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heads on fire « Nice, but S-1 is unnecessary. »
Published on 01/31/12 at 08:47Model Name: Classic Player Baja Telecaster®
Series: Classic Player
Color / MSRP* / Part # :
Blonde
$1,099.99
014-1502-307
2-Color Sunburst
$1,099.99
014-1502-303
Black
$1,099.99
014-1502-306
Body
Body: Ash
Body Shape: Telecaster®
Body Finish:
(0141502307, 0141502303, 0141502306)
Polyester
Neck
Neck Shape: Soft "V" Shape
Number of Frets: 21
Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" (24.13 cm)
Neck Material: Maple
Neck Finish: Gloss Urethane
Nut Width: 1.625" (41.3 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (64.8 cm)
Neck Plate: Custom 4 Bolt Neckplate
Electronics
Pickup Configuration: S/S
Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Broadcaster Single-Coil Pickup
Neck Pickup: Custom Shop "Twisted" Tele® Single-Coil Neck Pickup
Pickup Switching: 4-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups (In Parallel), Position 3. Neck Pickup, Position 4. Neck and Bridge Pickups (In Series)
Special Electronics: S-1™ Switch
Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
Hardware
Hardware: Chrome
Bridge: Original Vintage Tele® Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles
String Nut: Synthetic Bone
Switch Tip: "Top Hat" Style Switch Tip
Auxiliary Switching: S-1 Switch Down: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge/Neck Pickups (In Parallel)-Out of Phase, Position 3. Neck Pickup (Standard Tele) Position 4. Neck/Bridge Pickups (Series) Out of Phase
Miscellaneous
Strings: Fender® USA Super 250R, NPS, (.010-.046 Gauges)
Unique Features: Soft "V" Shape Maple Neck, Knurled Chrome Knobs, "Custom Shop Designed" Neck Plate, 4-Way + 2-Way S-1™ Switching, Synthetic Bone Nut
Accessories
Case/Gig Bag: Deluxe Gig Bag
Included Accessories: Deluxe Gig Bag
Control Knobs: Knurled Chrome
UTILIZATION
This is a nice Tele! My favorite guitar that Fender ever introduced is the Telecaster, and a good Tele is one to hold on to. I read somewhere a quote from an ex-Fender employee that worked with the company in the very early years. The quote said something like "We all knew Leo's first design was his best, but nobody had the heart to tell him." I agree with this statement. The Telecaster is one of the simplest, yet most solid guitars around, offering rock-solid tuning stability, crystal clarity, and excellent playability. This Baja Classic Player Tele is no exception. It offers everything that a great Tele should have...
SOUNDS
...however, Fender did one thing I'm not a fan of on this guitar. They included the S-1 switching system, which allows 6 different sounds total. Usually, I am all about that kind of variety, but these extra sounds aren't really that different from the originals. I like the original 3 tones of a Tele better than the additional tones here, to be honest. In trying out this guitar, I checked out all of the settings, and I never went back to the newer S-1 sounds. I feel like it's a waste of electronics, and just overly complicates the guitar. It's by no means a space-age guitar, but if one had to make a simple soldering adjustment, that extra switch could throw them off, and I don't think the quality of the extra sounds justify adding more circuitry that could potentially fail.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, this guitar is a winner. But the S-1 switching is unnecessary bulk that just raises the price of the guitar. I'd rather pay $50-100 less for the same guitar minus the S-1. It really is a good axe, it just doesn't need this fancy switching. It's a Tele!
Series: Classic Player
Color / MSRP* / Part # :
Blonde
$1,099.99
014-1502-307
2-Color Sunburst
$1,099.99
014-1502-303
Black
$1,099.99
014-1502-306
Body
Body: Ash
Body Shape: Telecaster®
Body Finish:
(0141502307, 0141502303, 0141502306)
Polyester
Neck
Neck Shape: Soft "V" Shape
Number of Frets: 21
Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" (24.13 cm)
Neck Material: Maple
Neck Finish: Gloss Urethane
Nut Width: 1.625" (41.3 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5" (64.8 cm)
Neck Plate: Custom 4 Bolt Neckplate
Electronics
Pickup Configuration: S/S
Bridge Pickup: Custom Shop Broadcaster Single-Coil Pickup
Neck Pickup: Custom Shop "Twisted" Tele® Single-Coil Neck Pickup
Pickup Switching: 4-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups (In Parallel), Position 3. Neck Pickup, Position 4. Neck and Bridge Pickups (In Series)
Special Electronics: S-1™ Switch
Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
Hardware
Hardware: Chrome
Bridge: Original Vintage Tele® Bridge with 3 Brass Saddles
String Nut: Synthetic Bone
Switch Tip: "Top Hat" Style Switch Tip
Auxiliary Switching: S-1 Switch Down: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge/Neck Pickups (In Parallel)-Out of Phase, Position 3. Neck Pickup (Standard Tele) Position 4. Neck/Bridge Pickups (Series) Out of Phase
Miscellaneous
Strings: Fender® USA Super 250R, NPS, (.010-.046 Gauges)
Unique Features: Soft "V" Shape Maple Neck, Knurled Chrome Knobs, "Custom Shop Designed" Neck Plate, 4-Way + 2-Way S-1™ Switching, Synthetic Bone Nut
Accessories
Case/Gig Bag: Deluxe Gig Bag
Included Accessories: Deluxe Gig Bag
Control Knobs: Knurled Chrome
UTILIZATION
This is a nice Tele! My favorite guitar that Fender ever introduced is the Telecaster, and a good Tele is one to hold on to. I read somewhere a quote from an ex-Fender employee that worked with the company in the very early years. The quote said something like "We all knew Leo's first design was his best, but nobody had the heart to tell him." I agree with this statement. The Telecaster is one of the simplest, yet most solid guitars around, offering rock-solid tuning stability, crystal clarity, and excellent playability. This Baja Classic Player Tele is no exception. It offers everything that a great Tele should have...
SOUNDS
...however, Fender did one thing I'm not a fan of on this guitar. They included the S-1 switching system, which allows 6 different sounds total. Usually, I am all about that kind of variety, but these extra sounds aren't really that different from the originals. I like the original 3 tones of a Tele better than the additional tones here, to be honest. In trying out this guitar, I checked out all of the settings, and I never went back to the newer S-1 sounds. I feel like it's a waste of electronics, and just overly complicates the guitar. It's by no means a space-age guitar, but if one had to make a simple soldering adjustment, that extra switch could throw them off, and I don't think the quality of the extra sounds justify adding more circuitry that could potentially fail.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, this guitar is a winner. But the S-1 switching is unnecessary bulk that just raises the price of the guitar. I'd rather pay $50-100 less for the same guitar minus the S-1. It really is a good axe, it just doesn't need this fancy switching. It's a Tele!