I love this guitar but it stopped working when I used the S1 switch. It's been at GC for about two weeks and they can't figure it out, surprised? i have to go through them for the warranty, but now they think it may be the neck p/u that's broken. This kills me because i loved the tone of this guitar and now who knows what will happen. Any other Baja guys having problems? also is there a way to tell that they give me the right p/u, if they replace it? is the neck p/u marked on the underside?
If it were me, since you are dealing with Guitar Center, I would suggest to them in a firm but friendly voice that the best thing for them to do right now is simply replace the freakin' guitar and let Fender figure out what's wrong with this one, since "figuring out" seems beyond the boundaries of their set of core competencies.
It seems like if you talk to the right person at GC, they'll realize the fastest way to solve your problem, and make you a happy customer is to just exchange the whole guitar.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Hint: GC General Managers don't ever want to lose your business. In a case like this one, don't bother with anyone lower on the chain.
If, through some colossal stroke of stupidity, s/he doesn't take care of you, call the corporate office from your cell phone. You won't even get out of the store before the General Manager comes back and makes things right.
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".
-Dave Barry
Your right, I didn't even think of asking for a new guitar. I'm sure they would do that but this is the one for me. I played a ton of them and I like the neck on it a lot and the sound was killer (before it died)I think I'll have to stick it out and wait. The tech there told me he was on the phone with Fender going over the way it's wired? I was thinking why? The guitar worked before for two months with no problems, how could it be wired wrong? I still might try to find one there, that I like and ask them to swap. Thanks for the idea.
An Authorized Service Center, and they have to call Fender to figure out how a Baja should be wired?
Arrrrrrgh.
Well, good luck with it. I hope they get it fixed soon, or that you find an equally cool guitar.
It can't be wired wrong.
If it was, it wouldn't have worked in the first place.
It has to be the switch or a bad solder connection.
That makes it all the more frustrating that people at your local GC a) couldn't figure it out, or b) get to someone in a timely manner who could.
I mean, it's a freakin' Tele, not one of these!!
... or these.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Wow! what is that LOL. isn't that what page has in his Les Paul LOL (only kidding) The tech is a kid and I feel bad, he's a nice guy and seems to know what he's doing.
I think what you meant to say was "He's a nice guy even though he obviously doesn't know what he's doing."
A tech who knew would have fixed your guitar in 30 minutes.
Neo, those 60's Epis were da bomb. In the 70s I could have had a Sheraton from that time, and I passed.... dumbass that I am.
But I've actually played a Guitorgan!
Me too. Where I used to teach, one of the other teachers there had one and could play some amazing stuff on it.Originally Posted by Gravity Jim
I played a really cool Sheraton (I think) with 2 mini-HB's.
Very $weet.
Don't you need special certification to operate a guitorgan?
Heh... Imagine trying to explain a Guitorgan to airport security?
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
That guitorgan is wild. I'd love to try one out.
Way too cool
Yep, that's the type. The neck felt just about identical to the neck on my GUild F-50R acousitc... big, wide, really comfy, like a seat in first class.
I coulda bought it in 1974 for $350. Which was more money then than it is now.
LOL yea that's what i meant to say. i'm to nice about everything, time to get nasty, right?
Yea, it might be worth paying a little to take it to someone who can fix it quickly for you. Someone with more experience (probably in a smaller shop) may be more motivated to figure it out quicker.
Switching it out really wouldn't be a bad idea. The necks are very consitent on the Bajas. Every one that I have played was sweet. GC swiches stuff out all of the time. They have always been very customer services motivated with me.
I also changed the bridge on mine,( Callahan ) so I'd have to change that back so they could swap it. Just another pain in the arse. the one good thing is, I don't see a lot of Baja people having this type of problem.
IM sure GC has another Baja in working condition all they have to do is replace the whole control panel a 5 min job 2 solder joints and its done. That way you keep the same neck pickups etc.
Its a 4 way switch with a push pull pot and the wiring diagram isnt at the Fender site so thats probably why they cant figure it out cause its a 4 way switch and no other Fender comes stock with that.
You may have voided the warantee.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
When you changed out the bridge, are you sure that you properly repositioned the ground wire?
Yeah, but if you email the pot's manufacturer or visit their website the shematic will be readily avalible.
For example :
http://www.ctscorp.com/components/Datasheets/295.pdf
shows one type of pot ( I chose randomly) and the circuit is clearly shown.
Just read the info off the switch and look it up.
"No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim
Or, how abou this:
http://www.fender.com/support/diagra...141502APg2.pdf
and this:
http://www.fender.com/support/diagra...141502APg4.pdf
Might I suggest you have an unqualified person with no clue of what they're doing working on it?
"No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim
I just got a call from GC and they can't fix it. Fender wants the guitar back and is sending a new one from California. they won't give me one from the store? They won't ship new p/u's or wiring harness? Fender said something about it taking a long time to get the wire harness from mexico. They don't care that I changed the three barrel bride parts, they just want the stk ones back with the guitar. i guess at least a week left with out the tele also i hope what I liked about this tele wasn't a fluke. i loved the tone and feel of the guitar.
Cool Fender finally added the schematic. That wasnt there when he first posted this message. Maybe the super " tech" at GC can fix it now. LOL
I wouldnt give them the guitar back. A REAL tech can fix it in 5-15 mins tops. Worst case it needs a new push pull pot and you will spend more $$ shipping it back to Fender than it would cost to repair it.
I dont see why GC cant take a working Baja unsolder 2 wires and just replace the whole control panel assembly. That will fix it in 5 mins and your done.
Another reason not to swap guitars is the weight on the Baja models is all over the map. I have seen 7 lb ones and 10 lb ones. Also the neck profiles differ slightly.
I'd take the exchange, in a heartbeat.
Just get it over with.
The 5 or so I've played all seemed alike to me.
After this wait, and what sure seems like their guessing (uh, it must bad pickups...), the sudden availability of that schematic wouldn't make me anxious to test the GC repair dept's abilities to use it.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
I call bullshit.
The GC has either totally screwed it up, lost it, or it found it's way to someone else's hands. Ask them to see it before it ships. All this drama over a single switch is hilarious.
"No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim
I hear ya OSA.
Id just walk into that GC find a Baja aon the wall unscrew the 2 screwws that hold down the control panel 30 sec job cut the 2 wires that connect it to the output jack and walk out.
Fender is a dumb company and GC is even more dumb than Fender if thats possible.
Replacing a whole guitar just because of a bad switch or wiring problem is like throwing out the baby with the bath water.
LOL, i agree with you guys, this is so stupid and so long . I don't understand any of it. I'll take the swap for now, if I don't like it, I'm not taking it, at that point I'll try what they have in the store or just get my money back. I think having the tech fix it bothered me more then getting a new guitar. I'm not sure who to blame because fender won't give the tech the parts. like I said before Fender said it's to hard to get a new wiring harness, because it has to come from Mexico, and it's togh to get, WHAT? stupid stuff.
They are totally bullshiting you. Period. I've never seen a Fender with a wiring harness. They just solder the wires in there. It's not a Saturn V, for Pete's sake.
Take this in there and ask them where on the parts list they see a wiring harness:
http://www.fender.com/support/diagra...141502APg3.pdf
Don't leave until you have the problem resolved. Be nice, be courteous, but don't be pushed around. You can do it, and you'll be a better person for it.
"No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim
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