Fender Baja Telecaster

This is a blonde one. See features on other threads. The body finish is not to everyone's taste, for me it could be thinner. Mine is 3.9 Kg, which is a bit heavy. Neck is a nice quartersawn maple with an inconsistency in the grain around the 3rd fret, but nice. The overall features of this guitar are great for the price.

Coming from Les Paul style guitars (I wanted a Tele because of Jimmy Page early days) I welcomed the hot pickups. Still I need a boost with it to feel "home" - for which I am using an Xotic RC booster. It is adding noise but also punch and I like it a lot. Playing into either Diezel Einstein or Bogner Shiva.

The guitar is great for cleans and has awesome high gain sounds, unbelievable how versatile it is. I have several much more expensive guitars, but since 1 month I only play the Baja. The 4th setting out of phase is a very special sound (did anyone mention Peter Green?) that gives you pinch harmonics all over the fret board - absolutely astonishing.

The Baja plays great and cuts through the mix as well. It's noisy with gain, but that is not a sign for bad quality, it comes along with any single coil guitar and is very manageable.

For the money this costs, it gets a straight 10 in sound!

Finish is OK. Frets are not perfect and shiny as on other guitars I bought (not same standard as e.g. a PRS Singlecut SE). The setup was beyond good and evil, they definitely have not checked the intonation before the guitar went out. All saddles were about 0.5-1cm off! Neck and action were almost fine though.
I had fixed the intonation and action in <1h, so no big deal. I would like the body finish to be thinner though, this is a bit too plasticky for my taste.

This seems very sturdy, I mean it's a Tele, must be the most stable guitar on the planet. If I ever feel like thrashing it into my cabs on stage, I know who will win. Well, I wanted a new cab anyway :o)

Great guitar! You gotta have one, or two :o)

Solid swamp ash bodies, probably 3 piece; opaque gloss poly skin (semitransparent on hard to find blonde ones), full thickness stock tele shape, modern edge radius, US quality thin nickel plate bridge, 3 brass saddles, string thru, ping 'kluson' nickel plate vintage machines--slotted; skunk striped slightly V'd big "C" shaped neck, almost one inch depth, 9.5 board radius, conventional modern frets, gloss poly coating, 4 way switching providing series or parallel use of pickups when both pups are selected, S-1 gives out of phase for those two settings as well, total of six, custom shop origin twisted tele neck pup and broadcaster not nocaster bridge pup, fancy neck plate. Significant US content, finished and assembled in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. A lot of stuff for a Tele, and I say the extras sounds are not a gimmick.

I play most styles, but not metal, hip hop or show tunes.
The Baja is well suited to my style.
Sounds great through a Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb-Amp 2x10 combo, not bad through a Peavey Classic 50 2x12 combo either; pedals are not really needed here.
Mine are dead quiet in position #4, S-1 button down (series out of phase) and progressively louder up to positions #1 and #3.
Let me just say these pickups are much more rewarding that the stock ones in my American Series (04) Tele, leave it there.
Love to have a bass and treble cut setup for more range of sound, stacked potentiometer, one will get modded that way soon.

The basics are all just fine, all the things I couldn't fix if wrong are right. I'm a big boy, and I don't mind fixing a pickguard or cleaning up a little compound or adjusting the intonation. Both bridge plates were canted a minute fraction, no sweat to fix during a string change. The hard plastic nuts are both cut nicely for 10s or 11s. Crucially, the fretwork and tuner placement and the neck fit is all I ask for; these are the ones that really count. One of mine is barely used and had a GuitarPartsResource set of $22 slant compensated saddles which I adjusted, and each got an $12 Electrosocket for the outlet jack from Stewart MacDonald. The stock saddle one intonates with 10s better than any other I've had with tilt only barrels.
The S-1 switches are a bit wobbly by nature and will be replaced with push pull pots sometime into the guitars' lives.

If you're putting the hurt on a real Fender Telecaster, you must know Michael Vick I guess. These guitars are easy to maintain and are relatively indestructible by guitar standards. You need Jim Dunlop straplocks because if the guitar falls, someone's foot might be injured.
Once the Electrosocket is on, the electrics (except possibly the s-1) are reliable, but as inexpensive as these Bajas are, I have two.
If I couldn't depend on it though, I wouldn't have one.
They're lifetime guitars should you wish it so.

As long as Leo is somewhere looking over us, that's good enough for me.
He's designed it so I can look after myself, that's all I want.
Can you ever say that about a set neck guitar honestly?

I have 4 american made G + Ls that are better, no question, but are intended to sell for twice as much. None does a Tele quite like the Baja.
Sure, I wish the Baja was available with the bass and treble cuts, and transparent color finishes in other pale colors, Gotoh tuners, Callaham bridgeplate and saddles, heavy knurled knobs, maybe even a thinline body. But guess what, every loving sister would be in line to get one at $ 1,200 each. Somehow I've gotten a new one at $ 600 plus purse for $39, plus tax, and a lighter used one for $499 including the tax, whilst others have paid $ 800+ in the States, more overseas.
But if you're just wearing this guitar around your neck for show, please don't buy this model.

I picked the desert tan because it looked so 'traditional'. Not really, that was the only color in stock when I walked in, but it was an eye catcher. I was only there to get a strap and set of mating strap locks for my JV Strat. Being a Tele afficianado, I started noodling around, riffin' blues and my favorite chicken pickin' licks on a red American Tele when my eye caught sight of the Baja on the wall. I got it down, plugged into a Fender Deluxe reissue and the fun began. I'll get into that later. The pickups, of course, are custom shop models - a twisted tele in the bridge and a nocaster in the neck, or is it the other way around? Anyway, it has a 4-way switch (S1) and a button on the volume control to change the phase. Very useful and well though out. The body is solid ash and the neck is maple. Standard for the Baja.

I play pretty much anything from ZZ Top to Chet Atkins, so this is the guitar for me. I play through a Dr. Z (z28 model), an Ibanez TS9 distortion, an Ibanez digital delay, and an ernie ball volume pedal. The sound is very clean and articulate. Of course, these are single coil REAL Tele pickups and tend to pick up the magnetic hum of every electrical widget in sight, but that's a Tele for you. A noise gate helps, but I quit using one because the volume pedal works well enough. I found out early on that the parallel out-of-phase (position 2, button down) works fine for SR cover tunes (scuttle buttin, house is rockin', pride and joy), even better with the TS9. Its not exactly a Strat sound, a lot thicker, but it works for me. The out of phase in series (position 4, button down) is great for old British cover tunes. Try it on 'Day Tripper' or 'I Feel Fine' and you'll see what I mean. It nails that hollow sound. Also, Suzie Q (CCR)sounds tough with that sound. Primarily, however, I use the neck or bridge pickup with the button up (standard tele setting). The 4th position (both pickups in series, button up) is great for fattening the tone a little more and getting more gain for distortion. A very sweet sound in that position and one I use several times a night.

I couldn't believe the factory setup. I asked the salesman if someone in his store had done it and he said it came from the factory like that. Strings were low, no buzzing, the neck felt nice and meaty, but not like a baseball bat as one reviewer stated. I love that neck and I'm a Les Paul lover as well, so that should tell you something (I like the Les Paul 60s thin taper neck, btw). The pickups were adjusted fine, but I raised the bridge a touch. Didn't really make that much difference, it just looked too low to me. I've been over this thing looking for flaws and can't find anything. I must have been at the right place at the right time. No complaints there.

This guitar could double as a weapon. It ain't gonna break from what I've seen because Teles are just plain tough! The finish is polyurethane, so it should stand up well to my sweat, and I sweat profusely when I'm playing. Strap buttons are good on this one, but I tighten all my strap buttons before a gig. They tend to work loose after playing 3 or 4 nights. Its very dependable and I really don't NEED a backup, but I usually bring a couple of other guitars just to vary the sound. I used it stand alone once because I did't have room to haul more guitars. I pulled off the entire set list with no problems. There were a few moments where I missed my Paul, but the audience didn't notice, so there you go.

I've been playing since my pre-teen years. I think I was 8 or 9 and I'm late in my 40s now. I played a Baja several times within a 2 month period before buying one. I wanted to be sure it wasn't just a whim. I paid 700 bucks for it and that's a lot of money for something you don't really HAVE to buy. Still, no regrets. This is as fine a guitar as I've ever owned. The wiring is ingenious and everyone I've shown it to is amazed by what it can do. Two of my friends are getting Baja Teles after playing mine. This is a keeper and I haven't been able to say that for 20 years or better. I really think this is one of the coolest things Fender has ever done. I'm sticking with this Baja Tele and my Les Paul from here out; sold my Strats. Thinking about getting an upper end US Tele? Try this out first and compare it side by side with one, unless you just have money to burn. That's what I did and I know what I'm talking about. It feels as good as a Custom shop US Tele from the wood to the hardware to the eletrical components. I think that covers pretty much everything. It will never have the resale value as an old American model, but you'll get your money's worth from a Baja if you're buying one just to play and keep. It's a blast to play. Try one and you'll see. And yes, if this were lost or stolen, I would definitely get another one, same color. I'm in love with this thing still.

Vintage looks, modern features....
Four way pick up selector...the 4th position plays the two pickups like a humbucker...very cool
The volume knob also has the S-1 switch
Positions 2 and 4 are effected and it basically puts them out of phase for some interesting sounds that could have some cool uses
The neck is huge and feels/plays great, except the tuners are cheaper versions of the official vintage ones that Fender uses. However, they stay in tune and look cool, so I'll keep um for a while
Old school 3 saddle brass bridge
I'll give it a 9 in this category, cause for a tele its loaded with features

This is a mexican tele, but man does it shine
Much darker than your average tele, but it still has enough bite to do what it needs too....i always end up rollin the tone off other teles and takin treble off the amp anyway
Stays nicely in tune after a lil setup and string change
The pickup combinations you can use give you plenty of options
My only gripe is the static it makes when you rub the pickguard while playing...I'm able to stop it by rubbin a fabric softener sheet on it, but i wish there was a way to permanently stop it...This sorta thing seems to happen on all my guitars...maybe its me?? If anyone has any input send me an email
Sounds greeaaat but not perfec so its gettin an 8

Good enough
I had to adjust the string height, and intonate the guitar, but once that was done shes plays and stays in tune....
Fret job was ok but i filed down around the edges of the neck to really smooth it out...I find a nail file works great...its gentle enough not to hurt the neck if you over do it, and because its soo fine, you can take your time and get it right

6 outta the factory....9 now that I did my thang to it

Hope so:)
lil nervous about those "ping" tuners...maybe one day i'll put the good ones on...we'll see...they work for now so i'll deal
that static issue bothers me too, but with a lil tweakin its a sweet tele that should last a long time

fender?

A better tele than most american fenders, at a great price....i love the color options, and i love the sound....its not my perfect tele (i havent found that one yet) but its pretty darn close...plus it offers up some cool extra features while maintaining a sweet vintage vibe

Update of previous review: Before exchanging the Baja for an amp, I played its newly arrived replacement then took it home. This one looks like a $1200 model, and gets the tones that I've never gotten from three prior Teles and four or five pickup changes. What is an
"Alan Hamel/Hanel" tall neck pickup? Is it what makes a Twisted Tele p.u.?
Much better fret work; qtr.-sawn neck figuring; neck-to-pocket fit perfect. O.K., Fender....

The features are excellent. The custom shop did a good job keeping the tele true to it's roots with the 3 saddle brass bridge and "plain jane" looks.

The body is ash and is desert sand colored. The neck is a giant hunk of wood and is solid maple. The neck is described as a soft v, but feels more like a an "O" shaped neck. It's like holding a baseball bat. The neck is noticable much thicker and beefier than my strat neck and other tele necks i've played on. It has jumbo frets and the neck is very straight. I'm used to strat necks and tele necks that are thinner with a slight curve. This neck is straight and flat like a les paul neck.

The tuners are the vintage style kluson style tuners and stay in tune. It doesn't have as fine of adjustment per turn like my sperzel's on my strat so going back and forth between them can cause me to over crank and miss my mark when fine tuning the tele.

The best feature are the pickups, 4 way pickup selector and the s-1 pickup switching. This gives you a possiblity of 6 different tones and they all sound good.

I gave this a 9, the only way to make this better is to add a strat middle pickup so you can get the 2 and 4 "notch" tones like on a strat.

This is a great sounding tele and is a hidden gem. The tele has twang and bite, but it's not ear piercing. It does have a slight different tone than a traditional tele in that it is a little "beefier" in sound and not as glassy. The bridge pickup has a nice snarl and growl and it's hard to believe it's a low output single coil. The pickup sounds thick, without being "creamy." Very punchy and bright, but balanced tone.

The middle position sounds good. I'm still playing with it though. I'm more of a fan of the 2 and 4 positions on a strat than the middle position of the tele. However, the middle position with the S-1 switch pressed puts the pickups out of phase and gives it a slight honk that is a little closer to the strat in sound.

The neck pickup is very round and fat, but doesn't get muddle. I haven't played with the pickup height on this yet, but I would raise it just a little bit to give it a little more bite and chime. Otherwise it's a very woody and fat sounding pickup.

The 4th position is the bridge and neck pickup together in series. The output kicks up a bit higher, but it's a very dark sound that can get muddy if you're not carefull. I use this position when I want a humbucker like distored lead tone. My favorite position for a distorted marshal tone, however, is the 4th position with the S-1 switch pressed down. This puts the 2 pickups out of phase and gives it a very honky midrange that cuts deep in the mix and gives your tone a nice grind.

Overall, this guitar has a very punchy sound.

Set-up was pretty close from spot on from the factory. I had to raise the bridge pickup a little higher. The action, however, is superb and this is the only fender guitar I have ever seen with a neck so perfectly straight like a les paul, yet have strings so low to the frets with no buzzing. It's different from what I'm used to in playing a fender. I usually like a slight bow in my neck and high action in my strats and teles.

Guitar is basically 2 hunks of wood bolted together. The only thing I'd worry about is maybe the S-1 switch failing after years of repeated use.

9.5

Fender's hidden gem. Any guitar player should get this tele in their lineup.

From F.'s spec.'s @ offcl. site: Classic Player B.T.(389)Desert Sand
polyester on ash(not quite '56 Mmstr/Duosn, restrctd diff.in paints)(307Blnd also)Nk 1pc mapl,soft'V'glospolyurth.FbdMap9.5"21mdjmbfrts.
CustShp"Twisted"Tele sc(n);CShpBroadcstr sc(b) [No Mktg. or Tech. info at official siteon either p.u.] S-1 is 8 pos.,not 6(reviews)4pos.by2(pshpsh). Notcompbrassbarrlstthrbrdg. F./Ping(K-look)vintsttnrs.Pgd blk/bld,pchmt/dsand. Stgs10-46.Inclds VeryNice F.Dlx.gbg+FStrp,calndr,3goodpkts,goodstrps.

Rarely use trad'l Tele for Chicago/Chess,Richards 68-72,Cropper,Cooder.Traded Bill Lawrence SwampkasterT w/EMGs+boot for G&L ASAT "Bluesboy"+AC30(Ch).Buying Swampk. back later today. Baja is proof of the creative wealth at Fender. S-1 is a legitimate mod. on this Tele,more for casual T players; the real guys - not impressed.

Action, string spread, nut height, all fine. Bridge frustration from non-comp. saddles - of course. Neck/pocket fit for the perfectionists
who still won't practice...Full disclosure: the Strat for me is my SRV: big frets healthy neck thickness solves the arthritis and loss of strength over yrs. from nerve comprssn. in neck. And the laziness..
Now the painful: Pickguard was buckling away full perimeter because some minimal trimming(a little filing)at switch end of control plate
was just flat denied. The nastiness reputation of certain Mexico facilities was sustained by 10 or so gobs of polishing material, same color as the finish; such had not damaged the finish. But,oh,
the underside of the single-layer guard looked like the bottom piece
in its stack,with dozens of grit-like surface slices; which wouldn't
affect the whoa! My excitement just went, oh man. What's underneath
the color coat, and the solder joints, and...that was it for me.

I think Baja is progress towards providing a package of sensible and
cool mods that could reduce much of the victimizing of the folks who
would benefit so much by investing their energy in playing and performing skills. If folks realized how much more good sound comes from tissues and energy than wood, metal and paint. But Fender knows that; and those offshore deals will keep on churnin.

Retail return within the behemoth's grace period.
And knowing some folks, and judging their guitar tournaments helps...

Playing piano-51yrs; guitar-41;reeds-45. I'm returning it because,
while I was trying to get over the sloppiness, maybe contempt for
an employer, I made a good trade for a Schecter(Kor)Diamond Series,
Tele.Dlx.-styling, also hot-rodded with Duncan(K)Gretsch-type humbkr-nk,Duncan59br, both tapped, strat rosewood neck w/import Grovers,
beautiful neck work.
How can you ignore Fender? Just go to the next one, like they do.

The custom shop pickups and S1 switching are really nice; you get a total of 6 pickup configs, all of which have their own useful sound. I have no desire to swap for Fralins or anything else. Tuners are solid, fretwork seems pretty good. I like the 3-saddle vintage bridge but I did swap the saddles for compensated; you might find yourself doing the same.

It really sounds beautiful to me. However, it doesn't quite sound the way I always imagined the 'tele' sound -- it's not at all icepicky or harshly bright, but it does twang. For me this is a feature; I expected to be struggling with excess highs in my amp/pedals but that's not at all the case. The pickups are really good for stock, no hum or excess noise, lots of good tones between the 4-position switch and the S1 selector. Even the neck pickup is useful, very round and fat.

Unsurprisingly, it was not particularly well set up at the factory. When I got it the frets rattled and buzzed quite a lot, and the intonation was nowhere near reasonable. I had to set up the saddle height and intonation, and ended up raising the action a bit and lowering the pickups, but now it plays like a dream. I'm not going to take points off for this because nobody should expect their guitar to be perfectly set up from the factory; that's part of your job as a guitarist.

Too early to tell; I've had it less than a year.

Huh?

I had mostly played strats before this, but I had a strong sense that I wanted a tele for a while now. Went into the store and played about 10 of them before hitting this one; played it unamplified for 30 seconds and knew I'd found it. If lost or stolen I'd cry, then kill, then probably go build one myself.

Does any Tele player escape the 'build my own' obsession?

Vintage Blond finish,lovely see through paint that shows a beautiful ash body under.the rest is classic telecasterlook,apart from the S-1 switch on the volume knob.Big jumbo frets,great feel - kluson de luxe like machine heads,very precise and reliable.Classic tele bridge with brass saddles.Great wiring - 4 position switch ans S-1 together add three every usable sounds to the classic tele sounds,making this guitar an incredible live machine.

I play R&B and blus mostly,and thsi guitar has it all - BTW you can really play everything with this thing.
I use a Vox cambridge 30 modified to 58 watts,and the sounds that come is exctly what I wanted - lots of twang and presence,cranks the amp out and screams really good ;-)

setup was ok,neck was a bity too straight,but changing the string gauge from 010 to 011 solved the problem without the need to access the truss rod,which is the located at the neck joint to the body,classic fender feature but a bit annoying to handle especially on the tel,as the neck pick up is in the way.pup's were set up good,everything else is top class.No flaws no dings,great lacquer on the neck for the right fender feel (I hate "satin" necks!)

built like a tank

never dealt with fender since now

to be honest,this guitar really doesn't seem mexican.is top quality,everything that you would expect from a real good american Telecaster plus some exciting new sounds.And it's a big bargain,get one before the price rises up!

Desert sand color. Unlike one of the previous reviews, I absolutely LOVE the color. "Subtle" is the word here. This color looks so nice because the finish is so smooth and glassy. There is no transparency whatsoever that half-ass shows the grain. I dislike finishes that just "sort of" show you the wood grain. Either show the grain so you can see it, or cover it with paint, I say. This opaque color really accents the timeless Telecaster shape - Simple, functional, elegant, industrial, and classic. How can one guitar be ALL those things? Ask Leo Fender. He got it right the first time. And all this is BEFORE it's plugged in. Custom Shop neck pickup and Custom Shop Broadcaster pickup. Ash body. Custom 4-way selector switch. Vintage gloss finish on the neck like all Fenders should be made, not the TOTALLY LAME flat finish most Fenders have on the necks. Sweet looking vintage style decal on the peghead. Vintage tuners that really complete the look and work well. Nice vintage "Pat. Pend." bridge with 3 brass saddles. Perfect intonation isn't achievable with this style bridge, but's it's close enough. Like some gear geek in the crowd with canine quality hearing is gonna say, "Hey dude - that's a 3-saddle bridge yer dealin' with - intonation is like imPOSSIBLE!!" Strum a chord with that smooth, powerful Telecaster tone, and he'll shut up right away. Custom Shop neckplate. Nice single-ply vintage style pickguard. Made in Mexico (who cares?) with the help of Fender's Custom Shop. Not "Tons of features", but a total classic with all the features you need -therefore, a 10.

I play 60's psychedelic rhythm mostly on a Rickenbacker 360/12. The Telecaster is for everything else, like rock and pop. I use a Fender Deluxe Reverb for both. Not noisy. Sounds are rich, full, AND bright. All the above. If you play heavy metal, forget it. Take your faded SG and break it over your bass players head. Then get a Telecaster and bow down before the Clear Tone God.

Only flaws were a few finish flaws on the peghead , but in places that are pretty unnoticable, like the edge and top, where you can't really see them. All Fenders need the intonation set. Neck is perfect with the correct teeny tiny concave bow. Had to raise the strings a bit because of buzzing. All this is pretty normal and expected.

Everything seems first rate. Time will always tell. I'm not worried.

I've called Fender several times. They actually answered the phone and were helpful, despite the horror stories you hear.

I've played over 20 years. Would buy this guitar again. I like the fact that it is a Custom Shop model at a reasonable price and has all the vintage appointments that make a Telecaster what is and WAS at the same time. The neck feels and plays like proverbial butter, it has THE tone, and looks like it was pulled out from under your grandfather's bed, where it's been stored since 1955 - yet mint condition. If only one word could be used to describe this beauty, it's YUMMY!!!

custom shop p/u's ash body, S1 switching, 21 frets , gig bag.

Incredible sounding guitar! This guitar has converted me from humbuckers. The sound and tone is so nice and there's so many tones available with the s1 option and 4 way. I never was happy with a strats bridge p/u, this tele's bridge is so sweet for overdrive sounds or super clean, it sounds amazing. I did not go in to the store to buy a tele, I just p/u this guitar and was wowed!. I have had other tele's before(52 fender RI) and thought they were nice but this guitar is special. The neck is bigger too, and it feels fantastic, and maybe adds to the magic tone. I love this guitar, check it out ASAP.

The fit and finish and set up were perfect. I got this at GC and I know they touch there guitars. I think you should check a couple out and find the best one.

this will be my main guitar for gigs and at home.

been playing for over 30 years i own tons of tube amps Marshall , fender, boogie's etc. i also have a PRS single cut and strat and now this tele. If stolen I'm running to buy another.

Basically, a tweaked 1952 Telecaster with additional killer tones. Ash body, 1 piece maple neck, 9.5 radius maple fret board with soft V-shape, 21 medium jumbo frets, old style 3 section brass barrel bridge, a Custom Vintage Broadcaster bridge pickup and a Custom Twisted Tele neck pickup with S 1 four-way switching, Gotoh vintage style tuning machines, deluxe gig bag, color is Desert Sand.

This guitar sounds great. The four-way switching produces 6 distinctly different sound positions. The 1 (bridge) and 3 (neck) positions remain the same in both S 1 positions. You get the 3 great, traditional Tele sounds (because of the custom pick ups, very, very good traditional sounds) and 3 additional great sounds of both pick ups parallel and out of phase, both pick ups in series (like a humbucker) and both pick ups in series and out of phase. It is really incredible. This particular wiring and switching arrangement dramatically improve the versatility of the Telecaster.

The extra positions give you a lot more sounds to explore. The sounds are so rich. There are great, pure blues tones, rock tones and unmistakable rockabilly tones. It is one of those guitars that is hard to put down because it sounds so good. This is a dramatic improvement to the Telecaster. The 3 classic Telecaster sounds plus 3 more killer tones. If you have reservations about buying a Telecaster because of the limited pick up positions (like I did), that problem has been totally solved.

Great single pole, nasal, reedy, creamy tones. Great bite when you want to rock.

The neck is much chunkier than the standard Tele neck. It was a surprise. I had expected some kind of slimmed down neck. It took some getting used to but it plays very easily. Intonation was fine, action was very, very good. No adjustments needed to be made. The body is very resonant and it sounds good unplugged. The maple fret board is terrific. The guitar stays in tune.

The G string had a slight buzz to it out of the box but I was able to easily take care of that. Two minor fit issues are that the bridge plate does not totally cover the bridge pick up cavity and the neck pick up cut out in the pick guard is too big so the fit around the neck pick up is sloppy. Just an observation, no big deal. For comparison, I have since looked at US and Korean made Telecasters and they do not have those issues.

The finish is great. No imperfections at all. With regard to the color, Desert Sand, there could not be a more nondescript color. If bland were a color, this is what it would look like. But, I suppose it fits in with the whole Player Series idea. This is the pre-color, 1952 Tele vibe of the industrial strength guitar that sounds great. With the bland colors, the Custom Shop completely keeps the focus on the sound. Which is where it should be. I should note that this was a scratch and dent find (actually just a return, the guitar was mint, with all paperwork, etc) so I took the color they had. For $600, I can live with it. Happily.

The guitar seems incredibly sturdy. Very much in keeping with the original Fender idea of sturdy, easy to fix guitars

No contact yet

This guitar is all about sound and playability and Fender nailed them both at a good price. The Tele is a classic guitar and the limitation of only 3 basic pick up positions has been completely eliminated. You can go all over the place with this thing.

This is a classic guitar. Very, very good quality. Very, very good sound. On those counts, it???s right there with my USA Strat and Gibson Les Paul. Looks are another matter.

I don't have the time to detail all the specs. I can tell you that body is ash and neck is maple. The guitar is part of the Custom Classic Series. It has an S-1 switching system and the pick ups are wound to custom shop specs. If you have spent anytime researching this guitar, you will know it's made in Mexico with the assistance of Fender's Custom Shop.

This guitar is the king of the street here. You have to hear this guitar to believe the sounds it can produce. I play it through a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue with a GNX1. I think sometimes the GNX1 actually works against the sound of the guitar, but in this case, nothing can stop this thing from producing the best tones I've ever heard. The switching system is extremely effective and useable. The guitar can go from classic telecaster, silky smooth overdrive and high gain. The best way to describe the sound is to tell you that the guitar actually sings to you. Anything you can imagine you can play, can be played with this guitar. This guitar is off the scale for tone.

The guitar is fine. I just tuned it up and started playing. Fantasic action up and down the neck. The only thing I need to do is adjust the bridge saddles for a little better intonation. This is the only criticism I can make against this guitar. I love the way this thing plays because it has a nice big neck that plays like butter. This is not hype.

Built like a friggin tank. It looks every bit like a classic telecaster and feels the part as well. If you play telecasters, you know they are two chunks of wood. This one is a mojo caster. It feels good and sounds even better.

No comment

I am 51 years old and have played guitar since the age of 10. I currently own 15 or so guitars including Am Deluxe Strat, Am Standard Telecaster and other brands as well. I have come to the conclusion for me that no other brand is quite up to the Fender bar. I am stuck in the past, but nostalgia has nothing to do with my opinion. You plug up a nice Fender guitar into a nice Fender Amp and you have magic.This Baja Telecaster is something else. If you like Telecasters,you will love this guitar.