The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review and Music Article Archive: Review: 2007 MIM Baja Telecaster

Review: Fender Baja Telecaster

When I first saw a Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster, it brought back a sense of deja vu. One of my first guitars was a '71 tele with a translucent blonde finish, rewound front pickup, and with a maple neck rewired to low medium jumbo frets. Paid the then average cost of 250.00 for it.

I played it for 20 years without a problem, and it wasn't a voluntary parting, the details of which I'll spare you, but I always did remember and revere that guitar.

Anyway, back to the Baja.

What it hit me was that except for the finish, which was thick, it was almost a dead ringer for my old tele. When I picked it up (it was on the floor, leaned against some amps), I realized it was damaged. A one-inch gash on the front back edge all the way to the wood, and a screw missing from the switch panel (that was a first, even in a Guitar Center). A friend who worked there said people regularly stole screws and hardware off demo guitars.

That was an opportunity. I went to the counter to my usual salesman (I try to deal with only one person in each store) and made an offer on the guitar and got 300.00 off on it.

The Baja is a 50's style Tele, designed by the famed Fender Custom Shop master designer Chris Fleming. On the surface, it looks like a simple 50's reissue. Soft V maple neck, three piece bridge, broadcaster bridge pickup, simple pick guard and vintage era tuners. From the outside it's all classic lines.

However, underneath the hood is a “twisted” hot neck pickup (somewhat Stratty), four position switch, and a S-1 up switch to give you four more options. The options include the classic sounds, out of phase, and so on, but the real treat is the classic Broadcaster bridge PUP, and the two pickups in serial mode option in S1. The latter really gives you a lot of output.

It's a little lighter than the Standard. The body is made of ash, which is a hair bit lighter, or at least it feels that way, and the neck is perfect. Great medium jumbo frets and good tuners. The only problem I can see is that it's an old-style neck, so adjustment requires taking off the pick guard.

Also, you have to like playing a maple neck. It doesn't have the now usual rosewood fretboard. Some feel that the maple fretboard is “slower” due to the surface and thickness and that could be. I'm not a speed player, most of what I get from a guitar comes from hammer ons, bends, pull offs, that sort of thing. Which for me, a maple neck is perfect. You can't get the tone a maple neck gives you any other way.

Its relatively low street price of 800.00 (internet) is due to it being assembled in Mexico. For some this might be a problem due to past MIM quality problems. Many of those poor sounding MIM Fenders were due more to cheap components than bad craftsmanship. Many of the good buys in the Fender line, like the Jimmy Vaughan Strat, are assembled in Mexico.

In this case, the Baja Tele is a Custom Shop Style Fender you can afford, and the “classic series” they've created are among the best values on the market right now. You can pay more, and get less guitar for an American Standard, or even less and get less guitar for a Highway Series.

Or just don't worry about where it was made and enjoy what would have been a 1600.00 tele if it had been made here.

Before buying the damaged Baja, I of course tested it to make sure it worked. After all, it takes a lot to knock wood off a tele even with the guitar's reputation for toughness. It worked just fine, though the tone was brighter, which is something to consider if you’re interested in buying one.

It was good to know that some things never change, and I got a bargain complete with a free relic job.

- Al HANDA

2007

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa