Fender Baja 60s Tele anyone?

[blackcat]

Just wondering if anyone here has tried or maybe acquired the Baja 60s Tele ( not the original version with the chunky 'V' neck ). None to try around here, so would be buying 'blind'.
Thanks.

David

[radiofm74]

I have one, and really love it:
- a nice 60s C neck (a bit chunkier than the modern C)
- a spectacular set of pickups: American Vintage 52 (neck) and 58 (bridge)… perfect!
- special electronics I don’t care for (I’ve actually pulled the harness and dropped in a standard 3-way)
- good quality overall, though capable of cheap, small improvements (I’ve put in a new bone nut – the original one was cut badly – a new 1-ply pickguard to avoid static and for the looks + compensated saddles)
- extremely good looks.

A great tele – not just for the price. At one moment I was thinking of replacing her for a vintage one, but she basically destroyed all the other teles I A/B’d her with…

[blackcat]

Thanks for that radiofm - I take it that means you find it ideal for jazz? Only slightly put off by the new substitute for rosewood fretboard.
Pondering!

David

[radiofm74]

I actually had to A/B it with the blonde AV52 and decide which one was better for jazz (one would stay in a city for rock, the other go to another city for jazz… yes, it’s a bit complicated ). In the end, I decided the Baja was the best for jazz. The neck pickup has wonderful, transparent cleans through a blackface if you want it to, and a nice round sound through a more tweedish amp. The sound I had in mind at the time was the wonderful tone of Emily Remler and I thought it came close enough in its own single-coil way.

(BTW: the neck pickup in both guitars is practically the same… )

As for Pau Ferro, I’ve heard a few A/Bs on youtube and had the impression that it was absolutely identical to rosewood tonally. In many guitars it looks a bit clearer, which to me is a minus, but it’s strictly aesthetic and it’s a matter of finding the right one rather than a categorical “no”.

[Greentone]

I've owned and played scads of rosewood and mapled-necked Telecasters and Stratocasters. I have always had a pretty discerning ear. I don't believe that I can tell in a blindfolded A/B test with any great accuracy the difference between two identical Strats or Teles where the only difference is a rosewood board vs maple neck. (Assuming the same amps/settings/etc.)

I like them all.

I have really liked the Baja series of MIM Fenders I have played. Heck, Clapton owns one that his wife gave him for Christmas.

To me, they tend to look and feel a _lot_ like the vintage Fenders I used to own.

[MikeTT]

I had one and loved it, but swapped it later because of the neck profile. This was ~10 years ago, I don't know if they changed the neck profile in the meantime. There's nothing wrong wit it, it just had a slight V-profile that I couldn't live with / adapt to.

[radiofm74]

I had one and loved it, but swapped it later because of the neck profile. This was ~10 years ago, I don't know if they changed the neck profile in the meantime. There's nothing wrong wit it, it just had a slight V-profile that I couldn't live with / adapt to.

I think you are referring to the Baja 50s – the maple board version. The 60s, with a rosewood fretboard, has a round “C” neck.

[MikeTT]

Ah, didn't know about 2 models. When I bought mine ~10 or more years ago there was only one model with a slight V-shaped neck (at least here in Europe).
I still think that it's one of the best lower priced Tele-offerings from Fender (but I still want Fender to do a not too expensive Ted Greene Tribute model...)

[Aant]

Recently bought a faded sonic blue baja 60s, my first telecaster in fact, and I'm very, very (very) happy with the purchase.

As radiofm74 mentions, the pick-ups are great, they seem a bit darker compared to some teles I've played. I really dig the neck too, mine has a pau ferro fretboard and I'm unable to hear a difference with rosewood (actually I'm not sure I'd hear a difference with maple); it looks and feel dryer, a bit like ebony.

The frets' edges need to be limed, and, as the sales rep put it out of its box in front of me, it wasn't checked beforehand and necessitate a set up, nothing major. I don't feel like bringing it to a tech yet, just want to play it more and more. And there is an uneven area on the horn of the guitar, barely visible - nothing that ruins the fun anyway. Easily fixable stuff.

@radiofm74: I read you changed the nut on yours for a bone one. Does it improve the tone? Strings alignment on mine look ok. What's the purpose of installing a compensated bridge saddle?

For what it's worth I can get nice tones when plugged in my BluesBaby 45.

However, I tried one second hand that a guy bought online, and I just couldn't buy it even if the price was interesting: the bridge pickup holes were completely bursting on the sides of the plate, there was a paint oddity at the neck joint and the volume control didn't work properly - the guitar was less than 1 year old. So I guess that, as for any online order, you can get unlucky - as they say, try before you buy if possible. There are people who'd add that the quality of a MIM is not equivalent to a MIA, but as far as mine is concerned I couldn't care less where it's been made.

[radiofm74]

Recently bought a faded sonic blue baja 60s, my first telecaster in fact, and I'm very, very (very) happy with the purchase.

As radiofm74 mentions, the pick-ups are great, they seem a bit darker compared to some teles I've played. I really dig the neck too, mine has a pau ferro fretboard and I'm unable to hear a difference with rosewood (actually I'm not sure I'd hear a difference with maple); it looks and feel dryer, a bit like ebony.

The frets' edges need to be limed, and, as the sales rep put it out of its box in front of me, it wasn't checked beforehand and necessitate a set up, nothing major. I don't feel like bringing it to a tech yet, just want to play it more and more. And there is an uneven area on the horn of the guitar, barely visible - nothing that ruins the fun anyway. Easily fixable stuff.

@radiofm74: I read you changed the nut on yours for a bone one. Does it improve the tone? Strings alignment on mine look ok. What's the purpose of installing a compensated bridge saddle?

For what it's worth I can get nice tones when plugged in my BluesBaby 45.

However, I tried one second hand that a guy bought online, and I just couldn't buy it even if the price was interesting: the bridge pickup holes were completely bursting on the sides of the plate, there was a paint oddity at the neck joint and the volume control didn't work properly - the guitar was less than 1 year old. So I guess that, as for any online order, you can get unlucky - as they say, try before you buy if possible. There are people who'd add that the quality of a MIM is not equivalent to a MIA, but as far as mine is concerned I couldn't care less where it's been made.

Hi Aant, the reason I changed the nut was simply that the original one was badly cut and the strings were badly aligned as a consequence. No impact on the tone that I could say, but I was very happy to have the right spacings and a bone nut for 30€

That was the first of a series of little tweaks I did to the guitar. I did install compensated saddles. Another 30€ well spent. Mostly for aesthetic reasons (and also a bit to eliminate pickguard static) I got me a nice 1-ply pickguard. And since I never ever used the 4-way switch and S1, both for convenience (I hated having to “fish” for my beloved 3rd position) and to reduce noise, I installed a standard tele wiring.

I guess that this is also my answer to the MIA vs MIM debate, which is currently raging (once again) over at the Telecaster forum. Yes my Baja60s had a few “quality” issues not commonly found on higher-$ MIA models (I do have an American Vintage 52 for comparison). But once you spend a few well-placed bucks – I could have stopped at the nut, really – and unless the thought of having a poly-coated guitar makes you sweat, that’s as good a tele as you may ever want.

I am saying this out of experience. I A/B'd the Baja with my former American Standard, and I far preferred it (so much so that I sold the AmStd, a lovely nitro 60th anniversary model). Then I got me the AV52 (I wanted a ‘50s style tele anyway) and if I slightly prefer it, it’s only because I like its chunkier neck. Not the sound, not the “quality”. And one summer I had taken the crazy resolution that I wanted a “vintage” tele and I A/Bd the Baja with as many (relatively affordable) vintage teles as I could find. There was a beautiful 1966 that I liked as much as the Baja (but costed 4’500€) and there were many late 60s and early 70s that did not tally up to it.

Yes, when I see an American Vintage ’64 I salivate. Yes I’d like to have Robben Ford kindly gift me his tele. But I’m very happy with the Baja!

PS: as to the tonal impact of fretboard materials, Greentone replied above and I agree

[Aant]

Thank you radiofm74!

As far as the MIM vs MIA (vs MIWherever) debate is concerned, it made me think of this blindfold challenge video:

You probably know it already, it's nonetheless entertaining and Chapman's blind takes on various teles interesting...

[mad dog]

I had one of the older ones, before they came up with the two versions. It was a light, good feeling and playing instrument, but I did not like the pickups. On the harsh side. They worked well with that switching system, but the sound was not right for me. (I do prefer warmer, richer p/us, the kind that work well with jazz tones.)

[radiofm74]

I had one of the older ones, before they came up with the two versions. It was a light, good feeling and playing instrument, but I did not like the pickups. On the harsh side. They worked well with that switching system, but the sound was not right for me.

I also don’t like much the pickups in the Baja 50s, especially the neck pickup. But I love those on the 60s. It’s an entirely different set.