Is this baja authentic?

Strap button looks like an American standard locking type. Stratocaster switch tip, they only push on/pull off an get lost easily.

 

It looks genuine but it's a shame about the switch. The four way is a really good part of the Bajas. Probabaly easy enough to replace the existing three way one but there is a lot of wiring going on behind the cover.

 

Get a new 4 way, and buy the thing!! You can always change the strap locks for regular buttons later on, also the switch tip - good luck!

 

The stock 4 way switching included the S1 volume pot switch. The locking strap button and switch tip are cosmetic but wiring changes are something else. Are the pickups original?

 

Looks like a modded Desert Sand Baja to me.

A bit odd with the wiring though?

If someone had wanted to make a Baja into a vintage style Tele wiring, you would have thought they would have taken out the S1 volume control too.

I like the four way in my Baja, but I never use the S1 push switch. If it ever failed on me, Id change the guitar to a simpler 4 way switch set up and get rid of the push switch pot.

The rest of the guitar looks perfectly legit to me.

 

I have both and would jump on the Baja, re-wired and all. If you can re-wire back to a 4 way on your own you are ahead of the game, if not have someone else do it and you still win. Like my standard, love my Baja.

Just double check on those pickups, they and the 4 way are what make a Baja a Baja.

 

Looks like a legit Desert Sand color Baja to me. Strap-Lok buttons are a common addition and work as well as a stock one if you don't use Strap-Loks but not so much a Strat switch tip. You can trash that and just put on a barrel tip.

Assuming it's few years old the pickups are a Twisted Tele and Broadcaster I believe. Someone may be able to post a pic of them and the base plates to make identification easier. Swapping out the 3-way for a 4-way is no big deal if you can solder but like the others that change also makes me wary of a possible pickup swap so that I would want to verify.

But all thing considered if the price is that good even if it needs a little work or upgrading you've saved enough to do it.

 

And the neck profile, a 'soft-V', can't tell from the picture.
Another agreement that the strap buttons are for an aftermarket strap lock systems, this could be any of the brands of those. Easy to change out or get the rest of the locks to put in your strap.
The 4-way switch can be less than US$12 online, and very worthwhile (I've added it to several Teles).

What I'll see people do is want 'more twang' so they swap out the stock Baja pickups that are better for rock/blues. They may have swapped out the controls at the same time to go 'traditional Tele', if they did that the new pickups might be 'boutique' and you could trade for authentic Baja. No way getting around soldering though.

 

I've seen those original pickup parted out too many times to trust someone's word on it. See if you can verify the type of pups included.

 

lt's legit.

 

By looking at them. Then again now that we've explained away some other concerns that really aren't concerns how much do you trust the seller and what recourse do you have it it doesn't have the original pickups?

 

Desert sand was probably the least liked finish of the original Bajas, but if you're fine with it then that's all that matters.

Another thing to watch for is the weight. Some Bajas are seriously heavy. Again, that's a personal thing, but it's something you should be aware of.

The Baja is a significantly nicer model than a Mexican Standard.

 

Looks legit and is very close to being stock if you have the right pickups in there. The 4 way is an easy mod and most people don't miss the S1....I love it personally. Use the out of phase parallel sound quite a bit to fake strat funk tones.

 

I would guess they are but if not and the price is as good as you say then you've saved enough to upgrade them if needed.