QUESTION

I was visiting a friend this weekend and he had an American made Fender Baja Sexto Baritone guitar. He bought it he said around 1991  This is an incredible guitar looks like a tele with a along neck . Do you ever see these and do they still make them. I searched everywhere on the next today and cannot find any for sale.

REPLY

Wow nobody has asked about these in years. I forgot all about this model. Well I will tell you these are cool as hell guitars and I have not had one for sale since 1994 . I was Lucky enough to get a few of these from a famous band that fender original made them for and i believe fender only made them from the custom shop for a year or two. I will be honest I do not have any production totals or when they actually started making them.

The baja Sexto was a Fender telecaster with a long neck plain and simple / the ones i had were in a the standard butterscotch finish with black pickgurd  and maple necks. At the time I owned a recording studio and this was a cool addition to the arsenal and everyone who visited the studio was amazed with the guitar and it was a great conversion piece as well. I cannot tell you on how many recording we used it . you can really get creative with this beast.

If my ,memory  is correct the fender custom ship in japan may have reissued these or there was a knockoff model around. The fender custom shop japan has always done a nice job so if i remember they re good instruments also. since then fender has issued a baritone guitar in the shape of a jaguar but let me tell you not even close to how cool the original telecaster Baja Sexto was.

I can understand why perhaps Fender did not continue this model . The fact that it is a baritone guitar limits its market share and in reality how many people really need one. So from a shear business standpoint it is understandable on the decision made. But the guitar junky in all u=of us always wants these gems for our collections and creative glimpses. True we are not the marketing force they need to survive but never the less we are real and we buy guitars!!! So I feel fender should offer this gem in there custom shop and let the few in the know enjoy the instrument.

The bad news is i have not has one for sale in over 20 years and have not seen any for sale in any private collection either. The fact is those that have them keep them and use them and cherish them. My advice is to write or call fender custom shop and for all I know they may eve have an old one lying around they are dying to sell.one of the employees may even have one I  would say that is your best bet .If you have any further questions please feel free to e mail me at  THE PARTS DRAWER just fill out the questionnaire and i will answer within 48 hours.

Jim Pasch

QUESTION

2008-2009   was bad for everyone , I was no exception lost my job ,lost 401 k and you know the rest . Recently i got back on my feet . I am looking to start buying vintage guitar and maybe even restoring some of my old ones. How is the vintage guitar market REALLY ! and were do you see it going. I see by your past posts you have honestly assest the market even when most dealers would not and said the market fell Even when you know it would hurt your own business and i respect that. This is why I am asking you know for your opinion.

REPLY

Thank you for those kind words that is what we have always done . Even though  was siting on a huge inventory when market fell I told the truth even though I know it may hurt our business abit but in the long run the truth will always help . So here in 2010 I Will give you my opinion and it is a good one for you not me.

Right now is a buyers market. Many dealers including myself are selling guitar sand parts at the lowest prices and even below cost to raise cash. This is not a horrible thing because most business due this but this industry has never been faced with this situation before. So this is a painful time for the vintage guitar business but for those who adjust there prices business is good.

The dealers that are still preaching gloom and doom are stilling asking 2007 prices for their guitar and vintage guitar parts. They refuse to bend and in the end they Will suffer. W have opted to reduce prices get in line with the market an thinks are selling.

The good news is you as a buyer this year will be able to buy vintage guitars and vintage guitar parts way cheaper than we have seen in over 15 years . this is a big opportunity for the vintage guitar lover to score big. I am seeing an all time low for both guitar and parts and I do not see an increase coming until perhaps the end of the year. 2010 is going to be a great year for the public and a hard yers for the dealers that is it in a nut shell.

I know many dealers will hate me for this but it is the truth nd this industry has to get with the program and change or die. For those who will not change I guarantee Will end up closing. Every business has adjusted its prices across the board and now is the time for our industry like it or not it is do or die. We have chosen to live and lower prices and Even offer package deals.  We have lowered our inventory by 20% and feel this is a needed adjustment for the year .

So my answer is this great years for consumer and a hard year for the dealers. We will survive as long as we stay realistic in the business . The market has shifted the people have spoken . Good luck and if you need any help with any specific items please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER

JIM PASCH

QUESTION

I recently purchased a vintage black bottom fender Stratocaster guitar pickup . As you know I am sure they are black bottom cloth leads but all the pickups from 1956 -1963 look the same how can it tell. The wire is the same as is the lead wire and Fender never marked those pickups with dates.

REPLY

Great question. Everything you said is true and it appears you know quite a bit about Fender pickups. Well there is one more trick you can use. There is no way to date lets say a 1957 pickup versus a 1958 impossible but you can tell a 1950’s Fender Stratocaster pickup from a 1960’s and that is by the polarity.

All 1950 ’s Fender Stratocaster pickups are north up polarity and from 1960 on they are south up polarity. This continues on all the way through the 1970’s also. Now there is an overlap and i have seen on 1960 Stratocaster for example being the cross over year to have either sets in the guitars but by late 1960 they should be south up polarity.

 If you do not have a meter( you can get one from Stewart Mac ) here is a trick take a 1970 ’s Stratocaster pickup which is south up and if you go pole piece to pole piece on a vintage pickups if it sticks it it is a 1950’s pickups and if it repels it is a 1960’s or 1970’s . That is what I have my guys do at the store if they get a stratocaster  in and i am not there.

Another good things is many times a rewind pickup looks great but the guy who would it did not wind it correctly i have seen many rewound pickups look perfect and i mean perfect but the polarity is wrong . So this is also a great way to see if a pickup have been rewound., Great pickup winders like Lindy Fralin and Rolf know this and always wind correctly but many have not over the years and until 15 years ago nobody really new this so if  you have an old rewind chances are 50/50 that it is wound wrong and you can spot a rewind this way

Thank for the question I hope this helps if you have any further questions please e mail me at THE PARTS DRAWER and I wil answer them within 48 hours

JIM PASCH