Guild BT-258E Baritone Deluxe Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Natural Reviews

Picking up a baritone guitar made me a little unsure because of the unusual tuning. However, this guitar is really amazing. Getting past the different chording inherent with a baritone guitar, the quality of this guitar is equal to guitars of five times the cost! Honestly, it plays and feels as good as guitars for which I've paid thousands. With the fisherman sonotone pickups, you can't go wrong to plugI'm now a fan of Guild guitars and I'm going go ahead and get one of their jumbo 6 and or 12 strings as well. I also have to add that again, I used the PLEK services from Sweetwater and wow, this plays like a dream. I totally trust Sweetwater and my sales rep, Ed Needler has become a superlative advisor and colleague.

For its price range, the quality of this guitar is extremely good. My first Baritone, it is tuned to B E A D F# B with octave drone strings at the A and D position for some sparkle among all that bass. The larger body really compliments the bass as well. The action is very good all over the neck and is as easy to play as a six string version, even with the thicker strings. (Full disclosure I had a guitar set up done by Sweetwater before shipping). The guitar has a full, excellent sound either by itself, or it really compliments playing with other standard guitars for a fatter sound. Also, the fit and finish on the guitar are very good. Again, for the price, it's an extremely good deal.

First of all my sales rep Jay Diehl was so awesome for helping my wife get this for our anniversary present! Thank you Jay! This guitar is perfect! Literally everything about it is awesome, it sounds so full & rich I couldn't have made a better decision, the quality & craftsmanship of this guitar is so good it blew me away, I was afraid that it being an 8-string baritone it wouldn't be an everyday guitar but it's the only acoustic I play now, I can't recommend this guitar enough!

I have only had this Guild for a week and love it. Exciting tones working with the baritone tuning. The tuning had brought new song ideas.
Well built fit and finish.

This guitar is like playing magic. I am normally a Taylor guy, but I have enjoyed both the guild 12 string as well as now the BT 258. This guitar shows not only great craftsmanship, but a real sensitivity to design for effective and beautiful low-end sound.

It is hilarious that when changing the strings, the largest string is so thick that it barely fits through the tuners. But other than that, so far this guitar has been flawless. Elixir makes 8 string baritone nano web strings, and they sound great on this guitar.

I absolutely love this guitar. I was hesitant because I have never played a baritone guitar before. The lows are clear and the high are crisp. The action is lower than I anticipated which was a nice surprise. The set up from Sweetwater was excellent. If you want a baritone guitar that will not brake the bank this is the one!!!!!!

She has a haunting cry when set to a derivation of Nick Drake's, in my mind, legendary tuning used on Pink Moon, which goes like this: CGCFCE.

For the purposes of this gargantuan beauty, it can become G#D#g#G#c#C#G#C. Perhaps it could easily handle a half-step in either direction, but for me, this tuning has been reliable and satisfying as is.

And although I haven't spent any time playing it in any so-called "traditional" baritone tuning, I reserve no doubt that it would hold up well.

This guitar gives its own kind of excellence. As with anything coming from Guild, in my experience, you can not go wrong in purchasing this. And please, spend the extra money necessary to give it a sturdy, reliable case because this pinnacle of craftsmanship deserves it.

It also goes, almost without saying for any ongoing customer, that the service provided by Sweetwater will be nothing short of top-notch. Give the Guild BT-258E a chance, and who knows, you just may fall in love with playing the guitar all over again.

XOXO

My Guild BT 258e Deluxe came yesterday. What an amazing guitar at this price! The fit and finish are excellent, and it plays great all over the neck. The lower registers growl, and the octave strings make it sing. Really sounds good plugged in with the Fishman pickup. I find myself able to sing songs open that I have had to capo up to fifth fret or so on a standard guitar. The different voicing is opening up new creative juices for me. Thanks to Sweetwater and to my associate Larry Reed for great service, as always, and thanks to Guild for a great new guitar adventure.

This guitar will bring you songs and broaden the sonic spectrum when jamming with others. Be warned, it takes more strength to play than a standard 6-string steel; I sometimes play it for the workout. If you compose, it'll bring you tunes. The first time I jammed with my son (him on a standard 6-string), we quickly realized you can simply play the same chord progression for instant perfect 4th harmonies. I attached a vid of it plugged in with some reverb and chorus (perhaps a bit too much) on a fingerstyle version "You Can't Always Get What You Want" in A.

This baritone sounds huge. Lots of layers to explore , like an orchestra. I found myself playing along with a slack key record and it fit in nicely. I play acoustic and electric guitar and I own a Jerry Jones baritone and bass6. The 8 strings make this instrument different. In an ensemble this would fill a lot of space, a little bit bass , guitar and 12 string -like octave sounds all in one. It takes a little extra effort but the rewards are there. It will toughen you up and your standard guitar will feel like a toy when you return to it. A great instrument at a great price, and not just for the price!

I just received my Guild BT-258E Deluxe Baritone guitar and have to say it's a whole new experience in guitar playing. I love the sound as well as the fine quality and craftmanship! This baritone guitar is affordable and highly recommended!

Love my new Guild Baritone. What a fun guitar to play with a whole new sound! It really drives my creativity in a new direction. I love how the middle strings are paired with strings an octave apart which gives a much richer sound but allows single strings at the high and low end. I have had so much fun playing unplugged that I haven't plugged it in yet but I certainly look forward to hearing the sound amplified. Totally worth it!

Since I sang in "legit" groups in college, my voice has dropped a TON. I find that I have been capoing a lot to change the key of songs I perform so that my new, lower voice can be where it needs to be. And then the Guild BT-258E Deluxe came along! This guitar (with the extra strings removed) is rich and dark and a 4th lower than standard, and it fits my voice perfectly. Now I can play just as before, but sing comfortably in my new range. The rich, dark tone of the instrument lends a whole new dimension to my music, and it definitely turns heads. Live, I run in through my Bose L1s and my new 15" sub in order to let her breathe in her low register. She sounds awesome, and she has been an absolute game changer for my music. With or without the 2 extra strings, this guitar is highly recommended!

I have been waiting on the 8-string Guild baritone for quite a while, and it was great to receive it a few weeks ago (mid-March, 2022). It is an inspiring and unique voice in my instrument collection. I'm having quite a good time getting to know it, and I've already put it to use on a music video. I put it in double Drop-A tuning, and then capoed at II in order to play the Doobie Brothers' "Black Water," in the nominal key of B. So much fun! And now, I've got it in the Baritone equivalent of DADGAD (AEADEA), which is sending my creative juices flowing. Highly recommend this instrument to anyone looking for a rut-buster, or has an aging voice that needs a "reverse capo."

This guitar is great!! It's an instrument all to its own. You have a little bit acoustic bass, a little bit 12-string and a little bit 6. The lower B and E strings make for some great bass walks between chords. The octave pairs give some beautiful tonality when strummed. And add a little lick on the high F# and B strings to make your phrasing complete. I also appreciate being able to sing so songs in a lower register with my old voice. Sweetwater is a top-notch company to deal with!! The whole experience deserves A+++. Thank you so much.

This guitar is worth the hype, worth the wait, and worth every cent. This is my second baritone but my first acoustic baritone.
While I cannot speak to other brands that probably cost at least twice what this Guild cost, I think this is probably the most bang for your buck ever. For less than the cost of a higher end baritone without, I was able to purchase a case to protect this beauty.Now I know that this price point comes without some frills, like a built in tuner. I can totally live with that considering that this guitar was spot on in tune out of the box. The action is low with any buzzing, and the intonation is near perfect, even after a 2000 mile shipping journey. Thank you Guild, Sweetwater, and Aaron Anderson for the most awesome experience I've had buying a guitar.

I've played a lot of guitars but very few have the kind of wow factor that you get by just playing some simple chord shapes straight out of the box. For under $? Are you kidding me? It's a beauty to look at and even more lovely to play. Unbelievable sound quality for the price and man oh man the possibilities are seemingly endless with this 8 string baritone. I couldn't be more stoked. It's the real deal and if you like getting a lot for your money I don't know how you could possibly go wrong here. You've got to play one to even begin to believe it.

Just received the BT258E Baritone 8 string. Got the Demo and was waiting for a heads up when one became available. Alas, I dropped in and behold the demo was on sale, yes the pic on the Sweetwater sight is now mine. Needs to go to one of our fine Luthiers here for a true set up, a slight curve in the neck, but it will be fine. Plays well stays in tune. Great guild sound. Now it completes the set of a 6-string 260E, the 8-string BT258E, and the 1976 12-string F412BL. And the rest of the family. Great low end now I can record some different sounds, must experiment, take a risk, you just don't know what your going to get. This will be fun.

I was looking for an acoustic that was unique and came across this one. Wow what a voice! Super lows and great mids. Using a lighter pick makes the extra high strings shine like a 12 string. It is very dynamic and when strummed hard it doesn't lose any power. What a great addition! Also the DI is a perfect match. I'll be using it along with a mic signal every time I record just for more options. Hard to go wrong at this price.

I ordered back in March and it just arrived now in June, but I couldn't be happier. It's a different sound than my 6 string baritone and I have to adjust my playing style a bit to let the extra strings do what they do best. The sound is full and rich and the price is great.

It was worth the wait.

As soon as Guild announced their new 8-string baritone, I placed an order and anxiously searched web sites and YouTube videos for more info. Everything I saw looked good. When my BT-258E Deluxe arrived, I found that all the positive reviews had been spot on.

Guild has delivered an instrument that hits a sweet spot: massive sound, excellent design and execution, and great value.

With its jumbo body size and deep resonant sound, this is a guitar that will project, plugged or unplugged. The .070 lower B string adds enormous bottom to flatpicking, and the two middle octave strings bring a shimmer to chords that enhances without wandering into the muddle of a full 12-string sound. Strumming or picking, this guitar brings authority and clarity.

Fit and finish is top notch. Right out of the case, this is a beauty to look at, with beautiful spruce on top and a handsome bookmatch on the rosewood back, accentuated by a flawless gloss finish on the body. The neck has a silky smooth satin finish and is comfortably sized and eminently playable. Little details like the inlay around the sound hole, binding, and tortoiseshell pickguard are all just right.

And Guild has delivered this in a reasonable mid-priced instrument. A baritone is likely not anyone's only guitar and being able to add this to your tool set without breaking the bank is key.

It's responsive, easy to play, and impressive to listen to up close -- I found myself unable to put it down. Already feeling inspired by the new sonic possibilities.

A final word about Sweetwater: They did a great job managing my expectations throughout the wait, and made it super easy to get the instrument delivered, as I wanted, in an ABS TSA-approved case.

I had a buddy over, and I mentioned in passing that I found this guitar quite intriguing. My sweet wife overheard, and went ahead and ordered one for me. Right out of the box, i was pleasantly surprised with the build quality and attention to detail. nice and shiny, no dings dents scratches. A bit out of tune, but that's understandable. For the price point, the build quality is great, the guitar feels solid and the low end articulation is great. None of the lower notes seems to get muddy or muted, and the upper range has a nice jazz box mellowness to it, at least while its still young wood. The octaved middle strings add an interesting shimmer, I'm interested in trying to tune these strings to tenths or maybe sixths to get some even more interesting sounds out of the guitar. It's got a considerable scale length, 27", and huge low B string that make sit feel a lot more like playing a bass than a guitar. Will be fun to mess around with and to have in my collection.

Love at first strum! Love that rich throaty growl. My only complaint is the string height at the nut is pretty high from the factory, making it a little tough to play at first.

I've named her Greta.

I have been wanting a Guild baritone guitar for a while and my wife surprised me with a BT-258 for my 69th birthday. It is a beautiful guitar and has a beautiful tone. It has been a pleasure to play. The setup was great, however, the bridge is a bit high for my playing style. I am going to reduce the height of the bridge and then it will be perfect for me. It is also very nice to have a built-in humidifier in the Guild case. Love it!

Just Received this and already hearing the different applications it can be use for. As a Bass and guitar player this a nice middle ground between the two and really fills out the sound. The Guitar is very well made and at least for me came perfectly set up. Can't to get some parts arranged and start recording.

I've had this guitar for a few days now, and spent enough time with it to form some opinions. My guitar is quite attractive in terms of woods, appointments, and finish. No complaints in those areas for the price. Playability seems fine for what it is, but there is plenty of saddle to lower the action a little if I want to. Compared to a standard guitar, the tone of this baritone is uncannily like listening to a 45 rpm record at 33 rpm (for those old enough to understand that). Everything has a syrupy quality to it, and it can feel like a struggle to keep the tempos up. The extra octave strings add a little brightness back to the sound, and I'm glad I chose the 8-string version. As an older guy who's lost some higher vocal register with age, I find playing songs with their "standard" chord voicings just right to sing along with. I'm not sure the combination of this dark-sounding, down-tuned instrument + my voice is actually a pleasant thing, but it certainly puts some songs back in vocal reach for me. That was my primary interest in this guitar. I haven't really had a chance to plug the pickup into an amp for a critical evaluation of the tone, but I did plug into a headphone amp to make sure the pickup worked and all the strings sounded through.

All of the above is "good," now for the "bad." A significant issue presented itself when I changed the strings for the first time. I've been playing guitar for 40 years, and I've owned more acoustic guitars than I would care to count, of all different qualities and manufacturers. I've changed a LOT of strings. But I have never, ever had so much difficulty with a bridge pin as the one on the low B string of this guitar. I think it is actually a design flaw. The holes in the bridge and the bridge pins seem no different than any other standard guitar. But the hole for that 0.070 low string really needs to be larger. I have three different designs of bridge pin pullers at my disposal, and that pin and string were wedged into the bridge so tightly that none of them could get enough leverage to get that pin out of the hole. I had to resort to a pair of pliers to get it out, which is something I thought I would never have to do on a decent quality guitar. And I had to use a significant amount of force. This kind of thing CANNOT be right, and it CANNOT be good for the instrument. Once I got the bridge pin out, I carefully filed the slot in the pin itself a little bigger, but the real issue is the diameter of the hole in the bridge and/or the relief slot at the front edge of the hole. I had an equally difficult time getting the bridge pin to stay in while trying to seat the new string. I used a mirror to make sure the string pin was seated properly against the bridge plate, but that pin is always going to sit high relative to the the other strings (it was like that when I got it, too). Another problem is the relatively high saddle height relative to the diameter of the string. I did everything I could to ease that thick string up and over the saddle while I was tuning it up, but repeated slips of the bridge pin and string end seemed like a threat to the integrity of the saddle itself. I will probably end up taking this to a luthier to see if they can come up with a fix, possibly enlarging the relief slot at the front edge of the hole. It should be a minor thing to fix.

So it's a mixed bag, some bad and mostly good. The instrument seems to perform well, as expected for what it is. It's lovely to look at and interesting to play. It's too bad that they seem to have missed an important aspect of the bridge design that is specific to this type of instrument.