone guitar desk · Edited by Cadence · 2026-06-26

A baritone guitar is a longer guitar, usually a 27 to 30 inch scale, tuned a fourth or fifth below standard to B or A. That extra length and lower pitch need heavier strings: a baritone set runs about .013 to .062, where a normal guitar runs .010 to .046. Put a standard set on a baritone and the low strings flop. Here are the sets that fit, and the cheaper down-tuned alternative.

The 27-inch question Fender just raised again

Fender's 75th anniversary summer drop put a baritone back in the headlines. The Limited Edition Player Fusion Jaguar Baritone rides a 27-inch scale, tuned B to B, built to sit under a down-tuned mix, and it lands this fall alongside the rest of the Fusion series (Premier Guitar). Every time a major brand ships a baritone, the same question lands in our inbox: that is a cool guitar, but what on earth do you string it with?

It is a fair question, because a baritone is the one common guitar you genuinely cannot string like a normal one. Put your usual set on it and the guitar fights you. So this is the companion to our scale-length breakout, where we promised to come back and build out the baritone side. Here it is: what a baritone actually needs, the sets that fit, and the cheaper way to get most of the way there on the guitar you already own. The closest set we stock today is a heavy six-string Cobalt, the Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky Cobalt, and we will get to exactly where that fits below.

Why a baritone needs heavier strings

A baritone is two things at once: a longer guitar and a lower-tuned one. Both of those independently call for more string.

Start with scale length. Scale is the working length of the string, from nut to saddle, and a standard electric guitar runs 24.75 inches, a Les Paul, to 25.5 inches, a Strat. A baritone stretches that out to somewhere between 27 and 30 inches. The longer the scale, the more tension it takes to bring a string up to a given pitch (Seymour Duncan). On its own, that extra length is what lets a baritone hold a low note cleanly.

Now add the tuning. A baritone is not just longer, it is pitched a fourth or a fifth lower than a normal guitar. Lower pitch means less tension for the same string, which is the opposite of what you want. The fix for both is the same: thicker strings. A baritone set uses heavier gauges so the long, low strings land back at a firm, playable tension instead of slapping the frets. Drop a standard .010 set onto a baritone and the bottom strings go slack, buzz, and refuse to hold pitch. The heavy gauge is not a preference on a baritone. It is the price of admission.

The tuning: B standard, and how low you go

Most baritones live in B standard, a perfect fourth below a normal guitar. Low to high that is B-E-A-D-F#-B, the same shapes and intervals you already know, just shifted down a fourth, so every chord and scale you have learned transfers straight over. Fender's Fusion Jaguar Baritone ships tuned exactly here.

From there you can go lower. A standard, a perfect fifth below normal, is the next common stop, and Ernie Ball builds its baritone set specifically for A to A and B to B (Ernie Ball). You can also drop the low string from B standard down to A, the baritone version of Drop D, for a heavier one-finger power chord. Our B standard tuning guide covers the interval math if you are arriving from a six-string, and Drop A maps the dropped version. The lower you tune, the heavier the set you want under it, which brings us to the sets themselves.

The baritone sets that actually fit

Three sets cover almost every baritone player, and the gauge you pick follows your scale and your tuning. We do not have dedicated buy pages for these yet, so the links below go straight to each maker's own product page; the catalog desk is building these out next, and we will wire them in as they land.

The light baritone standard is D'Addario's EXL158, a .013 to .062 nickel-wound set that D'Addario builds for shorter-scale baritones and, in its own words, recommends as an excellent option for down-tuning a standard guitar too (D'Addario). It is the place to start for a 27-inch baritone in B. If you tune to A or play a longer 28 to 30 inch neck, step up to the EXL157, a .014 to .068 medium set with a thicker low end to match (D'Addario). Ernie Ball's Baritone Slinky goes heavier still, .013 to .072, on nickel-plated steel over a hex core with small guitar-sized ball-ends, built for A to A and B to B (Ernie Ball). All three are nickel-wound, the warm default; if you want more brightness and bite under high gain, look for a cobalt or stainless baritone set instead.

	Down-tuned 6-string	D'Addario EXL158	D'Addario EXL157	Ernie Ball Baritone Slinky
Gauge	.012–.056	.013–.062	.014–.068	.013–.072
Scale it suits	25.5 in, tuned down	27 in	27–30 in	27–30 in
Best tuning	C or B standard	B standard	A standard / low B	A to A or B to B
Wrap	Cobalt	Nickel-plated steel	Nickel-plated steel	Nickel-plated steel
CYS buy page	Live now	Queued	Queued	Queued

The cheaper move: down-tune a guitar you already own

Here is the part the brochures skip. If you mostly want the baritone sound, the low, tight chug of B or C standard, and not specifically a 27-inch neck, you can get most of the way there on a normal guitar with one heavy set. D'Addario says as much about its own baritone strings: the EXL158 doubles as a down-tuning set for a standard scale.

The set we reach for here is the Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky Cobalt, a .012 to .056. On a standard 25.5-inch guitar it holds C standard comfortably and a usable B standard, and the cobalt wrap keeps the low strings reading bright and tight through gain, where a heavier nickel set can sound woolly. It is not a true baritone set, and it will not feel as rock-solid at the very bottom as a 27-inch scale does, but it is a fraction of the cost of a second guitar.

If your goal is doom-slow riffs rather than tight metal, our guide to stringing a down-tuned guitar for doom and stoner metal takes the same idea in a warmer direction, and the gauge and tension chart shows the tension math for every step down.

Setting up for the heavier gauge

One practical warning before you fit a baritone set, or a heavy down-tuned one, to a guitar that has never worn it. A .062 or .068 low string is far thicker than a stock .046, and it often will not drop into a nut slot cut for a standard set. Force it and you choke the string or crack the nut. The fix is a light nut-slot filing, and on a true baritone the bridge saddles may need adjusting too. None of it is hard, but it is real setup work, not a five-minute restring. Our heavy-gauge install guide walks through the nut and intonation steps so the new set plays in tune rather than fighting you.

The summary is the one a baritone always comes back to. It is a longer guitar tuned lower, and both of those facts point the same way: heavier strings. Match the gauge to the scale and the tuning, file the nut to fit, and a baritone does the one thing a normal guitar cannot, which is hold a low B or A that still rings like a guitar instead of a loose cable. For everything else launching this week, our June 26 briefing has the full rundown, and the brand-by-brand catalog covers the standard-scale sets.

The piece that teed this upWhat scale length does to your strings One more string, the same low-string logicHow to string a 7-string guitar The other end of the string worldNylon and classical guitar strings, explained The warm, slow end of low tuningDown-tuned strings for doom and stoner metal The tension math for every step downDrop C gauge and tension chart The day's full briefingToday in guitar, June 26

Frequently asked questions

What gauge strings does a baritone guitar need?

For a 27-inch baritone tuned to B standard, B to B, a light baritone set around .013 to .062 is the default. Tune lower to A standard, or play a longer 28 to 30 inch scale, and you step up to a medium set around .014 to .068 or heavier. The rule is the same as any low tuning: lower target pitch and longer scale both want more gauge to keep the strings at a firm, playable tension.

Can I just down-tune a normal guitar instead of buying a baritone?

To a point, yes, and it is the cheaper path. A heavy six-string set like a .012 to .056 on a standard 25.5-inch scale holds C standard and a usable B standard, which covers most of what people want a baritone for. What you do not get is the longer scale, so the very lowest notes feel a little looser and the tuning is less rock-solid than a true 27-inch baritone. For many players that tradeoff is worth saving the price of a second guitar.

What tuning is a baritone guitar in?

Most baritones are tuned to B standard, a perfect fourth below a normal guitar, so low to high it reads B-E-A-D-F#-B. The next common option is A standard, a perfect fifth below. Ernie Ball builds its baritone set specifically for A to A and B to B tunings. You can also run drop tunings from there, like Drop A from B standard, the same way Drop D comes off E standard.

Why can't I use regular strings on a baritone?

Because a regular .010 set tuned down a fourth or fifth goes slack. The strings flop against the frets, buzz, go sharp when you palm-mute, and turn to mush under gain. Pitch is tension, and a longer baritone scale at a lower tuning needs thicker strings to reach a tension that still feels and sounds like a guitar. Heavier gauge is not optional on a baritone. It is the whole point.

Are baritone strings the same as bass strings?

No. A baritone guitar still has six strings and is built for chords and leads, just pitched lower, so a baritone set is a heavy guitar set with small guitar ball-ends. A bass has four to six much thicker strings tuned a full octave below a guitar, with large ball-ends. They are different instruments. If you string a baritone with bass strings, they will not fit the nut, the bridge, or the tuners.

What scale length is a baritone guitar?

Usually between 27 and 30 inches, where a standard electric guitar is 24.75 to 25.5 inches. Fender's new Player Fusion Jaguar Baritone is a 27-inch scale, the most common baritone length. The longer the scale, the higher the tension at the same pitch, which is exactly why a baritone can hold a low B or A cleanly where a standard-scale guitar tuned that low would feel loose.

Do baritone strings work for djent and metal?

Yes, that is much of what they are for. A baritone gives you a single low instrument that stays tight and articulate in B or A, which is why it shows up across modern metal, djent, and film-score rhythm work. A nickel-wound baritone set is the warm default; a cobalt or stainless wrap reads brighter and tighter through high gain if you want the low notes to cut through a dense mix.