It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:06 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:13 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:11 am
Posts: 190
I've seen many videos on Youtube and am impressed with the tone people get out of it. There's many revving reviews and hardly any complaints.

What makes the Baja so special being such a low cost instrument? It must be the Custom Shop pick ups, but what about the quality of the neck? How does that compare to, say a standard or Deluxe? It it noticeably less comfortable / well made or can you not tell the difference?

I wish I could try one, but there's none around the area I live. They seem to be in high demand.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:25 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:42 pm
Posts: 21
I have been interested in the Baja for some time now, but no store carries it. I walk in and talk to the people at the three stores near me and I get the same answer it's a great guitar, we order them for customers all the time, but we don't carry them. Could one store carry one less standard Tele (they usually have multiples of at least one color) and have a Baja in stock. I would probably buy one if I could just try it one time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:52 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:47 am
Posts: 15336
Location: In a galaxy far far away
Well it looks great, similar to a 52. Mine has been mistaken as being such a few times. Which I must confess I enjoyed. It sounds fantastic in the 4 s1 up positions. Does country to zztop like sounds and everything in between. The s1 down sounds (only 2 different) aint bad at all, but a little more style specific. Quite thin and nasaly. However with a bit of jiggery pokery on the tone control (Bill Lawrence Qfilter) made those 2 positions incredibly usable. I didn't like the way it affected the regular sounds though. So I put it in a strat I have set aside for certain specialist things.

Despite all the options and the great sound it still feels very unrefined and raw. Like all good tele's do. There's not a lot of room to hide on it.

The neck is great but gargantuan, I don't find it uncomfortable at all. It did take a month to get used to it. But it feels great. Learning some stuff lastnight I was switching between my 57Hotrod with a very slim neck and my Baja tele with it's very fat neck, effortlessly. It's shaped really well round the back, really well. Despite the size of the thing my hand glides round the neck effortlessly, making low string access a pleasure.

The fret work wasn't perfect, not bad, but not perfect. A few passes with a fretstone sorted that. Job done in under 15 minutes.
Intonation is a issue as it is on all 3 saddle bridge teles. It was perfectly playable though. I'm far too exacting regarding intonation.
The paint is a little thick on the top. The grain isn't as visible as it could be, for what thats worth. I may well have a one piece body, I can't see a join on the back where the grain is much more visible. Looking at the neck pocket I see no signs of a veneer.

Would I buy another, yep in a heartbeat. I can switch between my Baja, HR and CS strats without even noticing the price difference.

All in all, it's a great guitar in my opinion. Nothing like a Deluxe tele though. I'd go as far as to say its the opposite of the American Deluxe Tele, not at all modern.

_________________
No no and no


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:17 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:11 am
Posts: 190
nikininja wrote:
Well it looks great, similar to a 52. Mine has been mistaken as being such a few times. Which I must confess I enjoyed. It sounds fantastic in the 4 s1 up positions. Does country to zztop like sounds and everything in between. The s1 down sounds (only 2 different) aint bad at all, but a little more style specific. Quite thin and nasaly. However with a bit of jiggery pokery on the tone control (Bill Lawrence Qfilter) made those 2 positions incredibly usable. I didn't like the way it affected the regular sounds though. So I put it in a strat I have set aside for certain specialist things.

Despite all the options and the great sound it still feels very unrefined and raw. Like all good tele's do. There's not a lot of room to hide on it.

The neck is great but gargantuan, I don't find it uncomfortable at all. It did take a month to get used to it. But it feels great. Learning some stuff lastnight I was switching between my 57Hotrod with a very slim neck and my Baja tele with it's very fat neck, effortlessly. It's shaped really well round the back, really well. Despite the size of the thing my hand glides round the neck effortlessly, making low string access a pleasure.

The fret work wasn't perfect, not bad, but not perfect. A few passes with a fretstone sorted that. Job done in under 15 minutes.
Intonation is a issue as it is on all 3 saddle bridge teles. It was perfectly playable though. I'm far too exacting regarding intonation.
The paint is a little thick on the top. The grain isn't as visible as it could be, for what thats worth. I may well have a one piece body, I can't see a join on the back where the grain is much more visible. Looking at the neck pocket I see no signs of a veneer.

Would I buy another, yep in a heartbeat. I can switch between my Baja, HR and CS strats without even noticing the price difference.

All in all, it's a great guitar in my opinion. Nothing like a Deluxe tele though. I'd go as far as to say its the opposite of the American Deluxe Tele, not at all modern.


Thanks Niki

Comprehensive and clear as always.

I'm seriously considering one. I never really liked Teles (mostly from a visual perspective), but God do they sound good on the edge of a good valve amp's break up point. Funny you should mention ZZ top. That's exactly the type of sound which I'd like to get the Baja for. Or Paul Weller - a good, throaty, nasal and rough woody tone with balls and attitude, which I can't really get my Strats to do (maybe it's just me)!

My only concern was the playability (mainly the vintage Tele bridge and the neck), but I seem to understand these should not be of major concern. If only they were to be found somewhere around me...

I was down Denmark St in London yesterday and none of the shops had any. One of the shop assistants (a pleasant Aussie chap) said - Yes mate, we've got two. Then he realised both had been sold - possibly that very day. And with a £550 price - it's not hard to see why they attract people's interest - especially in these hard times, when a 52RI will set you back three times that.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:57 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:47 am
Posts: 15336
Location: In a galaxy far far away
You'll pick one up for around £480.

I really suggest trying one before you buy. Whilst I got over the neck size quite easily, I can understand why some wouldn't.

You'll love the 4th position, both pickups in series. It's kind of like a good old humbucker, but drawing it's sound from a further spread across the strings. But not like 2 humbuckers in parallell.
Ideal for that Deguello type lead sound. A little mushy for clear driven rhythm. But that's what the bridge pickup is for. 8)
When you do find one, pay attention to the fret level. Mine was a bit off. I have no doubt that there are plenty with faultless fretwork.

Just had a look over the net. GuitarGuitar has one in, at their Newcastle store. You'd spend the cost of the guitar in petrol to get there. :lol:
Mansons over in Exeter say they have one.
http://www.mansons.co.uk/shopping/categories/fender-telecasters-electric-guitars/fender/classic-player-baja-telecaster-electric-guitar/

_________________
No no and no


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:00 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:05 am
Posts: 249
It's a pretty chunky neck


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:05 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:11 am
Posts: 190
tfunk182 wrote:
It's a pretty chunky neck


meaning that's good or bad?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:27 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:05 am
Posts: 249
too big for my tastes. It's bigger than my 52 reissues neck.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 5:25 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:42 pm
Posts: 21
tfunk182 wrote:
too big for my tastes. It's bigger than my 52 reissues neck.

That's what I am looking for. Just want to try in before i put out $800.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:23 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:52 am
Posts: 3
Just got a Baja the Desert Sand one. I have a CP 60s Strat and a Gibson Les Paul Studio as reference. The Baja soft-v neck is sort of chunky at the top but is very playable. Feels like the LP at the top and the CP Strat at the bottom. The initial problem for me was the 'sticky' neck but that starts to go after playing for a few days. The 3 saddle bridge issue is a bit of a damp squib. Perhaps if you obsess it becomes one but I see many players playing perfectly well using them - eg Jim Campilongo, Gregor Hilden on YT etc. I note some 'bend' the saddles slightly up or down to suit. There's an intonation trick too. But it is quite easy to buy three compensated saddles if it bugs you.

One false issue I noted was that looking down the arm with light reflecting on it, it looked like some frets were slightly raised. Really it was the gloss where the fretboard had been cut to take the frets - some of the gloss is slightly raised there and catches the light. In normal light and upon close inspection they look fine.

I am still at the stage of trying to decide which pickup settings I like and how best to use them. Six options with the out-of-phase ones. I like the overall simplicity and clarity of sound against the Strat and LP. It does offer something which feels and sounds very different. I like it a lot. Very pleased I bought it.

Image
Baja Tele by Pixist, on Flickr

Image
Baja Tele Headstock by Pixist, on Flickr

Image
Baja Tele Twisted by Pixist, on Flickr


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:54 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:11 am
Posts: 190
Gitr, congratulations on your engagement with the Baja :D.

That neck looks lovely. It looks like a darker shade of maple which has a vintage look to it (I really dislike the new "white" maple that Fender uses for their necks nowadays).

Enjoy it and let us know how you get on.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:55 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:52 am
Posts: 3
Hi tremolo arm, A marriage made in heaven!! :D Yes I prefer the darker neck to the 'white' maple which looks sickly. I like too the glossy finish the satin one is a little bland too.

I bought my Baja from Thomann in Germany. I took a chance but I have bought there before and had no issues - really it is only when something goes wrong that you find out what sort of firm you've bought from. I was thinking third time unlucky but thankfully not. Point is they were offering a very good price £482 when here it was £550ish. Sadly now the price is up to £532 or so. So perhaps better to buy UK since at least you can hit em with it if needed!

I can say it was a surprise to me that I would like it so much but history says that's what often happens.

There has been a series of programmes on BBC The Story of the Guitar by Alan Yentob. They're on the iPlayer. Prog 2 has interesting stuff about the Tele etc. Think I'll be getting off to the crossroads soon! haha


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:10 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:54 am
Posts: 154
If I'm not mistaken the Baja is the only, or one of the only, non-Custom Shop Tele models utilizing the Hot Broadcaster/Twisted Tele pickup set. This incredible sonic combination is found mostly on masterbuilt and limited edition Telecasters.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: So what's the deal with the Baja?
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:38 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:02 pm
Posts: 290
Location: Wisconsin
Gitr,

Just caught this thread. Your Tele looks exactly like mine! I purchased it last month and am very pleased with it. It is a little heavier than all of my other guitars but I guess that ash can be quite a heavy wood. I decided that the vintage string tree was not very functional so replaced it with a Graph tech string tree. Also I ordered a three ply black pick guard to see how that will look. The white guard really looks good but I don't like one ply. Should have it next week. A lot of the vintage Tele's had black guards. Fortunately it is an easy modification and can be changed easily.

This guitar is a great buy.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: