Refinish my Baja?

romo · April 21st, 2008, 01:37 PM

So i've been thinking about refinishing my Baja. It's currently the Desert Sand finish. I think it is a nice looking guitar and all but I'd really like a finish where the grain of the wood shows through. I don't really think I want to do blond but maybe more of a natural finish with some tinted nitro. Definately something thinner. As it is, it almost feels like there is a plastic coating over the guitar, which just bothers me a little.

My hesitation is that I've heard from over on the Reranch forums that the poly finish is a real pain to get off. So I'm not sure if it is worth my time to strip it or should I just order an unfinished body? The plus would be no hassle with removing the finish but the downside is that the neck pocket on my Baja is pretty much perfect and I really like the setup, and I would probably have to do some work on the neck pocket on a new body. The other downside is that a new body would cost a lot more!

Anybody here have any opinions about the direction I should go?

hippiebob · April 21st, 2008, 01:50 PM

With the inch-thick poly finishes Fender uses now, it's gonna be a real pain to get it off, and I seriously doubt you will be able to remove all of it. I "stripped" a 91 Tele, and was thinking of doing a blondish type finish, but because of the paint still on the body, I had to finish it in a darker color than I wanted. I like it now though :D

I would recommend a nice, new piece of ash.

fivenote · April 21st, 2008, 01:57 PM

It's a stock Fender. In the long run a refin will cost you more in resale value than a new body. Also, if you can't see the wood under the baja's finish, then it's likely not going to be pretty under a transparent finish. Fender uses a lot of multi piece bodies (4 to 6 or more) for solid color models. Pretty woods are only used when they are making their own see-thru ash models.

If you're new to finishing guitars, try an inexpensive body, finish it, and build a partscaster around it. If you end up liking it better than your baja, sell the baja.

From my experience with the baja at music stores, they look nice (sorta vintage) and play well with some interesting wiring. A major body-refin puts a lot at risk.

jefrs · April 21st, 2008, 02:05 PM

er, the Baja is ash and it's blonde version is see-through...

romo · April 21st, 2008, 02:45 PM

Well, I'm not too concerned about resale value. I got the guitar at GC's black friday sale for dirt cheap anyway...I ended up getting pretty lucky that it turned out to be a fantastic guitar. I guess I should think a little more about it since this will be my first time...I don't want to totally screw up the body and have to get a new one. But then again if I get a new body and screw up the neck pocket when setting it up I'll have gained some experience but won't have anything useful to show for it :)

The biggest problem I see is what hippiobob said: with the thick poly is it realistic to think I can strip it without too much difficulty?

Mark Davis · April 21st, 2008, 02:45 PM

Here is a 50's Classic stripped it uses the exact same body as the Baja.

Your alot better off getting a new unfinished body.

Most of the Bajas are heavy good way to loose some weight with a new lighter body.

boris bubbanov · April 21st, 2008, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

I agree with Mark. I'd get a nice body from USA Custom Guitar.

That desert sand poly is quite thick, and the ash could look like anything. The one Mark shows is actually a better than usual result, I'm afraid.

Colt W. Knight · April 21st, 2008, 07:08 PM

New body, and if you like the new body you can your old body to recover the cost of the new one.

Mark Davis · April 21st, 2008, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

I agree with Mark. I'd get a nice body from USA Custom Guitar.

That desert sand poly is quite thick, and the ash could look like anything. The one Mark shows is actually a better than usual result, I'm afraid.

Yes the one I showed is from a 1998 50's Classic chances are the wood supply they had 10 years ago was more attractive than what they have now.

glennh · April 21st, 2008, 07:43 PM

I just used all the parts from my baja with a new thinline body from guitar mill.
No issues with the neck fitting, just needed a little sanding as the corners were a different radius. In fact it's a much better fit than the original.

metropolis74 · April 22nd, 2008, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

I agree with Mark. I'd get a nice body from USA Custom Guitar.

That desert sand poly is quite thick, and the ash could look like anything. The one Mark shows is actually a better than usual result, I'm afraid.

So is it all advertising hype that Fender calls the finish on the Baja's "Thin gloss poly desert sand finish"??? That's how it is described on many oline shop's websites, such as Elderly for example. http://www.elderly.com/fmic/items/FCPBT-DSND.htm

boris bubbanov · April 22nd, 2008, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metropolis74

So is it all advertising hype that Fender calls the finish on the Baja's "Thin gloss poly desert sand finish"??? That's how it is described on many oline shop's websites, such as Elderly for example. http://www.elderly.com/fmic/items/FCPBT-DSND.htm

It could way easily be thinner than the poly on a MIM Standard, but I can't see calling it thin. I've honed out the jack cup bore on 7 Bajas to accept a Glendale machined jack cup, and while it is not as thick a these Standard MIM bodies we've seen with big fat chip of poly popped off, I look and look for evidence of the underlying grain structure of the ash so evident on, for instance, a No-Caster, and I just cannot find these telltale grain patterns. Therefore I call that thick.

metropolis74 · April 22nd, 2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

It could way easily be thinner than the poly on a MIM Standard, but I can't see calling it thin. I've honed out the jack cup bore on 7 Bajas to accept a Glendale machined jack cup, and while it is not as thick a these Standard MIM bodies we've seen with big fat chip of poly popped off, I look and look for evidence of the underlying grain structure of the ash so evident on, for instance, a No-Caster, and I just cannot find these telltale grain patterns. Therefore I call that thick.

Thanks for the info, Boris! That is kind of deceiving of Fender to call the finish thin, when they actually mean "not quite as thick as a MIM Std, but still thick nontheless".

The Baja is still a great guitar though, I just got one last month and love it!

Sorry for the hijack. Now back to topic, I agree with everyone that it is not worth it to strip a Baja body. Unless you have the time. In youthful impatience, I rushed stripping my 1989 HM Strat and slightly ruined some of the countours and neck pocket being overly aggressive when sanding off the last bits of paint remaining after the stripper chemicals. Luckily it's not noticeable to the untrained eye.

RotelliCaster · April 22nd, 2008, 02:20 PM

The poly finish is hard as heck to remove! I used three cans of "Aircraft Remover" on a beat up Epiphone SG and I am now going to paint it.

I wish I had just sanded it down until I was happy with the thinning of the finish, and then primed it. Instead I worked my butt off with all of the nasty stripper and the goo it produces ,to end up allot of the original color still on/in the wood. I sanded allot of that off, but in the ended I laminated the front of the body with a green and orange Tye-dye material and the rest of the guitar will get a tangerine paint job.

I then took on a poly Tele body only wanting to strip the front to do a paisley. Again I should have just sanded it down.

I will not be doing a third poly removal project anytime soon.

romo · April 22nd, 2008, 05:17 PM

Yeah I think you guys have done a good job of talking me out of it! I will probably pick up an unfinished body and start from that.

I do have some experience woodworking though, and I have access to the tools I would need to build a body from scratch so I might take a shot at that. My grandfather has a stockpile of lumber at his shop and I might find something suitable for a guitar body. What do you guys think of walnut? Maybe I will transform my Baja into a Nutcaster!

jefrs · April 24th, 2008, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metropolis74

So is it all advertising hype that Fender calls the finish on the Baja's "Thin gloss poly desert sand finish"??? That's how it is described on many oline shop's websites, such as Elderly for example. http://www.elderly.com/fmic/items/FCPBT-DSND.htm

The chip of blonde I had come off from the Baja neck pocket was over 1mm thick, I don't call that thin.

rolijen · April 26th, 2008, 02:01 PM

Hey, anyone else noticed a difference in the thickness of the Baja bodies?

I'm with you romo, the dessert sand color is okay but a blonde or natural would be cooler. I got a rediculous deal on this Baja so, later that week, I bought a blonde Classic 50s to swap out bodies with the Baja. As I laid them side by side, it looked like the Baja body stood up higher off the work bench. ??? Wierd, I thought. So... out came the metal ruler. I found that the Baja body was a full 1/8" THICKER--no lie--than the Classic 50s body. Later, back at the store, I measured all the other teles (they musta thought I was nuts) and my Baja was thicker than all of them. Anywho, call me strange but I LOVE the juicy fat tone this Baja dishes up so I ended up keeping the fat body (I returned the Classic 50s the next morning).

Also, several members have mentioned that the poly finish is falsely marketed as thin but in reality isn't. Well, my big fat Baja body has a super thin finish on it. You can see the grain rippling the finish everywhere you look on this body (just like the thin skin nitro finishes). At first I thought that it was shoddy sanding and painting then I read that Fender uses no (or very little) sealer and then sprays the finish lightly on the relatively raw wood. There are no drips or runs just a perfectly applied thin finish on a remarkably nice piece of swamp ash. I really like it.

In the end, this guitar is a definite keeper. After replacing the dreadful flimsy, static-producing, white pickguard with a black '52 RI bakelite guard, the desert sand color actually looks very nice. IMO, the black guard is a must do upgrade for this gweeter.

FWIW.

Stuco · April 26th, 2008, 02:04 PM

Sell your body on ebay, then buy a new unfinished (or finished) body in your choce of colors and if it's unfinished you should be able to buy your supplies as well.

RotelliCaster · April 26th, 2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuco

Sell your body on ebay.

You should be ashamed!

Stuco · April 26th, 2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RotelliCaster

You should be ashamed!

Scott V · April 26th, 2008, 05:47 PM

I have stripped one poly finish guitar, not something I will ever do again, more work than it's worth. I would also recommend getting a different body if the color bothers you that bad. But if the body you have is of a reasonably weight and resonates well, I'd just run it. I also think that color would look pretty good with a bakelite guard.

April 21st, 2008, 01:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
romo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 233	Refinish my Baja? So i've been thinking about refinishing my Baja. It's currently the Desert Sand finish. I think it is a nice looking guitar and all but I'd really like a finish where the grain of the wood shows through. I don't really think I want to do blond but maybe more of a natural finish with some tinted nitro. Definately something thinner. As it is, it almost feels like there is a plastic coating over the guitar, which just bothers me a little. My hesitation is that I've heard from over on the Reranch forums that the poly finish is a real pain to get off. So I'm not sure if it is worth my time to strip it or should I just order an unfinished body? The plus would be no hassle with removing the finish but the downside is that the neck pocket on my Baja is pretty much perfect and I really like the setup, and I would probably have to do some work on the neck pocket on a new body. The other downside is that a new body would cost a lot more! Anybody here have any opinions about the direction I should go?

April 21st, 2008, 01:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
fivenote Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 148 4 Photos	opinion: DON'T DO IT!!!! It's a stock Fender. In the long run a refin will cost you more in resale value than a new body. Also, if you can't see the wood under the baja's finish, then it's likely not going to be pretty under a transparent finish. Fender uses a lot of multi piece bodies (4 to 6 or more) for solid color models. Pretty woods are only used when they are making their own see-thru ash models. If you're new to finishing guitars, try an inexpensive body, finish it, and build a partscaster around it. If you end up liking it better than your baja, sell the baja. From my experience with the baja at music stores, they look nice (sorta vintage) and play well with some interesting wiring. A major body-refin puts a lot at risk. __________________ ~~~~~ fivenote ~~~~~ One day I'll finally have the perfect guitar for me. That's also the day I'll get arthritis. It was a fun ride.

April 21st, 2008, 02:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 58 Posts: 12,876	Here is a 50's Classic stripped it uses the exact same body as the Baja. Your alot better off getting a new unfinished body. Most of the Bajas are heavy good way to loose some weight with a new lighter body. __________________ I'm so blind my seeing eye dog needs glasses.

April 22nd, 2008, 02:20 PM	#14 (permalink)
RotelliCaster Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bethany, Oklahoma Age: 41 Posts: 438 13 Photos	Poly is tough! The poly finish is hard as heck to remove! I used three cans of "Aircraft Remover" on a beat up Epiphone SG and I am now going to paint it. I wish I had just sanded it down until I was happy with the thinning of the finish, and then primed it. Instead I worked my butt off with all of the nasty stripper and the goo it produces ,to end up allot of the original color still on/in the wood. I sanded allot of that off, but in the ended I laminated the front of the body with a green and orange Tye-dye material and the rest of the guitar will get a tangerine paint job. I then took on a poly Tele body only wanting to strip the front to do a paisley. Again I should have just sanded it down. I will not be doing a third poly removal project anytime soon. __________________ " Trust me, I saw this in a cartoon and I'm pretty sure I can do it! " http://www.myspace.com/bmwsteve Guitar Photos

April 26th, 2008, 02:04 PM	#18 (permalink)
Stuco Friend of Leo's Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: GA Posts: 3,143	Sell your body on ebay, then buy a new unfinished (or finished) body in your choce of colors and if it's unfinished you should be able to buy your supplies as well. __________________ -"You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do" J. Garcia

April 21st, 2008, 01:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
hippiebob NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Georgia Age: 20 Posts: 1	With the inch-thick poly finishes Fender uses now, it's gonna be a real pain to get it off, and I seriously doubt you will be able to remove all of it. I "stripped" a 91 Tele, and was thinking of doing a blondish type finish, but because of the paint still on the body, I had to finish it in a darker color than I wanted. I like it now though :D I would recommend a nice, new piece of ash.

April 21st, 2008, 02:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
jefrs Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Newbury, England Age: 53 Posts: 655	er, the Baja is ash and it's blonde version is see-through...

April 21st, 2008, 02:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
romo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 233	Well, I'm not too concerned about resale value. I got the guitar at GC's black friday sale for dirt cheap anyway...I ended up getting pretty lucky that it turned out to be a fantastic guitar. I guess I should think a little more about it since this will be my first time...I don't want to totally screw up the body and have to get a new one. But then again if I get a new body and screw up the neck pocket when setting it up I'll have gained some experience but won't have anything useful to show for it :) The biggest problem I see is what hippiobob said: with the thick poly is it realistic to think I can strip it without too much difficulty?

April 21st, 2008, 07:08 PM	#8 (permalink)
Colt W. Knight Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: West Virginia Age: 24 Posts: 2,178	New body, and if you like the new body you can your old body to recover the cost of the new one.

April 21st, 2008, 07:43 PM	#10 (permalink)
glennh TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43	I just used all the parts from my baja with a new thinline body from guitar mill. No issues with the neck fitting, just needed a little sanding as the corners were a different radius. In fact it's a much better fit than the original.

April 22nd, 2008, 05:17 PM	#15 (permalink)
romo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 233	Yeah I think you guys have done a good job of talking me out of it! I will probably pick up an unfinished body and start from that. I do have some experience woodworking though, and I have access to the tools I would need to build a body from scratch so I might take a shot at that. My grandfather has a stockpile of lumber at his shop and I might find something suitable for a guitar body. What do you guys think of walnut? Maybe I will transform my Baja into a Nutcaster!

April 26th, 2008, 02:01 PM	#17 (permalink)
rolijen NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Westlake, Ohio, USA Posts: 1	Hey, anyone else noticed a difference in the thickness of the Baja bodies? I'm with you romo, the dessert sand color is okay but a blonde or natural would be cooler. I got a rediculous deal on this Baja so, later that week, I bought a blonde Classic 50s to swap out bodies with the Baja. As I laid them side by side, it looked like the Baja body stood up higher off the work bench. ??? Wierd, I thought. So... out came the metal ruler. I found that the Baja body was a full 1/8" THICKER--no lie--than the Classic 50s body. Later, back at the store, I measured all the other teles (they musta thought I was nuts) and my Baja was thicker than all of them. Anywho, call me strange but I LOVE the juicy fat tone this Baja dishes up so I ended up keeping the fat body (I returned the Classic 50s the next morning). Also, several members have mentioned that the poly finish is falsely marketed as thin but in reality isn't. Well, my big fat Baja body has a super thin finish on it. You can see the grain rippling the finish everywhere you look on this body (just like the thin skin nitro finishes). At first I thought that it was shoddy sanding and painting then I read that Fender uses no (or very little) sealer and then sprays the finish lightly on the relatively raw wood. There are no drips or runs just a perfectly applied thin finish on a remarkably nice piece of swamp ash. I really like it. In the end, this guitar is a definite keeper. After replacing the dreadful flimsy, static-producing, white pickguard with a black '52 RI bakelite guard, the desert sand color actually looks very nice. IMO, the black guard is a must do upgrade for this gweeter. FWIW.

April 26th, 2008, 05:47 PM	#21 (permalink)
Scott V Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle Age: 43 Posts: 468	I have stripped one poly finish guitar, not something I will ever do again, more work than it's worth. I would also recommend getting a different body if the color bothers you that bad. But if the body you have is of a reasonably weight and resonates well, I'd just run it. I also think that color would look pretty good with a bakelite guard.