The Romero Creations Baritone 6 String is essentially a tiny classical guitar. Indeed, the 20" (508mm) string length is the same as a baritone ukulele and similar to the requinto and terz guitar. I've been playing mine for about a year and have used it in standard, slack key, terz and requinto tunings. Herein are my thoughts on this unique little guitar.
Romero Creations Baritone 6 String | A small classical guitar based on the 508mm baritone ukulele scale.
Baritone 6 Sound
The Baritone 6 has a round sweet voice with a dash of airy brightness and chime. Overtones are rich, imparting a quasi-reverb like presence to passages. Volume, dynamic response, sustain and clarity are excellent. Of course you can't dig into the strings as much as a Ramirez 1-A, but volume and projection are great for a small instrument.
Like the Tiny Tenor 6, the Baritone 6 is sensitive to pressure against the back: release or increase pressure on the back and volume fluctuates, e.g., lift the Baritone 6 off your belly during a sustaining chord and volume increases! Perhaps the three fan braces on the back are responsible for this behavior—acting like a secondary soundboard—so minimal belly contact is advised. For standing and playing with a strap, it helps to fold a small towel and place between the Baritone and stomach.
Listen to what the Baritone 6 sounds like in a fingerstyle solo. The Baritone 6 is tuned to requinto pitch, i.e., A D G C E A (up a 4th from the guitar). I plucked and strummed using highly polished fingernails.
Etude Op. 60 No. 5 (Sor) | Peter Kun Frary | Baritone 6 String | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
The Baritone 6 is receptive to vibrato, even in lower positions, and exhibits clear timbre distinctions when played near the bridge, sound hole and fingerboard (tasto), rendering beautiful shades of color from mellow and dark to bright and sparkly. I love the sweet tone and chime of delicate rasgueados played over the end of the fingerboard.
The plaintive Etude in F by Fernando Sor was played over the sound hole using fingernails:
Etude in F Major (Sor) | Peter Kun Frary | Baritone 6 String | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
This easy little piece, Ode to Joy, features a mix of melody notes and strummed chords in the first position. Melody notes were picked over the sound hole with fingernails and chords were strummed with thumb flesh strokes. The ringing overtones and long sustain are really apparent in this lightly textured piece.
Ode to Joy | Peter Kun Frary | Baritone 6 String | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
I found the Baritone 6 wonderful for classical and fingerstyle solos. But I can easily evoke a mellow ukulele strum by strumming over the end of the fingerboard and yet, polyphonic textures exhibit excellent clarity when played over the sound hole, allowing individual voices to be clearly heard.
As Tears Go By features the Baritone 6 playing a popular melody with thumb flesh strokes within a mix of bass, strummed chords and light percussion. The 4-bar intro and outro are played on a Tiny Tenor 6.
As Tears Go By | Peter Kun Frary | Baritone 6 String | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
The Baritone 6's sweet tone that sounds so wonderful in fingerstyle solos can easily get covered up in a mix of bass, light percussion and strums if you don't take extra care during editing and mix-down.
Next, the Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa plays the melody and harmony lines while the fat tone of the Baritone 6 is used to lay down the intro/outro sections. I originally planned to record the intro/outro on the Tiny Tenor but the 432mm scale made it difficult to not touch sustaining open treble strings in the arpeggios. Size does matter as I nailed it the first take on the Baritone 6. Plus the deeper Baritone 6 sound makes for a nice contrast to the brighter Tiny Tenor voice used on the melody.
Scarborough Fair | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa on melody and harmony lines and Baritone 6 on intro/outro | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
My takeaway is the Baritone 6 is best suited as a solo fingerstyle instrument but does well as backing instrument on multi-track recordings. And that's a good thing since that's how I roll most of the time!
Design and Build Quality
Pepe Romero Jr. co-designed the Baritone 6 String with his father, Pepe Romero Sr., and debuted the design at NAMM 2019. It's a handsome instrument, albeit some folks might mistake it for a children's guitar! The abalone rosette grabs the eye initially, hinting that this guitar might not belong to your 10 year old. Look closer and you'll notice the solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides are framed with ebony purling. The bridge, head stock veneer and fingerboard are also ebony. Later in 2019, walnut back and sides will be available as an option.
The exterior is protected with a glossy finish, probably polyester, imparting a sense of depth. The nut and saddle are bleached cow bone.
I peered inside the sound-hole and found smoothly sanded soundboard bracing. Also visible are three fan-like braces on the back rather than the normal cross braces. I assume these braces are more sound related than structural since light pressure against the back reduces volume. A Spanish foot is visible, a typical classical guitar design feature. Workmanship is excellent inside and out.
Baritone 6 String | Abalone rosette, ebony fingerboard and well-dressed frets. Wish it had 19 rather than 18 frets.
A 508mm scale ebony fingerboard caps the mahogany neck. Frets are level, well dressed and intonate perfectly. The neck has a gently curved "C" shaped backside with nicely rounded shoulders, similar in contour to my Ramirez A-1 guitar and the Tiny Tenor 6.
Like most classical guitars, the fingerboard joins the body at the 12th fret. And, at 49mm, the nut is closer to typical crossover size rather than classical guitar. A 52mm nut would be ideal for me but I adapted to the tight quarters without too much struggle.
The mother of pearl fingerboard position markers and side markers on frets 5, 7, 10 and 12 make for a busy fingerboard and are a nod to the ukulele. My steel string guitars have markers on 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12, so that 10th fret marker can be confusing to guitar players. I prefer an unadorned board with side position markers on the 7th and 12th frets or nothing at all.
Tuning Heads
Like many ukuleles, the Baritone 6 is outfitted with Gotoh Planetary tuning heads. They allow a compact head stock profile similar to a flamenco guitar. Most guitars have 14:1 or 16:1 tuners whereas these geared Gotohs are 4:1, requiring tiny movements for adjustments. They're on the stiff side, hold pitch well and have the advantage of cranking new strings to pitch 4 times faster than 16:1 tuners! Oddly, the bass tuners rotate in the opposite direction of most classical guitars. I still sometimes turn them the wrong way even after 6 months of use!
Romero Creations Baritone 6 String | Gotoh Planetary 4:1 tuning heads adorn an ebony head stock cap.
Playability
I bought the Baritone 6 at Honolulu's world famous TheUkuleleSite so they may have set it up although I made no specific requests. Setup was perfect. One detail that pleased me was the precise nut setup: slots were cut so half the diameter of the string protruded from the slot. Often instruments ship with deep nut slots that shallow the string, choking tone and producing strange harmonics. Bravo!
Although I'm used to flat fingerboards, the slightly radiused fingerboard is comfortable. I could play with ease and confidence all the way to the 18th fret, and that 18th fret note really pops! It is odd that the 19th fret was omitted as, even if you don't use it directly, the presence of a 19th fret makes playing of certain harmonics easier.
I found the Baritone 6 comfortable to finger-pick on: my right hand didn't require any adjustments whatsoever. And that's because the string spread at the saddle is 58mm, similar to a full sized classical guitar. Plus, the treble strings sound good with both nail and flesh stroke technique.
If you're used to a 650mm classical guitar scale, this 508mm scale will feel cramped initially but I was able to adapt quickly. On the other hand, the Baritone 6 seems roomy and luxurious compared to a 432mm tenor scale!
Romero Creations Baritone 6 String | Beautiful figure on the solid book matched mahogany back and sides.
Holding The Baritone 6
There are YouTube videos of Pepe Romero and Daniel Ho playing the Baritone 6 classical guitar style, i.e., left leg jacked up. The instrument is too small for that position to work for me. My solution is a strap, allowing me to stand or sit with the instrument at a similar angle. I use a Levy's Leathers Ukulele Strap: soft, comfy, fast to adjust and proportioned perfectly for small instruments. Of course, I installed a strap button on the lower bout.
If you prefer using a guitar lifter, realize the Baritone 6 body is narrower than a classical guitar so only one-suction cup designs will fit, e.g., an Efel lifter.
Strings and Tuning
The Baritone 6 has two recommended tunings:
E to E with Pepe Romero Strings Baritone Guilele Set (UG2)
G to G with Pepe Romero Strings Guilele Set (UG1)
Off the rack, the Baritone 6 was tuned E to E. While it is playable thus, and rendered a beautiful tone, I found the strings too floppy for my playing style.
G to G Terz Tuning
I tuned it up a minor third like a terz guitar, i.e., G to G, and the sound blossomed: louder, slightly brighter and with longer sustain. G to G is at the native pitch of the lute, Renaissance vihuela and terz guitar, and favored by flamenco artists via capo, so this tuning makes musical sense.
Initially I used the Pepe Romero Strings Guilele Set (UG1) since Zack Shimizu at The Ukulele Site had thrown in several sets with the deal. These fluorocarbon trebles are smooth, long sustaining and warm. Basses appear to be standard La Bella classical strings and yield a fat warm tone with thumb flesh strokes. The UG1 sets are expensive at $17 a toss, but are the best stock guitarlele strings I've tried. Here are the string measurements according to my calibers:
Treble strings are sized similar to medium tension tenor ukulele strings whereas the basses are light gauge classical guitar strings. The basses have enough tension to work beautifully in drop F on the 6th string and common open tunings.
Eventually I installed normal tension D'Addario EXP silver wound classical bass strings. These are my bass strings of choice: great tone, slightly higher tension than the UG1, lower surface noise and longer lasting due to the EXP coating.
I like the warm sound of UG1 trebles so I looked for something similar but available as singles for custom sizing. I use Seaguar fluorocarbon fishing line on ukuleles and, after some tests, found Seaguar Pink Label ideal for the Baritone 6: silky smooth surface, warm tone and long lasting. Seaguar Pink tone is warmer than not only Seaguar Blue and Premiere, but also Worth Browns. Plus, Seaguar Pink is more shred resistant and durable than Seaguar Blue at pressure points such as the bridge, nut and tuner posts. They have a slight translucent pink hue I find attractive but you'd never notice the color unless you look closely in good light.
I prefer my strings a little heavier than the UG1 set and ended up with a custom configuration of Seaguar Pink and D'Addario EXP normal tension classical guitar bass strings:
1 = Seaguar Pink Label 40 LB, .022"
2 = Seaguar Pink Label 50 LB, 0.026”
3 = Seaguar Pink Label 80 LB, 0.032”
4 = D'Addario EXP .028"
5 = D'Addario EXP .035"
6 = D'Addario EXP .044"
A to A Requinto Tuning
I also experimented with the A to A guilele (kiku) or requinto tuning. The UG1 guilele set, while great for G to G, was too tight and choked sounding at A to A. Eventually I settled on a lower tension custom set for A to A:
1 = Seaguar Premiere 30 LB, .020"
2 = Seaguar Premiere 50 LB, 0.024”
3 = Seaguar Pink Label 60 LB, 0.029”
4 = D'Addario silver wound .026"
5 = D'Addario silver wound .030"
6 = D'Addario silver wound .036"
The A to A tuning renders a beautiful voice but with somewhat reduced volume, increased string tension and slight brightening of treble string timbre. The main gotcha is A to A requires a custom set for optimal sound, making it inaccessible for many players. Yes, D'Addario and La Bella make alto guitar and requinto sets, but tension is too low and nylon trebles are too mellow for the Baritone 6.
Ultimately, I found the G to G tuning yields the best sound on the Baritone 6. Use of the UG1 set in G to G tuning with a capo on the second fret is a reasonable compromise if you wish to occasionally play with your ukulele friends and not worry about transposing.
String Changing
The Baritone 6, like most Romero Creations models, has a string-through bridge. Compared to a tie block, it provides better string vibration transfer to the soundboard, eliminates the possibility of strings slipping off the tie block and is uncluttered in appearance. On the downside, string changes are fiddly, taking considerably longer than a tie block. Changing a string entails six steps:
Remove the old string.
Thread the new string through the bridge from the top.
Pull the string through the sound-hole without dislodging from the bridge.
Tie a big friggen knot.
Grab the end protruding from the bridge top and pull until the knot stops against the underside of the soundboard.
Attach the free end of the string to the tuning head.
Romero Creations Baritone 6 String | String through bridge design.
I struggled with step 2: strings often curl up under the bridge, making them inaccessible. I re-thread and shake the instrument upside down to coax it out. The sound-hole is small so chopsticks or tongs may be needed to grab the string.
TIP: The first string knot may jam in the bridge hole and must be pushed out with a hat pin. Attachment of a small plastic bead above the knot prevents jamming. The other strings don't usually jam if the knot is gnarly enough.
Carrying Case
A gig bag made by Access of Seattle is included with the Baritone 6. It's a logo version of their Stage One Baritone Ukulele Gig Bag. It's spartan in appearance but well made (hence my travel patches). Specifications include black 600-denier exterior, 25mm hard cell closed-cell foam padding, zippered storage pocket, abrasion guards, neck support, grab handle, sling strap with shoulder pad and a heavy duty smooth pulling zipper. It's roomy enough to leave a strap and clip-on tuner installed. What's missing? I prefer double straps for increased stability while biking or running for the train.
Baritone Size Gig Bag | Tiny ships with a gig bag made by Access of Seattle. I added zipper pulls and travel patches.
This bag is light on the shoulder and the closed-cell foam padding is nearly as rigid as a polyfoam case but lighter and more flexible. Plus, this foam provides great insulation, acting like a cooler during trips in hot car trunks.
Last Blurb
Albeit petite, the Baritone 6 is large enough to play much classical repertoire or grab jazz chords in upper positions—two challenging things on tenor scale guilele designs. Plus, it's super portable—the ultimate travel guitar—easy to play, good looking and sounds great! As Duke Ellington says, “if it sounds good, it is good.” I'm pleased with the tone, build, aesthetics and playability of my Baritone 6.
Romero Creations Baritone 6 String
Baritone 6 Specs
49mm nut width
508mm scale (20")
Solid spruce top
Solid mahogany back and sides (walnut option available)
Mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard
18 frets with 6m (20’) fingerboard radius
Bone nut and saddle
Gloss finish
Gotoh Planetary 4:1 tuning heads
Access Stage One Baritone Ukulele Gig Bag with Romero Creations logo
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Baritone 6 Sound 
Design and Build Quality
Tuning Heads
Playability
Strings and Tuning
Carrying Case
Last Blurb 
Baritone 6 Specs