Baker B1-H

The Baker B1-H is the semi-hollow body, single "f-hole" (talon shaped actually) version of the basic Baker shaped guitar, which is a double cutaway. The guitar is built in California by Gene Baker, former Fender and Gibson Custom Shop master luthier adn designer of the Fender Robben Ford guitar. His guitars are shaped similar to the Robben Ford guitar shape. The Baker standard solid body is a B1, and a chambered version is the B1-C. The unique thing about the B1-H is that, although it has only a single f-hole, the solid center strip extends only just past the tail piece, so it is hollow around both sides of the center strip and all the air can pass through the single f-hole. This is a Les Paul style guitar with 22 frets, a 12" radius neck, 24.5" scale length neck, and tune-o-matic bridge. It has a carved flamed maple top finished in gloss cherry sunburst on a mahogany body. The neck is mahogany with a rosewood fretboard, and Baker "crown" inlays. It has a matching finished headstock, with Schaller non-locking tuners and uses the Buzz Feiten tuning system. This particular guitar has a pair of Duncan '59 humbuckers, with two volume and one tone control, and a 3-way pickup selector. The tone control is a push/pull coil tap for both pickups. the guitar was built in September 2001, and comes with a very deluxe hardshell case, with top quality parts.

I give the guitar a 9 rating. By design, it is intended to be a Gibson style dual humbucker guitar, and not packed with switches and features. It does that very well. The only addition of value that I could see is two tone controls rather than one, and each with its own push/pull coil split, so that you could set the tone and the coil split separately for each pickup. If it had that one change, it would be a clear 10. Why can't I call it a 9.75?

This guitar sounds great. It strikes a great balance between a Les Paul and an ES-335. It isn't as "heavy" and dark as a Les Paul, and has some of the breathiness and open-ness of a 335, due to the semi-hollow body. I think that adds to its versatility. Even clean tones sound wonderfully full and rich, which often isn't the case with a Les Paul.

I play a variety of styles, from clean jazz to pop to a little harder edge rock. I am not into metal or high gain playing. My current band is a bar/dance band, playing everything from Beatles and Motown to The Police and Eurythmics. I need versatility. My main guitar is a Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic, which handles strat and tele sounds perfectly, but doesn't have the power and depth for some things. I play through a Mesa Boogie Mark IV, with a Lexicon MPX-1 and Korg rackmount tuner running through the effects loop. The Baker is the perfect compliment to the Anderson. Clean, I can get nice warm jazz sounds out of the neck pickup. I also can get some very usable single coil sounds with the coil split, and even a jangly kind of sound from the middle position. The coil splits add a lot of versatility and sounds suprisingly good. Certainly, it isn't a strat, but the single coil sounds are thinner and lighter, and have a lot of value when you don't need the full power of the 'buckers. I like the fact that they have their own sound, which is very nice as it is. This is a huge advantage over the traditional Gibson guitars.

The Baker is very quiet, even in single coil mode. The guitar can go from clean and jangly to rich full Santana or Carlton 335 sounds overdriven in the neck position, to down and dirty ZZ Top sounds with the bridge pickup. For medium gain and clean tones, this guitar sounds huge and covers a lot of the sonic spectrum. Jazzy octaves, a la Wes Montgomery, sound really sweet and big. I get tons of sustain and can control the roll into feedback.

My only complaint is that the Duncan bridge '59 is clearly not as good as the neck '59. The neck pickup is fabulous, and is considered one of the best PAF style humbucker pickups out there. The bridge pickup, while adjusted right, isn't equal in volume or in quality. Baker has switched over to DiMarzio airbuckers and/or Virtual Vintage PAF's on his newer guitars. I expect I will try a VV PAF in the bridge pickup. So, I love the sounds the guitar produces, but feel that the bridge pickup could be improved slightly. I could live with it, but the guitar is so close to "perfect" that I want to make the change and see if I get all the way.

I bought the guitar used in May 2002, but it has only been in existance for 9 months. The original owner had no modifications or set up done. I found that the action was a tad too low on the higher frets and would buzz a little at the higher frets on the high E string. I raised the action just a touch, and all is well. The guitar is perfectly intonated, and the Buzz Feiten system works really well. The fit and finish are top notch. I have been playing Andersons for years and have come to expect their level of quality and construction, which is the best anywhere, period, end of discussion. I would say that the fit and finish are nearly the equal of Anderson. There are no flaws in the finish, the wood is beautiful, and everything is of the highest quality. As good as an Anderson.

I have only had the guitar a month, but have played in a lot of rehearsals with it. It is solidly built with the best parts to a high standard. It will withstand live playing. It comes with straplock buttons, and they are solid. There is no doubt it is a dependable guitar. While I could use it on a gig without a backup, I never would. A backup is just smart business. Besides, my style calls for multiple styles and I need at least two guitars on any gig. However, this is a top quality guitar in all respects.

I looked at several Bakers before buying this one. I contacted Baker about each one. They were incredibly helpful each time, and I wasn't even a Baker owner yet. They were willing to fax me the original spec sheets on any guitar and answer any and all questions. Most of my emails were from Gene himself. They are known for customer service and deliver. The guys at Baker obviously love what they do and care about their guitars and the people who own them. There is no doubt that they would provide any and all support.

I have been playing guitar for 30 years, and semi-professionally for about 25 years. I have owned Ibanez, vintage Epiphone, Gibson, Fender, Hamer, and 5 Tom Anderson guitars over the years. I have been playing through Mesa Boogie gear for about 20 years. I have been looking for a semi-hollow LP/335 ish guitar. I tried and owned a Hamer Artist USA, but it just wasn't quite right for me. I bought an Anderson Hollow Cobra, thinking it had to be the one, as I love Andersons. However, it was a little too much Les Paul, not enough 335. It didn't breathe enough for me. This guitar nails it perfectly. I love that singing tone and that hint of air and openness you get even in the bridge pickup on the lead channel of the Boogie. It just has a personality and sound that isn't so obvious and over used. I would buy another one in a hearbeat. Anyone looking at high end guitars in the "Gibson" style really should find a Baker to play.