Before Santa Cruz, Taylor, and all the big fancy acoustic guitar makers jumped on the bandwagon, the K. Yairi company started making baritone steel strings. This was in 1997. (Prior to that, Joe Veillette's Avante Baritone was the only production baritone guitar on the market.) For some reason, the list price on these guitars (the YB-1) has increased quite a bit since Nico got his. A less expensive alternative for those seeking an acoustic baritone would be to check out "Terry's Baris" -- these are handmade conversions from acoustic bass guitars to baritones in Washington state and sold for very reasonable prices.