Buying a Baja Telecaster in Singapore?

[heshanj]

Hey guys. Been a while since I last posted a thread here

I'm looking to buy a new Telecaster...and due to a few specific requirements on my part, the Baja Telecaster is one that I really like. However, I'm not sure where to find one

The only place that I can check online, I think, is Swee Lee of course, and they have no stock, and don't know when new stock is coming. I called them up and this is what they told me

Any other place you can think of that I can call up or something? I don't mind buying used either. Haven't seen a Baja in a while on this forum

My other option would be to buy a new MIM Standard and upgrade pickups/electronics/hardware.

Thanks for your time

 

[CyanideJunkie]

Ebenex would ship it in for a very competitive price. Modding an existing MIM would be ok, but don't expect the resale value to go up.

 

[heshanj]

Ebenex would ship it in for a very competitive price. Modding an existing MIM would be ok, but don't expect the resale value to go up.

Thanks for the tip. I'll give that a shot. However, I'm not 100% sure if ordering through a shop is the way to go. I don't want to be obliged to take the guitar once it gets here, even if I don't like the particular guitar that I get. I hear Bajas vary a lot in terms of weight too

So the ideal thing would be for me to find a store that has one, and check it out there, and buy it if I like it. Any info on a store that has a Baja or two would be much appreciated!

On the other hand, I found a beauty on Sweetwater, and the guy there gave me a lot of positive details on it, so much so that I really want to get it, but they don't ship new Fenders out of the USA: any method of getting a guitar from the US to Singapore would be perfect for me. I doubt a guitar store like Ebenex would do that?!

Oh well...

Thanks in advance for any other replies!

 

[zesn]

Maybe you could try some of the MIMs in stock to see which one is well built and better sounding than the rest. It could help with your decision making rather than just shipping a MIM from overseas cause you can't really know for sure the quality.

On the other hand if it's an MIA i would say just go for it and ship it, the MIA Fenders are really really consistent so far for me. And the MIMs i've tried recently in these 2 years have gotten really good too

 

[heshanj]

Yeah. I like the MIM Standard, I owned one a few months ago but had a few issues with it. So upgrading a MIM is an option, but the Baja is #1 option for me still

MIA Fenders are a bit out of my budget at the moment. The American Special looks good but the frets are a bit too large for me, for a Tele.

Please let me know if there's a store that has Baja in stock - or anyone who can get it from a US retailer! Thanks

 

[eljo89]

If you want that particular piece from Sweetwater, I guess you could always try Borderlinx or something that would allow them to ship to a US address.

If not, like what the others said, go around and try some MIMs. If you find a great piece, nab it!

 

[heshanj]

Thanks! I was looking for a service like that, but just wasn't sure what to go for. Is Borderlinx reliable? Has anyone tried it with a guitar before? Or any other service that someone here has tried successfully for guitars? Thanks!

 

[Vax]

I used comGateway to ship my friend's PRS CU24 from Texas to me (they used DHL for the logistics). No issues. The guitar and its hardcase were very well padded.

 

[heshanj]

Thanks for the input guys. I got myself a nice new Baja Tele from Sweetwater, and got it shipped via comGateway. Cost about USD 200, including GST, as the guitar had a volumetric weight of around 21kg. Not too bad in terms of cost and the service was excellent

And just after I had confirmed the deal, Ebenex got back to me with a very reasonable shipping quote too, so if anyone is interested in getting a guitar from the US that is not locally available, check them out first!