Who's modded their Bajas ?

[boris bubbanov]

I changed the Gotoh split shafts on one Baja out for the Gotohs with the little white buttons, like the ones seen at the Creston Guitars website.

I've now got an aluminum compensated E-A saddle on 2 or 3 of them, and I have a bell bronze 5/16ths E-A compensated saddle on still another. Sounds a bit like brass, a bit like steel - not as mid rangey as the usual brass. People don't see it; they think it is brass.

I've substituted 6-32 filistered slot head screws on all the intonation length screws on 5 so far (2 in Florida must wait til next trip) and I'm primarily using allen or hex head saddle height screws since I cannot get slotted height screws in stainless any shorter than 3/8ths inch.

And I've installed Taipantone stainless thick neck plates with slotted stainless neck attachment screws for added tightening control on a couple.

[Stylemaster]

Parted together a mint blonde Baja body & neck and:

• Glendale cold rolled steel bridge and saddles.
• Glendale stainless neck plate (can't find an orig. custom shop plate).
• Don Mare Hayrides to be replaced with a freshly acquired set of Broadcaster and Twisted Tele to see how this guitar was designed to sound.
• Acme 3 way switching wired control assembly.
• Gotoh Vintage Tuners.
• Schaller Straplocks.
• Electrosocket jack.
• Fender Tweed Case.

= Priceless.

[Mr_Martin]

MY MODDING:

- removed the S-1 switch

- changed the 4-way to 3-way switch

- Compensated Brass Saddles

- put a ground wire from bridge to pot

- changed to 50s wiring

- changed Brigde Pickup, i didn't like the CS Broadcaster it sounded boring.
First i tried a SD Quarter Pound but it was too muffled
Now i ordered a overwound MudCat by LEOSOUNDS (handwound).

Greets

[johnreardon]

Originally Posted by jefrs

Why do we hate the S1 switch?

It is actually quite robust and the pot is good, my only quibble is the dodgy bit of squiggy tubing to the cap. The recessed button cannot be accidently knocked and it is obvious when it is in or out. In stock form it adds two extra tones to the 4-way. Otherwise it is standard fare for a tele.

I don't, I love the S1 switches on my Deluxe HSS and Baja. Never had issues with them

[AndrewG]

I'm leaving mine totally stock. I, like the great neck and the added versatility of the S1 tones. All it needed was a little attention to the high-cut nut slots but, other than that, it was fine out of the box.
I might have the fingerboard de-glossed a bit at a later date. If it had come with a satin finished neck it would have been the perfect Telecaster for me.

[LennyEdwards]

I have two, one Blonde, one Sand, so I've modded one of them.....

Sand With Bigsby F-stamped B5 kit.




part of the crowd...


Need to do new pics to add the AVRI52 and the Tuxedo 62ri MIJ.

The work was done by a french luthier who has a great reputation and his work on all my guitars has been flawless thus far. I'm very happy with it.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by LennyEdwards

I have two, one Blonde, one Sand, so I've modded one of them.....

Sand With Bigsby F-stamped B5 kit.




part of the crowd...


Need to do new pics to add the AVRI52 and the Tuxedo 62ri MIJ.

The work was done by a french luthier who has a great reputation and his work on all my guitars has been flawless thus far. I'm very happy with it.

I notice that your Baja has the narrower 12th position marker spacing whereas mine is the wider-spaced version with the B and A strings bisecting the dots like your blonde Baja.
Do they vary or were earlier models produced with the narrower spacing (mine is a 2008)?

[jefrs]

Since my last post here, I have replaced my chipped nut with another bone nut, twice I had to to it. The slot is oversize width, fortunately towards the head only, this means I have to use an oversize blank, the first one had a flaw in it and split, I'm none to happy with the second. Now the G buzzes a weird 'harmonic' from behind the nut, I guess it needs an extra tree.

I have also turned the control plate round, vol forwards, and replaced the vol pot with my preferred linear B250k for a better taper. That meant losing the S-1 and using a push-pull. The mod is reversible. Now I need a matching pair of knobs.

My Baja'06 has the narrow 12th dots spacing.

[Thorpey]

Removed the S1 switch on my baja...

...very soon going to be replacing the neck pickup with a gibson mini humbucker!

In time I hope to have the same wiring configuration (and pickups) as the brent mason valley arts series... I find it to be AMAZING... and like Brent (back in the day) I can only afford one guitar, but (try to) play a variety of styles, so i need the versatility!

I am also changing the (white single ply) pickguard for a 3 ply 7 hole? pickguard in black, I just like the look of those better!

Peace

[mattio]

Mine is all stock aswell except for an ElectroSocket. I can't say I use the S1
switch that much, but it doesn't bother me that it's there. I think it's a fine piece as is.

[LennyEdwards]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

I notice that your Baja has the narrower 12th position marker spacing whereas mine is the wider-spaced version with the B and A strings bisecting the dots like your blonde Baja.
Do they vary or were earlier models produced with the narrower spacing (mine is a 2008)?

I think they vary, but perhaps its a weird colour/finish related thing as I've seen 3 Sand's with the narrower spacing, but no blonde's. That particular Sand has had the nut replaced also. It's the heavier of the two but still not a backbreaker.

I do actually use the s1 switch on mine, not overly so, but for a few of the tunes we do I use it.

[jwl325]

I took mine in for a set up and to have the wiring checked--it was a bit too noisy when I got it, but it's very good now. Other than that, the only thing I did was add a set of Schaller strap locks.

[therhodeo]

Mine is in the middle of getting modded.

OC Duff Plankster and Big Boy set.
.09 thickness white pickguard that won't bend
new control plate
new 4 way switch and pots (no s-1 switching)
electrosocket jack
RS Guitarworks knobs and saddles

[El Reclusa]

Here's the scoop with mine- I've yapped about it much elsewhere here before, but anyway...

When I got it it (used):
S1 & 4-Way replaced with standard Tele business
Pickups replaced with Vintage Noiseless
Most of the finish sanded from the neck...

Since then:
Bridge Pickup replaced with O.C. Duff "Nancy", (very) slightly overwound.

On my shelf waiting for me to get around to it:
New bridgeplate (stock $13 Fender) that is going to an awesome tech here in KC to have the "lips" removed and toploader holes bored (so strings can go through the body- or not!)
RS Steel compensated saddles
Electrosocket jack cup

Also, another Duff for the neck. Trying to decide which one I want, but I'm leaning toward the "Whiteguard".

Thinking about a Callaham custom control plate too- gonna reverse everything, but think that moving the tone knob (which would be the center position when flipped) a little closer to the volume knob and away from the switch would be good for tone-knob wah, that way when using the neck pickup the switch tip wouldn't be in the way...

I found this guitar was eh...okay when I got it, but the price was just too right. So far, the best "mod" I've done was just to adjust the trussrod. Now that the relief is set just right, this thing is pretty great. Can't wait to get it wrapped up! Then I can start (finally) getting my '76 sorted out...

[mattdraffen87]

My mods are

took out the s1 and the 4 way switch
added a 3 way switch and put in 250k pots
took out both pups and replaced them
with American standard tele pups
changed the pickguard with a 3ply white
(had to get a 8 screw instead if a 5)
and put a bigsby on witch I love!

[nlopez]

in the process of deciding on a black guard.
Will put on an electrosocket jack cup
Has anyone changed out the caps?

[musicalmartin]

I cannot see why anyone would change anything much ,it all works but ...who knows .its guilding a lily .I changed a jack socket as it was shorting ,put a parchement pickguard on instead of black.Mine is an LPB by the way and put in Wilkingson compensated saddle ,the only real mod you need as it actually does intonate better .If you dont like s-1 dont push the little button down or just put new knobs on without a button .I always open out nut slots with an exacto saw as most nuts are too tight on the top few strings but oddly it was fine until I changed the stock strings out and put on Rotosound .I think Fender got it about right first time out with the Baja.

[El Reclusa]

Just to update, pretty well got my Baja sorted out, though I think I may swap the RS saddles for Rutters soon. Topload or string-through & lips removed from the bridgeplate, CS Nocaster neck pup, reverse controls, thin refin on the back of the neck where the joker I bought it from had sanded it...overall, I'm happy with it. It's close to what I want for it, think I can get it there with just a little more tweaking.