Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster (Blonde) Reviews

4.9/5.0 based on 10 customer reviews

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Customer Reviews

Travis
from Minneapolis, MN
April 17, 2013Music Background:
Gigging Musician

Excellent Customer Service

This guitar sounds great, looks great and feels great. I just got it a couple days ago, and I haven't taken it to get set up, but I don't even think it really needs it. They really take care of your order before it arrives and I would buy from Sweetwater again in a heartbeat.

Joe H.
from Charleston, WV
February 27, 2013Music Background:
Semi-pro guitar player/singer

My new best friend

I bought this Baja on a whim. I'd never seen one until I watched a review on YouTube. I absolutely love everything about it. It's the finest guitar I've owned in my 30+ years of playing. If you're looking for versatility, it has it all. A true piece of art!!

Rob M.
from California
January 5, 2013Music Background:
Guitar Player.

If you're looking for a KEEPER Fender Guitar...

Past the Honeymooning Phase, so here we go...

Look no further than here. This guitar performs and sounds exactly the way it is described... Go on and research a bit and see just how many people have discovered the hidden gem that is, the Fender Baja Tele. It is just what it is, a Fender Custom shop that has been deisgned and made in America (Parts) and assembled in Mexico. As a friend of mine put it, you're getting 7/8 of a Custom Shop Nocaster for 1/8 the price. I would love to actually A/B one of these next to an actual re-issue myself, I bet I would favor this guitar, because it would take quite a bit to top this one.

I just recently sold a nice, American Made Fender Strat... I loved it, but it just wasn't doing it for me. I usually play Gibsons, but I wanted some Fender tones, but the transition from the Strat to my LP or SG just wasn't goin on... Sold it, still craving Fender.

Never knew about these until recently, researched them a little and decided to take a gamble. I will never sell this guitar!!! In fact I'm selling a couple that I know just will no longer get played now that I have three perfect guitars, I'm pretty much good to go, and can cover all the bases with what I have.

The quality is absolutely on par with the American built guitars, this tele is built like a tank and I have no complaints about ANYTHING. The fingerboard edges are perfect, the nut is perfect and the tuners work just the way tuners should, they stay in tune!!! It arrived in a GIG BAG perfectly in tune and set up, I was impressed (But that is why I will only buy new guitars from Sweetwater from now on). But I may get a case for this afterall.

The neck, I love it, transitioning from this to either one of my Gibsons is not an issue anymore. This neck plays like buttah!!! I am grabbing any note or chord I want effortlessly, it is just EASY to play... It's amazing.

A lot of people talk about modding this from a 4 way switch back to a 3 way... Ummmmm, WHY?!?!? PURE AND UTTER CORK SNIFFERY!!!!The 4 way switch is great, nothing wrong with MORE options, don't like em', then don't use em'... And I am really digging some of the out of phase tones that are just there if I want them...

Now, on to these pick-ups, some of the best I've played or heard out of ANY guitar... VERY Musical and very versatile. You can pretty much do everything with this one guitar, surf, country, rock, punk, clean, dirty, metal, anything. In fact my wife kept sticking her head out the door the other night telling me that she couldn't believe how good this guitar sounded, lol, but don't worry, my Gibsons ain't goin' nowhere!!!

Bottom line, this guitar feels better in sooooo many different ways than my American strat did, way more solid, no rattles, more sturdy, more musical, more comfortable, better neck, more sustain (which I have to note is unreal for a bolt on neck!!!! KUDOS!!!!) it's just, simply put, a BETTER guitar, and I'm 110% happy I own one.

Couldn't recommend this one more!!!

Eric
from United States
October 16, 2012Music Background:
Musician, hobbyist, cover/church bands

First and last tele you will ever own !

Was in the market for a tele and was looking at the american standard then this baja tele caught my eye. I was like same pickups, but with more tonal options because of the wiring, for like 500 dollars less. The soft V neck is by far my favorite neck that Fender has ever made. Not to thick and not to thin and feels amazing. Once you plug in and play this you will wonder why you would ever want to spend thousands of dollars on a custom shop, when this one feels and sounds amazing. Blind fold someone put a 3 thousand dollar custom shop, then slide this and I bet you cannot tell the difference. Worth every penny. They could charge 1500 for this and it would still be worht it. Try one for yourself and you will see what you have been missing. When was the last time you plugged in and found yourself stuck on one pickup because it just sounds so smooth ? For price and product you cannot beat this guitar period.

Kenny
from Philadelphia, PA USA
August 13, 2012Music Background:
gigging musician, music teacher

Great product, even better service.

This is an amazing sounding and playing telecaster. Read raving reviews all over the place and finally caved in. The extra pickup configurations make this guitar one of the most versatile teles you can get. Testament to this is the fact that Fender swapped out standard American tele pickups for the twisted tele and broadcaster bridge this year. They are well balanced, and really capture that quintessential tele tone. The guitar I received was flawless - set up to perfection and at my door step only 2 days after ordering. But the most phenomenal thing about my purchase was the customer service. My personal sales rep went so far as to hand pick me a unit under a certain weight (my only concern about buying a guitar online). The only problem I've had is with the included Fender gig bag, but it has been replaced by sweetwater, free of charge. I'll never buy anywhere else again.

eric
from kingsland , tx
January 13, 2012Music Background:
pro musician

great guitar

I have several different amps,& each one sounds really great with this guitar. I also have several brand name guitars ,I can't seem to put this Baja down. luv it.

Jared
from MI
May 25, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

Great Guitar!

There is already a very detailed review on here that is spot on. I however, would just like to add another review agreeing that this is a lot of guitar for the money. What a great deal. Best guitar bang for the buck I have ever bought!

from CA
May 14, 2011Music Background:
Hobbyist

GREAT bang for the buck!

I got my Baja from Sweetwater a few weeks ago, and am completely blown away by the quality. I had researched tele's for months and played several, although never played a Baja as all the local stores did not have them in stock. I knew I liked the soft-V necks already, and went for it.. Incredible! Mine weighs only 7.3 pounds, and just feels right all over. The twisted tele and broadcaster pickups sound amazing. The fit and finish is gorgeous. I have read numerous reviews on the Baja (overwhelmingly positive), and I agree. You will not get more guitar for your money if buying a brand new telecaster. Sweetwater also made the transaction so simple, my service rep was great and what really iced the deal for me was being able to see THE EXACT guitar I would be getting. Sweetwater is doing it right by listing the serial #'s, photos and the weight of the exact guitar you would be receiving, as far as I know, no other major retailers go through that much trouble. That made my decision much easier, and gained them a repeat customer. 5 stars for the classic player Baja.

Tim C.
from Northern NJ, USA
April 9, 2007Music Background:
Been playing guitar for 40 years. Formally jazz trained, but experiences range from garage bands to pro heavy metal and funk show bands.

All a Telecaster Should Be.....And Then Some More...

Wow! From five feet away, this gorgeous instrument appears to be a vintage '52 Telecaster. Mine has highly figured ash grain with translucent honey blonde finish and amber tinted neck and old-school spaghetti 'Fender' logo.

But the Custom Shop added some genuinely excellent changes that take this classic Tele kit to the next level. Yes this one can get the classic twang and mid-pickup tones Tele's are known for. But with the 9.5 inch radius fretboard (flatter than a real vintage '52) and larger frets, you can bend notes and not fret out. There is also the 'S1' switching that kicks your pickups in/out of phase, as well as a fourth position on the pickup selector blade switch that can route both pickups in parallel for a fatter sound closer to a humbucker.

I am primarily a Stratocaster player, but found there was some range of tones I was not able to get since I sold my '66 Telecaster. This one gets them. Although with the Twisted Tele pickup in the bridge position, the treble pickup sounds in the Baja Tele are bright yet not ice-pick like.

Fit and finish on this instrument show a great deal of pride. The neck fits tightly in the body pocket, electronics work flawlessly and fret ends are finished smoooooth not rough, showing extra attention to detail. Mine arrived from Sweetwater with proper intonation and setup for nice low action. The neck is somewhat chunky and the body is heavy in weight. There are no buzzes or false harmonics anywhere. Unplugged, this Tele has a nice woody sustain, and plugged in, well it gets classic Tele and then some.

Simply put, this is one heck of a lot of Telecaster for the money, blending best of new school and actual versatility a player can use....into an old school looking Tele. A great instrument!

Hogma Blue
from Phoenix, AZ
January 17, 2012Music Background:
Over-geared bedroom noodler

My First Tele...

I love this guitar...it may be just because it's so shiny and new, but it's definitely my current fave. It looks awesome, and plays beautifully. My only complaint is a strange sort of electronic "ringing" noise, presumably coming from the S-1 switch, as I have read they sometimes are noisy. It comes across in recordings and is somewhat annoying-I think I may have to do some shielding or check the connections, but overall I am very pleased with my new baby.