Victor Baker Model 17-7 Oval

Finished in 3/4/2001 this was Victors Personal guitar he gigged with. It was made in Philadelphia PA where all his guitars are brought into being. It is a 20 fret Oval hole 17 inch 7 string Oval Hole Cutaway model with solid carved Englemann Spruce top , solid carve Flamed European maple back , hand bent solid Flamed European maple sides Select Ebony fretboard, hand carved ebony tailpiece, bridge and pickguard. Volume and tone are mounted to the pickguard smartly placed easily accessible yet out of the way. I am not aware of exactly what model the pickup is, I believe it to be a Kent Armstrong , it is mounted to the end of the fretboard and has a wooden cover. The electronics are passive. Fully bound WBW binding and is perfect if I might add! Finish is Antique Sunburst finish by the masters at Pat Wilkins . Came with the nicest case Ive ever seen. It is a tkl and is far superior to what comes with the custom shop Gibsons. This guitar has Chrome Grover tuners. I mean, what more can you ask for on an archtop?

I play jazz and swing. This guitar was made for it. I also sat in on a bluegrass jam this weekend and barely had mine amplified, may not of had to at all but I was already plugged in. This guitar has an even voice from top to bottom. Ive owned hundreds of guitars and none have been this balanced. I would not have believed it without playing it. Every note has equal clarity and volume and is very deliberate. I play through a Polytone Mini Brute IV with no reverb and flat settings. This guitar seems to produce its own light reverb. It is very acousticaly resonant. I have had no problems out of the controls as far as getting what sounds I want including adjusting the volume with the onboard controls and the tone. I cannot find anything I dislike about this guitar. Yes , I am picky so that is saying alot!!

Perfect. The action is great all over the guitar. I really play all over and its important that the action be fit in all registers of the fretboard. This guitar is even all over from top to bottom on the fretboard. The pickup is setup perfectly , all the frets are seated properly and the binding manicured properly around the seating, the binding around the guitar is uniform in where it is connected and how it is melded into the wood and finish. There was nothing spared on this guitar in the finish department. Well.. any department for that matter .

I have not had this guitar very long. I am careful with my instruments but the inevitable smack will happen :) Im sure this guitar will withstand any abuse I can shove at it. Its lasted Victor this long so it will last me Im sure. It has all handmade hardware with the exception of the tuning keys, which are Grovers and reliable of course. With close inspection the other handmade hardware is keenly constructed and looks very durable. Its ebony which is a very hard wood anyway. the finish seems to be tough, but any one with sense knows that any finish has its limits and should be treated accordingly. I take this guitar to a gig without a backup , only carrying an extra set of strings which can break anyway. It has an endpin output which I like very much. There are no strap buttons on this guitar which I thought would be a problem initially, but having played it out almost immediately upon receiving it I found it to be very comfortable the way it is. I would not dare mar this thing by adding a strap pin to it anywhere.

Ive been talking with and dealing with Victor for some time Now. He is building me a custom archtop now and will be completed soon. I had to have this one though. I have never dealt with anyone in the custom instrument line of work who is more responsive , sincere , professional and fun as Victor! He returns my emails immediately , unless he is out on business , returns my calls promptly or answers if he is there, and has even called me a few times when he had things to talk about concerning my guitar. Who else will do that? Ive got horror stories from other well know custom builders. Not this man. The pick guard got broken in shipping. I contacted him immediately via email and he wrote me back instantly! He helped me get it resolved and working right away. His guitars all have a free lifetime warranty which is detailed at his website www.victorbaker.com . There are pics of him playing this very guitar on the site, although the pictures cannot do justice to the actual beauty and detail in this guitar.

Ive been playing guitar and bass for 13 years. Ive owned hundreds of guitars. Its kinda a hobby :) Right now all I own is this guitar , a Fender P Bass , a vintage DiGiorgio Brazilian guitar and an Asturia classical. This guitar outplays and outclasses the Vintage L5CES I had 10 to none. It is far superior in any capacity to any of the archtops Ive had , including a new and vintage ES 175 and a few of the upper end Gretsch archtops, which are fun but really a joke compared to this guitar. If someone stole it I'd probably find out who did it, call Vinny in New York and go take care of it. hehe , just kidding. Id buy another for if it were stolen for sure. I plan having him build me an 18" non cutaway acoustic and maybe talk him into building an electric bass >=) It would be wise to consider one of Victors guitars if you are in this market. He is busy now but not too busy (yet) to talk with you and complete you a guitar without being on some unreasonable waiting list, and you will get a better guitar and have a better Complete experience at a fraction of the cost. Ive been searching for a guitar that fit me in every aspect and I must say that this is it. Problem is, he claims the one he is building me will far out do this one?!?!?! HOW CAN THIS BE!!