I put $1000 worth of upgrades in a $350 guitar

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

Thanks for watching, it's been a while! What do you guys think of the upgrades?

[@himawarii_gg]

considering how the guitar originally came with a tune-o-matic bridge (which is a huge pain in the ass to intonate in lower tuning, let alone with thicc strings) the evertune makes a whole lot of sense

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

@@himawarii_gg the Evertune is honestly a god-send. Without it the guitar would be a huge pain, now that I’ve experienced the Evertune in it. Could not be happier with that part of the guitar.

[@OrangeishPotato]

This is exactly what I want to do when I get one. Thank you so much for this video

[@tristianseguin3930]

Whats the pole size of the tuners I want to swap them out once I get one

[@bastianmaoro8278]

I think that you have money to do that, and really wanted to not spend a bit more to have a proper quality guitar (even a used one to do some mods, you choose THIS guitar), also that a guitar like that on the used market if you want to sell one day would be probably a pain in the ass to take back even half of the money that you spend.

[@northlane]

This is so sick!

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

Thank you for ignoring the fact that I didn’t play Vultures OR Details Matter accurately

[@JTCGuitar]

"Just a disgusting part of the song" Also known as the best bits!

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

You’re not wrong!

[@TurbulentJuice]

For me, switching to high quality pots/switches makes a big difference. From things like the more linear taper of the potentiometers to the way that there's no extra wiggle room, everything feels precise. Especially if you go with a higher friction tone, low friction volume etc. You can tell when it's the cheap stuff, especially the selector switch. You can have a stunning guitar but if your electronics are crap it'll still have an air of cheapness about it.

[@trunks828]

I’m a bassist by heart. I bought this for double duty way before the world went upside down for about 230 usd shipped. I use this for a ambient music does the bass thing great and the guitar thing great also. Mine came like crap frets where sharp the nut kept falling off tuning issues you name it. I literally did all the work on this guitar to make it crap to nice also changed the pickups and electronics to Duncan jazz in the neck for lows and a Duncan distortion for highs. Works like a charm. If you want this to play better and feel more high end try this. Sand the neck down to 320 grit. Make sure it’s smooth as can be. Than buy some tru oil and put a few coats on this to give it more of a finished feeling neck. To answer a question about this guitar gear4music said to me they cheap out on everything but the body and neck because they wanted to make this a mod Project

[@youngraves7857]

great choice in pick ups, did not dig these pick ups in the baritone bass vi body style. Pretty sure those Northlane pick ups where made using that tele body/baritione.

[@Return2TheLiving]

@@neandertull6777they are kind of mid / Low output. They are fine enough but certainly was my first point of upgrade

[@sb632]

It is interesting to hear a guitar tuned this low without any pitch issues. To me modding to this extent is worth it if this is the music you really like to play. The only custom shop I know that you can get a 30 inch scale is Balaguer. And that's about 2300usd.

[@nico_amityx9995]

I´ve also seen the Schecter Hellraiser C-VI with 30". Looks brutal

[@HeavyInHawaii]

There's also Dood Craft guitars. They do a 30'

[@skullPUMP]

Dood craft guitars are horrible quality.

[@issuespunkrock]

Would have been really sick to do this with the squier baritone jazz master! I could easily seeing that being almost a $3000 dollar build including the guitar

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

SINGLE COILS ARE UGLY

[@Kay_OC]

@@KeyanHoushmandLive you madman

[@fufc1231]

@@KeyanHoushmandLive FINALLY SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME

[@moonboogien8908]

@@KeyanHoushmandLive well, you aren't wrong

[@kldelacruz]

@@KeyanHoushmandLive noooooo i got that squire 😬😂

[@jtwidmer6185]

If you ever do something like this again, it would be neat to do a before and after. Like “here’s how it sounds stock, here it is with upgrades”

[@ilikechipsnsalsa9354]

I have this same guitar in white with about $400 worth of upgrades and to me it's definitely worth it simply because the 30" scale humbucker-equipped baritone market is so thin. I got lucky and my guitar had no issues from the factory, which also contributes to it being a worthwhile endeavor. It sounds awesome and handles insanely low tunings.

[@benjipc5637]

A $300 guitar with $1000 worth of upgrades/setup is about the price of a high-end LTD, and since LTDs are getting more expensive lately, I'd say the upgrades were worth it. You're probably the first person I know that has an EverTune installed in a Bass VI-style guitar. The only company I know that does is Balaguer, since they have ET and 30" scale length options in their builder.

[@josuastangl7140]

Even tho you probably won't get the exact specs you'd like, the LTD's are still much higher quality guitars

[@Screwhead]

I dropped CAD $690 Bare Knuckle War Pig 7s into a $260 Harley Benton fanned-fret 7 tuned down to F. Best decision ever! The guitar plays amazing for something so cheap, and the BKP War Pigs are SO amazing for doom!

[@benjaminhughes2701]

I’ve got a 35” guitar running .135- 045.s tuned to drop A -naught. It’s a bass. I play bass. Get off my lawn.

[@Emm_R_Guitar]

😂😂

[@swissarmyknight4306]

I do have to recommend the PRS SE 277 baritones. Build quality is very good, they play very well. I replaced the pickups on one of them, kept the other stock. Biggest downside is being on the short end of a baritone for scale length at 27.7 inches, so it will have trouble going super super low. I mostly play B-standard and Drop-A, and they're perfect for that.

[@ilikeheavymuzic135]

You can go way, way lower than A with 27.7. That’s not a “short” baritone scale at all, 30 is actually on the extreme side

[@cameroncraft8050]

So with evertune bridge, locking tuners and the right Guage of string do you think it's safe to say you can make ANY song fit for low tunings?

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

Without a doubt

[@jrlee243]

I have a cheap Ibanez S series going on about 13 years now, that I put probably put in 600 to 800 dollar's. I love it, I have a few music man guitars and other mid to higher end guitars. But I still play that Ibanez 80% of the time. No matter live or recording. It's a players guitar, not for trying to sell it for more because it just won't. So for me, I would definitely do it again.

[@ScoutsPatterson]

I just upgraded my Ibanez JBM10FX (Jake Bowen sig model) with an Evertune and I’m in love with it. As far as Evertune guitars (especially baritone) the Evertune website has been offering a bunch of new guitars with the Evertune already built in. It’s getting more popular.

[@GaryMcNeill]

One of the things I struggle with on low tunings like this is how loud the overtones are compared to the fundamental note. Sounds like you're having the same issue. I wonder if there's a way around it....

[@mastermikeman]

Can high and low pass like a bass I would assume in production to fill that out but live 🤷‍♂️

[@alanbrucke]

A huge factor is the amp tone. I have a 28" Ibanez and the low string only sounds good through a select few amp sims. Surprisingly, even though it's old, bloated and not the most accurate, Bias Amp 2 sounds great with the low string. It's a lot harder to make it sound good through my second favorite amp sim, Jeff Loomis Toneforge. Sounds decent through Fortin Cali Suite/Nameless Suite as well (basically sounds good with plexi amps)

[@beastlybeast2716]

@@alanbrucke Sounds like the IR might be the issue there. Try getting an IR loader and experimenting there. The IR tends to be the weak leak in the chain. The IR is the single biggest thing in determining your tone.

[@northlane]

Josh here. Easiest way to solve this with those particular pickups is to just drop the height a bit. They should clean up real well due to not having much of a top end spike.

[@BOBANDVEG]

@@alanbrucke my build came put at 26" . It intonates at d standard

[@CFChristian]

I'm actually more interested in knowing how high you can go with this. Same here, ever since Loathe demo'd it, it's been on my radar.

[@artemiybzhedugov7034]

Sick video. I really like how the guitar doesn't look how it sounds.

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

Good catch

[@KaiDown]

Man, this thing is a beast. I'm tempted to do a similar rundown of my modded Harley Benton GuitarBass soon

[@AJDOLDCHANNELARCHIVE]

Sounds monstrous! Merry Christmas from England mate!

[@thomasreuter1614]

I have the same guitar - thinking about putting in Fishman Abasis for thumps, my band has 2 songs that are in Double Drop C# and even while stock it gets the job done great

[@xbmpr]

Over the course of 5 years I’ve probably put about $1100 of parts into my $150 Squier Strat just for the hell of it lol

[@chusamusic1409]

I've got a habit of doing the same thing.

[@dirtydoge756]

a 7 string version of this would be bonkers.

[@juliascheesar4380]

Solar has a seven string model with a 29” scale so I guess you could say it’s not too far off

[@non-continuum]

Great video! Adding an Evertune is definitely the secret sauce needed for low tunings. I upgraded my Ibanez RGIB6 (28inch scale) with an Evertune and now it tunes and intonates perfectly down to F Standard. With the stock Gibraltar bridge, everything below A standard just sounded off and could not intonate correctly….

[@knochi956]

F or F2 standard?

[@nickmacuna2692]

Just got mine in white. Thanks for the review/updates. I plan on taking a look into the upgrades soon.

[@ItsSauIGoodman]

I bought a jackson js22 7 for 250 bucks and slammed the Seymour duncan Nazgul/Sentient set in there and it rips better than the ones I tried at guitar center. So no, all budget players should do this.

[@MirkoFustinoni]

I'm curious, how does it feel and sound? Been looking at that guitar for a while just for goofing around and recording some ideas, It looks killer and seems like a bang for the buck

[@AmishMutantPower]

I think all upgrades are AMAZING and most important fact: This guitar sounds as a real MONSTER!!! 🤜🤛

[@Tobi-hu9mf]

sick man! your right hand technique just keeps getting better

[@thb219]

This model needs some EMG X series pickups for maximum clarity. Will put an 60x in it for sure!

[@LeftBegind]

6:03 what's a riff from?

[@distortionto1066]

age old question: what is your string gauge and what strings are you using?

[@kylejarmolych]

Just ordered the subzero paradigm 27” for drop a# on a whim as it was so cheap with a 30 day return lol. If it’s good I will definitely throw some bareknuckles or EMG’s in it for fun! Description says it has locking tuners so probably won’t even have to do much to it outside of the pick ups. Glad to see you enjoy it!

[@baileytaylor1160]

Good Video, I kinda thought you might do his video at some point. Glad to see you back bro

[@denverrandy7143]

Sounds damn good,the few guys on you tube that have bought and demoed this guitar for over a year all say it's worth it even stock!!!definitely gonna have to try one out at that price point.🤘👍

[@balobreached]

Honestly, you can improve a cheap neck tenfold by sanding it down with some really fine sandpaper, and maybe giving it a good oil. A lot of the time with cheaper guitars, less care goes into every detail since they have so many to push out of the factory, the most common type is just the sanded maple w/rosewood fretboard, and a lot of the time they show up unoiled with tarnished frets from sitting in a warehouse for however many months before purchase. I'd also recommend a fret polish, maybe lubing up the nut a touch and using some sort of wax/oil on the fretboard, maybe even a very light sanding too.

[@johnnytwo-shoes9798]

There's the squire bass vi which is a 30" baritone / bass VI 6 string guitar tuned an octave below a regular guitar, so same as a regular bass. It has a floating bridge however. You can put B or A gauge baritone strings or E-E bass vi strings. I have an old OLP m500 which is the sterling before sterling existed musician silhouette 6 string bass which is a bass vi (30" baritone/bass vi). Anywho check out that named as bass vi for the same 30" scale baritone concept and more guitars will be available. I've seen barricudas and a bunch of others too =)

[@fredmeister5607]

Man that tone is MONSTROUS

[@Jstall7543]

Do You Bro! Whatever Makes You Happy!

[@marzbitenhaussen]

on mine added Classic Fishman fluence pickups, brand new Hipshot locking tuners (black), Brand new hipshot bridge with adjustable height and distance besides the saddles, EMG 3 way electronic switch and some nice D'addario .84 to .24 super fat strings, is a brutal monster, bought the Subzero on sale for xmas on 200 bucks

[@GearStuffandThings]

I’m sure you’ve covered this but what string gauges?

[@AzureNightsMusic]

What string gauges are you using for this? I'm in need for a professional set up after having it for a year and not really playing it. Love this so thank you very much for being open and honest with your reviews. Really appreciate your content!

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

Honestly I can’t even remember, all I know is that the max is 80 because that’s the max that Evertunes can hold. It’s a great guitar, the Evertune is revolutionary and it sounds fantastic, but there’s so many other guitar that would be way better than this if you were to do the same upgrades

[@LemonMeIon]

Entirely depends on what tuning you want to use. For a 30” scale use 13-62 for A1, 14-68 for G1 and 18-80 for E1. Use the Stringjoy Tension Calculator to adjust to your preferences of tension.

[@AzureNightsMusic]

@@LemonMeIon Thank you. So I did use the tension calculator and opted for tensions similar to what I have in my 7 string. Ended up going for a 17-90 set to give them a try.

[@taariqahad]

@@AzureNightsMusic jesus fuck a .17 and a .90? Damn LOL

[@AzureNightsMusic]

@@taariqahad I currently have stocks on at the moment which I think are .80s? The intonation of the guitar is shocking though, so I may not need a .90 on the bottom when I get a proper set up. I'll let you know how it is 😅

[@bastian4260]

Nice upgrades! But I would have just made myself a full custom warmoth guitar for around 1400 dollars

[@Kiaran249]

0:47 is a good reminder tbh

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

Yes

[@athmaid]

There's also the Gretsch G5260 which is only 1/4 inch shorter in scale but allegedly way better quality

[@monolithicsounds5979]

Is this evertune a standard g or a long version for this guitar? You really got me thinking of getting one for studio purposes 👏🏽👏🏽👍🏽

[@roynasser594]

what string gauge do you use on this guitar?

[@justaamateur6533]

I think the point at 7:40 is fair, its just simply that the price difference between this and the next 30' cheapest baritones are x2 the price of this (also, no jazzmaster)

[@EXSENTRIX]

"Graphtec Black Tusq XL nut" You'll thank me later. Still great upgrades you've got going on here. Sounds incredible now. These guitars suck stock.

[@ericvalverderosado2046]

I made mods to my X Series Jackson Kelly…SD Blackouts and FR Original…it pushes the guitar well bellow 1000$, but i think now that is better to buy a guitar with your required specs, it can be hard to find but for instance…if you want an Evertune buy a guitar that already got one, pickups are the easiest change, but be sure you have the main specs to save lot’s of money

[@frankiechan9651]

Fun? Sure. But I agree - probably worth starting with a better base guitar. I just saw the StayMetalRay vid with a 29.5" Gretsch baritone and that would be sick with an Evertune and upgraded pickups. Didn't realise you were in Melbourne. I'm a Melbourne lad too and will have to check Harron guitars out. Thanks for the tip. I'm not far from the Reuben's workshop and still need to check that out too.

[@clean_boost117]

I have the ML1 baritone with the impulse pickups. Might just buy the Rogue and chuck them in 🥲 Just wish there was an evertune shop in Adelaide. Great content as always man.

[@mikehawke2172]

Just bought the polar white version, should handle all of the djents I need.

[@DylanWOWilliams]

You can reshape a neck and change frets. It’s not super hard to learn to do. Then you could build your own guitars. That’s actually how I started building. I wanted to change things and I couldn’t afford super high quality, so I built!

[@edoardoferrarini]

thanks for your experiment and share of feedback. As baritone guitar on a budget would you reccomend this one or the classic Squier bass VI? I always been an humbucker guy, but I have to say that single coils with their brightness seems to be a better fit providing more clear tone. On top of this design difference did you experience one of the two having a better overall quality?

[@Jeff_HellensBridge]

I got scared of modding one of these so I paid way more for a black squier paranormal baritone tele, and now I'm having regrets. Luckily it's still worth a lot. I may sell it and grab one of these Instead. The 30" scale and humbuckers make all the difference IMO

[@KeyanHoushmandLive]

The humbuckers were a must for me. Especially for a guitar like this.

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

I'm thinking about getting one of these purely for tracking bass on solo projects. I'm a guitarist and I hate the feel of bass, this with Bass VI strings would give me that sound without having to play (or spend money on) an instrument I don't like.

[@lesserkey]

I put a set of fishman fluence moderns in a Ibanez rg that was like $300. The pickups are worth the same as the guitar.. Best decision I ever made.

[@RaddDadd29]

Sounds nasty af man! Love it! Can't wait to get a baritone!

[@numbersabcdefg]

2 years later, have the frets worn out quickly or still exist?

[@IJH-Music]

You should get a cheap 7 (or 8) string Harley Benton (£100) and upgrade the pickups. The neck and frets feel amazing (I have an Ibanez £400 and Legator £900 for comparison). I can honestly say the harley benton is pretty insane. it does sound bad, but it could sound better. After Xmas I'll probably upgrade my pickups for it. Also, I know you are metal focused, but if you want a change, I'd be interested in see your jazz master or a cheap telecaster, with upgrades. keep up the good work dude

[@ESPSJ]

that guitar looks so cool. Also Michael Harron is the man, he does excellent work.

[@attilabalaton981]

Chapman has a bunch of 28" baritones, check them out if you haven't yet.

[@SuperMikeroche]

I've done a similar thing before. It wasn't a bad idea but it still came with alot of work and problems at every turn. I took a 200 dollar bc rich and added better tuning keys EMG active pickups new bridge. It was a task but I used it for like 6 years.

[@godsreclamation2539]

Sounds fucking badass. Definitely worth it in my eyes

[@Jay-rd6fe]

damn 50 dollars for a switchcraft switch those cost like 15 here at most and the pickup cost like 150 but those are euros import parts really are expensive in australia

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

My mainstay is a Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI. However, NO pickups will fit the routing, so I am stuck with what it came with. I have been wondering if a Rogue VI could be a replacement.

[@Exordius]

Would you be able to make a video on how beginners who want to start using plugins make? Like what tools are needed to start playing guitar on the computer? Would honestly help me and others out alot! Cheers!!

[@JaFoste_Studio]

How do you tune the bass when the guitar is tuned that low?

[@jameslewis2635]

Doing this kind of upgrade may not make sense from a purely financial sense (especially considering that upgrades don't tend to enhance the resale value of a guitar) I consider guitars in this price range purely as a starting point with their main value in that there is so little to lose in terms of initial investment so it just makes sense to me to mod such an instrument to make it my own. At the end of the day if you are now happy with the instrument you play and feel a special connection with it then it is worthwhile. The point where I would say its not worth the upgrade is when it is upgraded and you still feel it is lacking.

[@michaelhowe7831]

Only unfortunate thing is that a 30 in guitar scale is now being limited to what Guage strings you can have by the evertune. Pretty badass guitar tho and sounds better than any of mine lol

[@jasonlucas8740]

Was it any good before the modifications?

[@paperocean]

Sounds huuuuuge! 🔥🔥🔥 Can you please name the exact pots and the switch you used? Maybe you can also show how you wired that? Thanks in advance! 🤝

[@Defekcija]

great upgrade! can you tune your guitar in any tuning you want with the evertune?

[@theblackechomusic]

Given the cost of the guitar, parts and labour cost to install, speccing out a Balaguer in similar specs would probably come out around the same price.

[@gabewilliams7462]

It would be nearly twice the price lmao

[@quintonudink3538]

Wat??

[@mikerom7991]

Demo sounded pretty damn sick. 👌

[@themuted3123]

Does anyone know from where is the riff that he plays at the minute 6:03?

[@gonzorudeboy]

Long scale giveaway the ability to keep tension in the strings. So you retain actual tone and punch.

[@johnthecreative]

i would think if strings are thick, D# tuning wouldn't make it have more tuning issues than standard tuning. i have this same tuning on my guitars and they don't go out of tune easily. A softer pick material is helpful. sounds great though so keep up what you are using i guess.

[@Rushtallica]

Cool idea, and awesome parts and detail put into it, though IMO that guitar is getting just a little too much into trying to make a bass be a lead guitar territory but would probably be fun to play Cliff's Anesthesia bass solo and some Chris Squire on.

[@CorbenEdward]

Awesome upgrade, the evertune is a must for tuning that low. I have a 33 inch baritone which I keep in G# standard lol. (has a floyd... ewwww.....) I would love to switch the floyd out for something else, but I just block it off. Who else has a baritone that is over 30 inches?

[@canilhan98]

what model do you have thats insane

[@lucassanchez2148]

what strings did you use?

[@CodyMitts95]

Him: *mentions northlane* Me: 😳 *subscribes*

[@BOBANDVEG]

I put about $175 into an epi special 2 lol. Same thing right?

[@keceap]

Hi. Did you replaced the machine heads? And if so, what did you choose?

[@thunder8585]

I know this is an older video, but what kind of string gauges are you using on this guitar?

[@GTruck0]

Sounds like my bass player running through this Adam lol. I guess it's cool not to have to use a Digitech drop tuner for the desired result.

[@danbrown4110]

How did you get the impulse with chrome cover? I emailed bare knuckle and asked if I could get a cover and they said no

[@ChristopherRoupp]

Do you have the G-Model of the Evertune? It's the last thing I need for my Subzero to be complete. great video btw!

[@cawrhy]

I've been thinking of pulling the trigger on one of these for a while, but I really want to pick out the upgrade parts before I even order it. Haha What gauge strings did you end up using on this setup?

[@venom07786]

Evertune has moving saddles. How does that not impact sustain? 🤔

[@5urg3x]

Ive been wanting a JM style guitar with an ET for awhile. Can't find an affordable one :| I don't really want a super long scale though. Awesome that you got to work with ET on this, those guys are awesome.

[@SuperMikeroche]

I kinda always buy a lower end that has all the great playability then upgrade pickups at least

[@markwflyge]

Nice! I only tune down to drop G with a PRS 277. Rabea Massade has a signature Baritone that's 30 inch I think.

[@klanker]

nah, chapman ml3 bea and ml1 are both 28 inches.

[@davidb_]

fellow aussie here! how'd you go about getting one of these guitars? i cant seem to find them anywhere !

[@M3rien]

As a begginer guitarist , IS THE VIDEO ON SPEED UP? HOW IS HIS PICKING HAND MOVING LIKE THAT????

[@K_R_N.]

I want to get this guitar and make everything matte black, especially the pickguard

[@maxalaintwo3578]

5:41 SET FIYAH

[@alee7275]

What strings do you use on this guitar mate? I’m pulling my hair out!

[@whatskraken3886]

I expect Doom covers with this monster. Fantastic job, looks amazing!