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Post subject: Classic Player Baja Tele Purchase? Help!
Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 12:36 pm
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So, for some messed up reason I feel the need to start buying more tele's. After a daily check of my local Craigslist, a guy not too far away is selling a very mint Classic Player Baja Tele in Desert Sand.

I just played it through his Deluxe Reverb. The guitar is great!

I'm not a huge fan of the color, but it's a very versatile guitar.

So, I offered him $500 and he wouldn't budge from $550 (he was asking $600). The question is:

Should I buy this or wait and save my money for a '52 reissue?

I have never owned a mexi guitar but this one is pretty cool. Plus, there are hardly any used ones on ebay or the stores.


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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 2:14 pm
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A couple of years ago I was deciding between the Baja and AVRI '52. I ended up choosing the Baja because of the price and it has more modern features than the '52 (I hate the vintage style 7.25" radius neck and tiny frets). It was my first Mexican Fender too. I tried Highway 1 Teles, but the Baja's pickups are vastly superior to the Hwy 1's I think.

To compensate for the boring desert sand color, I replaced the white pickguard with a black one and it looks much nicer in my opinion.

I'm not up to speed on used prices of Baja's, but $550 seems OK if it's mint. The only downside to the Baja's is that they range in weight from medium to boat anchor. Mine weighs 7.75 pounds. The ash Fender uses for these must vary wildly. I had to search the guitar shops for one that weighed under 8 pounds AND had a decent neck pocket. Oh yeah, some Baja neck pockets seem to be sloppy too for some reason. Maybe Fender fixed that over the past couple of years?

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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 2:20 pm
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Thanks, very helpful insight.


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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:24 pm
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Sounds like a great deal for R$550, I see no reason for you too keep saving probably a thousand bucks more to buy the AV52 that you may not like as much..


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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:59 pm
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If you want something to play and this one checks out quality-wise, difference from $500 to $550 is not so much. Come with case? Maybe the guy has an old practice amp or something else to throw in? Never hurts to ask.

Color? Phfffft. Color is for interior decorators. It doesn't affect what comes out of the amp or what you feel with your fingers. But if color is important to you......

If you're one of the folks stuck in the MIM v. MIA world and that's important to you, save your bucks for a '52.

You played the Baja, go play a '52. And think real hard on any differences.

Look at life as a bell curve. The Baja's overlap a lot of the MIA Tele's in many ways.

And remember, what eats you up later in life is the, "if only I had..." and, "I should have..."

Let us know how it works out.


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Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 8:07 pm
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Well, i went and played a AV '52 RI tonight and again i was blown away. I like the neck much better but those tiny frets? what's up with those things?

Anyway, unfortunatley i had to have my weife's car towed to the shop tonight. I think she breaks her car on purpose everytime i want a new guitar...

and yes, i normally don't consider any MIM guitar's, but Baja is a good one.

stay tuned....


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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 11:09 am
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if you like the 52 but don't like the smaller frets, spend 100 bucks more and get the 52 hot rod, they have same neck shape but with modern 9.5 radius and medium jumbo frets.


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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 1:26 pm
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Definitely buy the mexican. I have a standard tele and they're brilliant. Besides, if you love it, does it matter where it's made? :)
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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 1:28 pm
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Definitely buy the mexican. I have a standard tele and they're brilliant. Besides, if you love it, does it matter where it's made? :)
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I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not - kurt cobain


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