Baker B1 - U.S. or Japan?

[BadgerDave]

There's a Baker B1 for sale near me.  Listed as a US model but I recall that these were made in Japan for a period of time.  Can you tell by the headstock?

 

[BadgerDave]

another photo:

 

[stratacus]

That’s a 2001 Baker B1 ‘59 from the original Baker company and was made in the USA.  Serial number 296 has a completion date of 11/9/2001 per the build database on the defunct meangene.org website, which can be accessed via the Wayback Machine web archive (Link).
 

[cmatthes]

Yep.  USA all the way.

[BadgerDave]

Thank you both!  Much appreciated.

[kizanski]

Gibson scale.  If you want a 25.5" scale B1, you know who to call.

[stratacus]

 

Here is a more direct Wayback machine link to the meangene.org hosted Baker build database.  You will find this one in the 2001 Baker Guitars list.

[kizanski]

Baker Serial Numbers.xlsx

A while back I took all of those links and created a spreadsheet out of them.
I didn't want to have to rely on the WayBackMachine.

 

[cmatthes]

#346...sorta.

 

[BadgerDave]

I think I did OK on this one.  Guitar Center of West Palm Beach had it listed in "great" condition and they weren't lying.  Easily 9.5/10 like it had been put away and never played.  The original case doesn't have a scratch. Even had the hang tags and a Baker sticker in the case pocket.

I picked it up this afternoon.  It needs a new set of strings, but it has an angelic acoustic voice.

Thanks for the help!

 

[kizanski]

Well done, Dave.

[cmatthes]

Dude.

 

You scored!

[sixlicks]

Gene made some of the best guitars I own . Your guitar looks like a winner .

[RobB]

Beautiful, Dave.

I'm not sure why I like Bakers and am completely uninterested in PRS guitars. They have a similar vibe...

Probably because the Bakers have more of an LP-thing going on.

[BadgerDave]

On 8/26/2021 at 9:01 PM, RobB said:

Beautiful, Dave.

I'm not sure why I like Bakers and am completely uninterested in PRS guitars. They have a similar vibe...

Probably because the Bakers have more of an LP-thing going on.

I think you're right.  The B1 is very similar to a Custom Shop R9, but balanced, more comfortable (with the belly cut) and with better upper fret access. 

[bubs_42]

I've played a few of the early ones and they were smoking guitars. I also played a pretty early B3 that was an Aged Goldtop with a 60's neck. It felt really like an old guitar and not an aged relic. They did a super job on the aging and the guitar was amazing. 

Nice snag Dave, the only thing Baker that was coming up on my searches was the Pheniox, then you posted this and I was WTF? 

[The Shark]

On 8/10/2021 at 11:59 AM, cmatthes said:

#346...sorta.

 

Let your buddy pay too much for that guitar.  Now's the time...