The pitch of dulcimer strings is determined by several things, but mainly by the guage of the strings and the distance between the nut and the bridge. Since the McSpadden Baritone has the same length fretboard as the standard models they should tune to the same pitches. If you want a higher pitch that you are getting try lighter guage strings. If you want a lower pitch, try heavier guage strings. It may take some experimetation. One thing you may have to do is to reknotch the nut when you change guages. If the slot is too big you can get a buzz in the strings. If the slot is too small, the string will not settle to the proper level. It could also buzz.