Guild BT-258E Deluxe Jumbo | Baritone - 8-String - Electro - Natural

Guild's Westerly Collection are instruments that offer tremendous value for money. The specs on them are superb, offering brilliant guitars at a price-point below the USA-made models. The range is named after the Rhode Island location that Guild moved to in 1967 after outgrowing their previous New Jersey factory.

The BT-258E is very similar to standard baritone electro acoustic guitar in that rather than being designed for standard E tuning, it is optimised to be tuned down five semi-tones to B. However, the third and fourth string also have an adjacent string an octave higher. This brings some higher-pitch and shimmer back to the baritone sound and makes for an awesome combination of low and high notes when you strum a chord. The guitar is played the same as normal as the relationship between the strings is the same as in standard tuning.  However, the custom tuning will inspire you to take your playing to new places. They really are so much fun to play and a capo can be used to bring it back to standard E pitch if desired.

This guitar features an archback construction, utilising solid spruce for the top and rosewood for the back and sides. This combination has stood the test of time for good reason and is one of the most used acoustic guitar wood sets in the world due to the rosewood providing a strong bass and the spruce a clear treble. The arched back suspends the need for the guitar to be braced on the back. This makes for a lighter instrument with plenty of projection and is a cool Guild trademark.

A Guild jumbo really is an inspiring guitar to play. They have a tone that no other body shape in the range does; It's punchy and impressive on the low strings and yet delicate on the highs. They can sound crisp when freshly strung or have loads of vintage-vibe when the strings are past their best. Its a fantastic body shape and well-worth considering if you've not tried one before. The nut width on this guitar is 44.5mm and the neck is a C-shape, offering a very comfortable feel for most players - not too big and not too small. The saddle and nut are made of bone which allow excellent energy transference between the strings and the wood.

This is a great sounding, well-made instrument that offers years of Guild's expertise and design innovation. It comes complete with a built-in pickup for amplifying the guitar when effects or more volume are desired.