Victor Baker Guitars

Testimonials

All testimonials have been copied unedited from Harmony Central, an independent website that specializes in Guitar related news, gear info and user reviews. You can visit Harmony Central here and view my reviews they posted here in addition to below.

Victor Baker 16-Inch Special
Summary
Features N/A (1 response)
Sound 10 (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 10 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability 10 (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: US $3700.

Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker Guitars

Features: N/A
16" Archtop with all solid woods ... Englemann Spruce, Flame Maple, Aged (100 yr) Mahogany, Select Ebony. All TOP quality. Single floating Kent Armstrong Pickup. Volume & Tone with ebony knobs mounted to ebony fingerrest. Ebony Bridge, tailpiece, tuner buttons, even trussrod cover. Fossilized ivory nut. One piece flame maple back! My guitar was designed after a D'Aquisto Solo with four graceful soundholes and a curved fingerrest. The other custom feature is a gorgeous (vine) of life design executed in cocobolo, brass and abalone inlays. It is understated, classy and unique. Victor now offers this as an option. No features ranking ... this is perfect for ME.

Sound: 10
Classic acoustic archtop tone. The large soundholes in my custom design is more open, airy and loud than traditional f-holes. Victor tap-toned the front and back and it resonates very well. Easy harmonics all over the neck. Bright and clear acoustically, this guitar is wonderful through my Deluxe Reverb. Volume and tone very linear and broad. The sound will only improve with age!

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
As I told Victor, this guitar isn't flawless, but it is perfect. Only under a strong light and magnifyer can I see a few tiny imperfections. It is very, very well constructed with clean seams, no slop anywhere, and a AWESOME neck. This guitar arrived after 2 shipping days in tune, ready to play. Victor is known as a guitar-playing luthier, and he makes a great playing instrument. And it is a real stunning guitar to look at. Wow!

Reliability/Durability: 10
This is a custom-made accoustic archtop - it will require careful handling. It has a thin finish. But I see no reason that it will not last as well as other guitars in its class. Personally, I will only use it on gigs rarely (I only play out on Sundays anyway). I'm giving a high score for the quality of woods, hardware and construction.

Customer Support: 10
One of the great joys of ording a custom-made instrument through a luthier is the personal attention and service you get. I cannot praise Victor enough for his support throughout the whole process. He is a real pleasure to work with. I had many reservations about ordering an expensive custom instrument long-distance without seeing any of his previous guitars personally - but I have to say I am an extremely satisfied customer. Victor goes out of his way to help you. The warranty is lifetime - and I can't imagine ever needing to return it.

Overall Rating: 10
I have been playing for 29 years. This is the second custom-made guitar I've had made, the other is a custom strat. I've owned a couple other achtops, along with acoustics and solid-body electrics, and I've always wanted a top quality archtop. Now I have it. I love having a guitar a whole category above Gibson, Heritage, Guild, etc. This instrument is special - I helped design it, and the guy who made it is on the headstock. I researched many, many luthiers before giving Victor the job. To be honest, most of the others were out of my price range. Reputations are made by building instruments like this, and Victor's is definitely on the rise. Extra money may get you snob appeal with Bendetto, Megas or Campellone ... but I don't know how much better a guitar can get than this. Unless you are a collector, I just can't see spending more than 5K on a playing guitar. I highly recommend Victor Baker, and suggest you contact him while he is still affordable.

Submitted by Kevin at 10/17/2002 13:35

Victor Baker 17-Inch 6-String Special
Summary
Features 10 (1 response)
Sound N/A (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish N/A (1 response)
Reliability/Durability N/A (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: N/A

Purchased from: N/A

Features: 10
Master Grade (AAAAA) Hand Crved Sitka Spruce top , Master Grade Walnut Headstock Overlay, Master Grade (AAAAA) Big Leag Tiger Maple Back, Ebony Fretboard, Deco Crown inlay in MOP , Gold MOP , abalone and Fau Pau Abalon on headstock , JS style Fau Pau Abalone inlay on fretboard , Abalone diamond inlay on back of headstock, Benedetto floating pickup attatched to pickguard , Chrome Schaller tuners with Ebony buttons, hand carved Ebony tailpiece Ebony Bridge w/black adjustment wheels, and Ebony volume/tone controls mounted to pick guard , Ebony trussrod cover, Fully bound 5 ply wbwbw headstock , body front and back and fretboard, bound F holes , endpin output. Exquisite attention to detail, Beautiful, deep arch. 17 inch body Nut Width 2 1/8, Scale Length 25", radius to Specs of Vintage L5 CES.Guitar was completed 09-03-02. Includes beautful TKL case with 6 latches.

This is a jazz box with 7 strings and a tone and volume control, great tuning machines and pickup, beautiful neck...what else is there?

Sound: N/A
Jazz guitar, very clear, ringing, warm. With my Polytone it goes from L5 dark to crisp belltone modern handmade. A pleasure to play sans amp. BTW the volume and tone controls on the Benedetto pickup are very nice...gradual change that can dhift dramatically in the extreme position. No noise, gronded perfectly.

Action, Fit, & Finish: N/A
Perfect, amazing, a true work of art...really spectacular. Grade 5A woods, finish is the best, much detail all over the instrument. Geat beveled Arch one of the nicest I have ever seen neck is set perfectly

Reliability/Durability: N/A
Guitar is less than 2 months old. Built like a delicate tank.

Customer Support: 10
As good as the guitar is the support is equal. Vic is the best. Passionate, but not pushy, a great listener, really knows his shit, a lot of fun to talk to...He is a very good player and working musician, he takes "test runs" on all the instruments he makes, very helpful, totally honest, a pleasure.

Overall Rating: 10
Well, I have been playing 39 years (yikes!) I have owned a bunch of guitars from old Strats, teles, L5's, Pauls, Fly, Gibsons, Khono Classical, el cheapos, you name it I owned it...I am a guitar nut.

My big issue with the guitar is this, I need to learn how to play it! That 7th string...wow...after plating with 6 for almost 4 decades is a challenge. So, I've got to put away my other 6 strings for a bit until I get this down.

Vics guitars are affordable now...although this one is a pricy one cause it has "all the good stuff". I really like all of the "good stuff" I may just have to buy another one 16 inch with a built in pickup, Red Spruce top, 2 1/2 inch body...as soon as the stock market makes a comeback!!!!

Submitted by David Rudick at 10/04/2002 04:40

Victor Baker 17-Inch Archtop
Summary
Features 10 (1 response)
Sound 10 (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 10 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability 10 (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: US $3100.00

Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker

Features: 10
Vicotr Baker is probably one of the most talented young luthiers to have entered the scene in recent months. His ability to take a piece of wood and turn it into a musical treasure is truly extraordinary. My recent dealings with Victor have revealed an artist who is pleasant, professional, practical and sensitive to the artistic needs of the musician.

Victor takes a great deal of pride in his work and close examination of any piece he produces will quickly reveal that positive attribute. Most importantly, Victor realizes that today's musician is not making a six figure salary....so you will find his prices to be quite reasonable.

In short, any serious jazz guitarist should seriously consider a Victor Baker guitar. The quality is impeccable, the tonality is unsurpassable and the price is incredible.

Sound: 10
Soundwise a Victor Baker guitar is comparable to any of the finest instruments made by the more well-known luthiers. I find the guitar to be rich-sounding yet quite flexible in it's ability to vary it's tonality.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10

Reliability/Durability: 10

Customer Support: 10
One of most satifsying features about purchasing a Victor Baker guitar is one's ability to deal directly with Victor as often as needed. He is always pleasand and professional. I found him to be genuinely excited about his creations.

Overall Rating: 10
I have been playing guitar for 44 years. I own a number of archtop guitars as well as quality amplifiers. The thought of losing this piece is truly horrifying.....I would most definitely call Victor immediately for another guitar.

Submitted by Matt Zagami at 03/09/2003 04:39

Victor Baker Archtop Model 16F
Summary
Features 10 (1 response)
Sound 10 (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 9 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability 10 (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: US $3,075

Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker, Interplay Productions, 3636 Cresson St. Philadelphia, PA 19127, www.victorbaker.com, email: inter@voicenet.com

Features: 10
-Finished Nov. 2000, Philadelphia, PA
-16" lower bout F-hole archtop, 3" body depth, venetian cutaway
-neck shape: medium round
-fingerboard radius 12"
-fingerboard, heal cap, truss rod cover,bridge: ebony
-fingerboard inlay: neoclassic (side dots only)
-tailpiece: carved ebony with Sacconi nylon fastener
-no. frets 20
-fret size: medium jumbo
-scale: 25 1/2
-nut width: 1 3/4"
-Solid carved woods:Top-Engelmann Spruce (X-braced); back/side: quarterswn figured Maple (AAAAA Premium Wood option-$300)
-finish: Natural lacquer
-pickguard: slim shape, black ebony, WBWBW binding
-tuning gears: Schaller M6 with ebony knobs
-single floating pickup: Benedetto S-6
-hardware: Volume only on pickguard, output jack on endpin, no strap pin
-full binding option ($250)
-hard shell case ($100)

Sound: 10
-My style (sound)is traditional jazz (Pass, Montgomery, Ellis, etc.)
-I use several different size amps: small Crate, medium Carvin, large fender acoustic amp.
-Guitar is not noisy at all
-Electric sound is beautiful and full across any amp I have used. No effects are used or are necessary. Playing solo, I might use a little reverb. In a group situation, I have found that reverb is not needed since guitar responds great to room ambiance and cuts through other instruments better. I have several other guitars including: two Gibson L5 (a 1997 and a non-cutaway 1936), Gibson ES 175, Gibson ES 125, Samick Johnny Smith copy. The Baker has a more "acoustic" sound with no eq but can also get dark L5 sound by amp adjustments. I prefer individual sound of the guitar with pretty flat eq.

Acoustically the guitar is also great. In fact, at home playing by myself and practicing with other guitar player, I usually don't use an amp at all. Much louder that my other jazz boxes. Very surprising since it is only a 16" archtop. It must be the combination of wood, bracing, and floating pickup that helps project great unamplified sound.

There is nothing that I do not like about the sound. It is great both amplified and acoustic.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 9
Action, fit and finished were all fine. A special note on the finish. The guitar is stunningly beautiful-especially the highly flamed back, sides, and neck. I have received many compliments. The natual finish coupled with all black (ebony) appointments exudes elegant understatement. At the recommendation of Victor Baker the Benedetto pick-up was mounted at bottom of neck as opposed to on the pickguard. I agree that this creates more stability for the pickup.

The only "flaw" was that the frets on the high E side of the fretboard were not smooth enough for me. Of course, Victor was willing to make any free adjustments desired but I live in Los Angeles and did not want risk shipping. I took guitar to local guitar shop and they did the work for $30. Also, the guitar playing employees all admired the guitar and remarked on the beautiful appearence and great acoustic sound

Reliability/Durability: 10
I have now been playing my Baker guitar for one year. It is my main guitar for practice and gigging. I have used 3 different sets of strings (13s, 12s, and 11s) with no tuning, neck, or buzzing problems. All I do is adjust the bridge and all has been fine.

Customer Support: 10
This is the highest rated category (10+). Victor is great. Constant email update info. All responses to inquiries were done within 24 hours and many within a couple of hours. We also talked by long distence phone twice--the second time he called me!!!!!

Victor took time to explain to me many technical issues like: neck radius, tone woods, pickups, neck scale, neck radius, finish, etc., etc. I am a "problem" customer and was very worried about paying a lot of money to a relatively new luthier. I have many guitars and have been playing for 30+ years so I knew what I wanted but was not sure how to communicate by desires long distence. Basically what I wanted was a Gibson L5 with a 16" body, 1 3/4 neck and floating pickup! Victor was very patient with me, answered all questions and made me feel like a valued customer at all times. My biggest concern was the "feel" of the neck. My L5 is fantastic. Victor took the time to try to quantify what I liked about the L5. He then shipped his neck to me before it was finished to get actual feedback. The neck was great. I sent it back and my concern level went way down.

Overall, Victor was fantastic to work with.

Overall Rating: 10
Overall rating is excellent Value/price is fantastic. The price of $3,075 included a custom guitar with all the options, case and shipping. By the way--don't skimp on shipping. Go overnight. The extra few dollars are worth it.

As mentioned earlier, I have many jazz boxes. I like this one the best (I still love the other ones too).

Since I gave much thought to what I wanted, there is nothing additional I would add to the guitar.

If it were stolen/lost, I would definitely ask Victor to make me another exact replica.

Overall, I can give Victor Baker and my Model 16 the highest rating. If you would like to see my guitar, Victor shows it on his website (www.victorbaker.com) under the model 16 category.

Submitted by Ron Lemos at 12/07/2001 17:49

Victor Baker Jazz
Summary
Features 10 (1 response)
Sound N/A (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 10 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability 10 (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: N/A

Purchased from: N/A

Features: 10
THIS GUITAR WAS MADE 3/17/200. yOU CAN VIEW IT AND GET ALL THE SPECS BY GOING TO THE WEBSITE UNDER WWW.VICTORBAKER.COM. CHECK MODEL 117 WHICH IS THE ONE I HAVE.

Sound: N/A
I PLAY EVERYTHING FOR PAT METHENY TO LARRY CARLTON. THE SOUNDS OF THIS GUITAR ARE WONDERFULL-NICE FULL WARM SOUNDS WITH GREAT HARMONIC AND SUSTAIN-VERY RICH COMPLEX SOUNDS WITH THE DARK WOODY/POPPY SOUND I LOVE AND A LOT OF BOTTOM AS WELL.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
THE GUITAR CAME SET UP PERFECTLY-NO FLAWS EXCEPT A LOOSE SCREW ON THE PICK-GUARD PROBABLY DUE TO UPS SHIPPING.

Reliability/Durability: 10
THE GUITAR IS BUILT TO LAST!!!! GREAT CRAFTMANSHIP.

Customer Support: 10
VICTOR WILL GET BACK TO YOU THE DAY YOU EMAIL HIM. HE IS VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. HE WILL MAKE YOU A GUITAR TO YOUR EXACT SPECS AND BECAUSE HE IS STILL RELATIVELY UNKNOWN HIS PRICES ARE EXCEPTIONAL-BUT I FEEL YOU BETTER GET IN TOUCH NOW BEFORE THINGS CHANGE.IF YOU WANT A GREAT GUITAR AT AN EVEN GREATER PRICE THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!!!

Overall Rating: 10
I HAVE PAYED SINCE 1960! I WOULD BUY ANOTHER WERE THIS STOLEN. I LOVE THE QUALITY AND SOUND OF THIS GUITAR. I GET MANY COMPLIMENTS ABOUT IT.

Submitted by Ralph Paul at 05/30/2000 07:06

Victor Baker Model 16 Custom
Summary
Features 10 (1 response)
Sound 10 (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 10 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability N/A (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: US $3500

Purchased from: N/A

Features: 10
Jan 2001
Special Order Design
Made in Phila, Pa.
7 - String
Lower Venetian cutaway
Slight upper cutaway
3-in depth
Mother of Pearl DECCO fingerboard inlay and headstock appointments
Maple Neck
22 Frets, attached at 17th fret.
Ebony Fingerboard, bounded
Carved Spruce Top
Quilted Maple back and sides, bounded.
Handwound Kent Armstrong Pickup.
Violin finish.

Sound: 10
I'm mostly a jazz player.
Polytone amps with a Boss delay unit.
This particular design, with chosen woods, gives a very woody and extremely warm tone (I tend to back off the tone control; Full on, the guitar sounds almost acoustic!)
I have gotten raves on the "singing quality" of the sound; the Armstrong pickup really enhances the natural tone of the guitar rather than just amplifying it.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Extra care and attention was spent on guitar set-up. Victor worked one-on-one with me to make sure the guitar was set up to my personal satisfaction. This includes the shape of the neck, the action, where the controls are placed, type of finger rest, etc. No adjustment was too small.
As well as a great player and luthier, Victor's an artist. So the guitar looks like a piece of art. The finish is extraordinary. As a whole the guitar beckons you to play it.

Reliability/Durability: N/A
Only had the guitar a few months, but it is my regular gig instrument. I'm confident it will be as reliable (if not more) than any top manufacturer brand or custom guitar out there.

Customer Support: 10
Victor stands behind his product 100%. Lifetime guarantee.

Overall Rating: 10
I've been a player for over 20 years. My other guitar is a 1950 Gibson L5, which is a great guitar. But the Victor Baker model is superior in terms of playability and sound. This guitar is an unbelievable value in terms of quality, workmanship and customer service.

Submitted by Anonymous at 06/18/2001 06:58

Victor Baker Model 17 7-String
Summary
Features N/A (1 response)
Sound 10 (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 9 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability N/A (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: N/A

Purchased from: N/A

Features: N/A
Finished in March 2001
7-string archtop 17 inches across, 3 inch depth
solid sitka spruce top, solid european maple sides and back (gorgeous flame), sharp cutaway, floating Kent Armstrong pickup, pickguard-mounted volume, tone, endpin jack, wood binding.

I can't give a rating for the features because these are the features I specified when ordering the guitar.

Sound: 10
Excellent acoustic sound with relatively light strings (12s). Loud and well-balanced, good bass responce all the way down to the low A.

Amplified sound is balanced as well - feedback can be a problem if played through certain amps, but with a Polytone there is no feedback until fairly high volumes.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 9
Since this was a custom instrument, it came set up just the way I wanted. This is my first custom-made instrument, and the playability is far better than anything else I've owned.
Sometimes there seems to be a little static when I rub my fingers across the pickguard.

Reliability/Durability: N/A
Having had this guitar for only a few months I cannot comment on reliability/durability.

Customer Support: 10
Instrument is guaranteed for life against defects. Free adjustment w/in the first 3 months. Since I live in the area, this was as easy as giving Victor a phone call and dropping in. I discussed the static problem with Victor, and he is willing to work with me to determine the cause and eliminate this problem.

Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing for 16 years and this is an excellent instrument, built to my precise specifications. I played other hand-made archtops costing twice as much as my guitar and none had the sound or the responsiveness of my instrument.

Submitted by alex matro at 06/18/2001 07:43

Victor Baker Model 17 Custom
Summary
Features 10 (2 responses)
Sound 10 (2 responses)
Action, Fit, & Finish 9.5 (2 responses)
Reliability/Durability 10 (2 responses)
Customer Support 10 (2 responses)
Overall Rating 10 (2 responses)
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Price Paid: US N/A

Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker

Features: 10
Purchased 7/03 from Victor Baker. Handmade in Philidelphia Pa.
20 frets, 25 1/2" scale. Solid European spruce top, master grade bigleaf flame maple back and sides. Flame maple neck with ebony fingerboard, bridge, tailpiece and pickguard. "Antique natural" finish, looks like a natural finish that has darkened and yellowed with age. One Kent Armstrong floating humbucker with pickguard mounted volume and tone controls. 5 ply binding on body only. "VB" in pearl inlaid on headstock.Schaller gold tuners w/ ebony buttons. Not a custom instrument, this was made as a "prototype" and has a slightly different headstock and tailpiece than other VB guitars.
I doubt that he has ever made two guitars that were identical...that's Gibson's job!
Nothing fancy on this guitar, but it oozes quality and vibe, because only the finest woods were used

Sound: 10
Acoustically, it's very satisfying , and I find that it's the guitar that I always want to have out and ready to play, even though I have some other very nice ones. Well balanced, even tone from string to string and all the way up the neck.
I can only describe the amplified sound as the ideal jazz archtop tone. Fingerstyle or with a pick, it's articulate, full, not muddy. The Kent Armstrong pickup is real good!

Action, Fit, & Finish: 9
Guitar was well set up, but needed additional setup, due to it being made in Philidelphia and played in Arizona. I like the action low, and string the guitar with 12-52 strings. No problem. Neck shape is described as "medium C shape". It's very comfortable and effortless to play.
The wood is unbelievably fine. Totally flamed maple, perfectly bookmatched. Finish is very glossy nitro-cellulose.
Overall workmanship on the guitar is excellent. But it's not "perfect" in the sense that you feel that it was cranked out by a machine, or part of a large batch of identical guitars. More like a work of art that is really fun to play!

Reliability/Durability: 10
This guitar feels like it will last a couple of hundred years. Very solid, all materials the absolute best.

Customer Support: N/A
Victor is a REALLY nice guy. Very willing to communicate. I have no doubt that he stands behind his guitars. But I haven't needed any repairs yet. I think the guitar is guaranteed forever to the original owner

Overall Rating: 10
I love this guitar. I don't know how he can build such a good guitar from such costly materials and sell it for such a reasonable price.

Submitted by gilpy at 02/24/2003 15:40
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Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker Guitars

Features: 10
Finished 6/13/2001. Handmade in Philadelphia - 17" Archtop, Sitka Spruce Top, Flame European Back, Sides, and Binding. Flame Maple Neck, Ebony Fret Board, Ebony Accents. Antique Natural Finish by Pat Wilkins Guitars-Los Angeles. Case Included. Custom Guitar features as requested.

Sound: 10
Fantastic Jazz Sound - Clean, Rich Archtop Sound. Superior sound flexibility demanding quality techniques for the avid enthusiasts' as well as the professional musicians' discerning taste. A true auditory delight. With or without amplification.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Nothings perfect. You'd have to examine carefully to find any flaws. Some barely noticeable finish flaws along binding edges. The finest quality woods handcrafted to perfection. A beautiful guitar for the eyes and ears. Solid Spruce top for highest quality resonance. European flame maple sides and bookmatched back. This is exactly what I ordered. When I opened the case and viewed for the first time I was stunned by the beauty.

Reliability/Durability: 10
This is a sit down instrument. X-braced and as durable as a true performance hollow body instrument can be.

Customer Support: 10
Satisfaction is demanded. Victor took painstaking care to see to it that he understood my vision and met my very critical needs.

Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing for 29 years on a variety of instruments. Acoustic, Solid body electrics, etc. I have been searching for the "right" instrument to be both a musical tool as well as a piece of art. This has been painstakingly built by a musician for a musician. I believe I will have years of continued enjoyment trying to live up to the level of artistry defined by this instrument.

Submitted by Steve Bradley at 06/25/2001 18:12

Victor Baker Model 17-7 Oval
Summary
Features 10 (1 response)
Sound 10 (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 10 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability 10 (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: N/A used

Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker

Features: 10
Finished in 3/4/2001 this was Victors Personal guitar he gigged with. It was made in Philadelphia PA where all his guitars are brought into being. It is a 20 fret Oval hole 17 inch 7 string Oval Hole Cutaway model with solid carved Englemann Spruce top , solid carve Flamed European maple back , hand bent solid Flamed European maple sides Select Ebony fretboard, hand carved ebony tailpiece, bridge and pickguard. Volume and tone are mounted to the pickguard smartly placed easily accessible yet out of the way. I am not aware of exactly what model the pickup is, I believe it to be a Kent Armstrong , it is mounted to the end of the fretboard and has a wooden cover. The electronics are passive. Fully bound WBW binding and is perfect if I might add! Finish is Antique Sunburst finish by the masters at Pat Wilkins . Came with the nicest case Ive ever seen. It is a tkl and is far superior to what comes with the custom shop Gibsons. This guitar has Chrome Grover tuners. I mean, what more can you ask for on an archtop?

Sound: 10
I play jazz and swing. This guitar was made for it. I also sat in on a bluegrass jam this weekend and barely had mine amplified, may not of had to at all but I was already plugged in. This guitar has an even voice from top to bottom. Ive owned hundreds of guitars and none have been this balanced. I would not have believed it without playing it. Every note has equal clarity and volume and is very deliberate. I play through a Polytone Mini Brute IV with no reverb and flat settings. This guitar seems to produce its own light reverb. It is very acousticaly resonant. I have had no problems out of the controls as far as getting what sounds I want including adjusting the volume with the onboard controls and the tone. I cannot find anything I dislike about this guitar. Yes , I am picky so that is saying alot!!

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Perfect. The action is great all over the guitar. I really play all over and its important that the action be fit in all registers of the fretboard. This guitar is even all over from top to bottom on the fretboard. The pickup is setup perfectly , all the frets are seated properly and the binding manicured properly around the seating, the binding around the guitar is uniform in where it is connected and how it is melded into the wood and finish. There was nothing spared on this guitar in the finish department. Well.. any department for that matter .

Reliability/Durability: 10
I have not had this guitar very long. I am careful with my instruments but the inevitable smack will happen :) Im sure this guitar will withstand any abuse I can shove at it. Its lasted Victor this long so it will last me Im sure. It has all handmade hardware with the exception of the tuning keys, which are Grovers and reliable of course. With close inspection the other handmade hardware is keenly constructed and looks very durable. Its ebony which is a very hard wood anyway. the finish seems to be tough, but any one with sense knows that any finish has its limits and should be treated accordingly. I take this guitar to a gig without a backup , only carrying an extra set of strings which can break anyway. It has an endpin output which I like very much. There are no strap buttons on this guitar which I thought would be a problem initially, but having played it out almost immediately upon receiving it I found it to be very comfortable the way it is. I would not dare mar this thing by adding a strap pin to it anywhere.

Customer Support: 10
Ive been talking with and dealing with Victor for some time Now. He is building me a custom archtop now and will be completed soon. I had to have this one though. I have never dealt with anyone in the custom instrument line of work who is more responsive , sincere , professional and fun as Victor! He returns my emails immediately , unless he is out on business , returns my calls promptly or answers if he is there, and has even called me a few times when he had things to talk about concerning my guitar. Who else will do that? Ive got horror stories from other well know custom builders. Not this man. The pick guard got broken in shipping. I contacted him immediately via email and he wrote me back instantly! He helped me get it resolved and working right away. His guitars all have a free lifetime warranty which is detailed at his website www.victorbaker.com . There are pics of him playing this very guitar on the site, although the pictures cannot do justice to the actual beauty and detail in this guitar.

Overall Rating: 10
Ive been playing guitar and bass for 13 years. Ive owned hundreds of guitars. Its kinda a hobby :) Right now all I own is this guitar , a Fender P Bass , a vintage DiGiorgio Brazilian guitar and an Asturia classical. This guitar outplays and outclasses the Vintage L5CES I had 10 to none. It is far superior in any capacity to any of the archtops Ive had , including a new and vintage ES 175 and a few of the upper end Gretsch archtops, which are fun but really a joke compared to this guitar. If someone stole it I'd probably find out who did it, call Vinny in New York and go take care of it. hehe , just kidding. Id buy another for if it were stolen for sure. I plan having him build me an 18" non cutaway acoustic and maybe talk him into building an electric bass >=) It would be wise to consider one of Victors guitars if you are in this market. He is busy now but not too busy (yet) to talk with you and complete you a guitar without being on some unreasonable waiting list, and you will get a better guitar and have a better Complete experience at a fraction of the cost. Ive been searching for a guitar that fit me in every aspect and I must say that this is it. Problem is, he claims the one he is building me will far out do this one?!?!?! HOW CAN THIS BE!!

Submitted by Talcron Barnestead at 06/30/2002 20:00

Victor Baker Model 18
Summary
Features 10 (1 response)
Sound 9 (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 10 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability N/A (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating 10 (1 response)
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Price Paid: US $3000

Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker Guitars

Features: 10
My guitar is an 18", non-cutaway, full depth archtop, with floating Bartolini pickup. Back & sides of European cello wood beautifully quilted maple. Koa binding on body and neck. Ebony board, pickguard, tailpiece, bridge and headstock overlay (front & back). Finish is a beautiful amber. Soundholes designed by Victor - similar to a D'Aquisto.

Sound: 9
Great classic jazz sound. I play it thru an old Gibson tube amp. Works great as an acoustic too - nice "woody" tone, very resonant, and really "cuts".

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Construction is top notch. I've played guitars costing 2-3 times as much as Victor's, and his match up to anything I've seen. The quilted bookmatched back, sides, and neck are stunning. Binding and fretwork are top-notch. Top is nice tight-grained spruce. Action is nice and low, same as when I got the guitar 6 months ago.

Reliability/Durability: N/A
I've owned the guitar since October of 2000. The action is nice and low - hasn't changed a bit. Everything about the guitar is just like new. Only time can tell how it will hold up over the years, but so far there's every indication that it till do fine. This is a top quality, professional grade instrument, built to last.

Customer Support: 10
Victor is a great guy to work with. Buying a guitar from him is a one-on-one, cooperative effort. It's you and the master luthier - no dealer, no salesman. I knew what I wanted in a guitar, and described my ideal guitar to Victor. He made several suggestions - the amber finish instead of the blue that I originally had in mind, the unique sound holes, etc. Victor took my idea of the ideal guitar and made it better. I've got a unique, beautiful looking and playing instrument. This was a totally different experience from buying a name brand from a store or catalog!

Overall Rating: 10
If this guitar was stolen, I'd be at Victor's door with the insurance money, saying "Let's build another one". I'd put this guitar up against guitars costing thousands more.

Submitted by Jeff Wewers at 07/24/2001 17:41

Victor Baker Model 18 Special
Summary
Features 10 (1 response)
Sound 9 (1 response)
Action, Fit, & Finish 10 (1 response)
Reliability/Durability N/A (1 response)
Customer Support 10 (1 response)
Overall Rating N/A (1 response)
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Price Paid: US $4 Figures

Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker Guitars 3636 Cresson Street Philadelphia, PA 19127

Features: 10
Custom Made Fall 2000. 3 in depth.Ebony Headstock overlay. Mother of Pearl Decco fingerboard inlay, and Custom headstock appointments.
Maple/Ebony/Maple neck. Bone nut. Everything 5 layer bound except
f holes-3 layer. Beautiful carved solid sitka top. Beautiful carved
solid maple FLAME back. Carved ebony tailpiece. Bartolini floating jazz pickup. What a Beauty! 18 inch super 400 size, SELECT ebony fingerboard. Wineburst finish. Made in Philadelphia, PA.

Sound: 9
I play jazz. This guitar, through my vintage Ampeg portaflex,
is great. This is a straight jazz instrument made by a great guitar
player for other guitar players. I prefer Kent Armstrong jazz
pickups. The Bartolini is great. I have always preferred KA's.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
This guitar compares to or exceeds anything coming out of the Guild/
Benedetto Custom shop for about one fourth the price! AND for your
money, the guy's name on the headstock who made the instrument is actually the same guy whose signature is on the label inside.
(I recently sold my Fratello. This instrument SOUNDS BETTER.)
The workmanship is beautiful. Check out this "unknown" luthier's
website if you are in the market.
Victor Baker plays the instruments. The guitar is set up to play.

Reliability/Durability: N/A
I have not owned the instrument long enough to comment on the
long term reliability/durability.
The construction is entirely of first rate materials.
The final finish is applied by an award winning finish shop.
See Victor Baker's web site.

Customer Support: 10
Victor is still at the stage of his carrer where he is
readily available. His emails are returned the same working day.
You can phone or write him. My correspondence with him over the
purchase of my instrument went great. What a nice guy to deal with!
The instruments are quaranteed for life except for normal wear and obvious abuse. To find out the price for a similar instrument,
go to his website and add up the additional appointments to the
base price.

Overall Rating: N/A
If you are a player and are seriously considering to purchase
an archtop made for you by a private luthier, check out Victor Baker.
Jazz guitars are personal. I really can't compare this instrument.
To each his own. All I can do is give my testimonial. Hey 18 inch
jazz boxes are not for everybody. For example, at home I have a 1957
KAY upbeat with the full crazy white and gold plastic headstock. The
box still has the original black laquer finish and 26 inch scale neck.
I have a heavy set of Thomastic Infeld flatwounds on it. The neck has been reset and the action is medium. The instrument is a pressed
plywood archtop. I love to practice with this instrument.
Overall rating? Maybe a 4 or 5? But I wouldn't part with the
guitar. My grandfather and father both played this instrument.
Overall emotional attachment rating 10++!!

Submitted by Frank Mele at 04/19/2001 12:57

Victor Baker Solid Body Electric
Summary
Features 9.5 (2 responses)
Sound 10 (2 responses)
Action, Fit, & Finish 10 (2 responses)
Reliability/Durability 10 (2 responses)
Customer Support 10 (2 responses)
Overall Rating 10 (2 responses)
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Price Paid: US $1300

Purchased from: N/A
Direct from manufacturer

Features: 10
2002 model, Hand built custom. 22 frets, Mahogany neck & body, carved flamed maple top, very cool dark amber sunburst. 1 vol, 1 tone, 3 way pickup selector. 2 hand wound Kent Armstrong PAFs. Ebony fetboard. Schaller bridge, Grover tuners. Basically a PRS style body, but built much better =)

Sound: 10
Beatiful rich tone, fuller sounding than a PRS, kind of halfway betweeen a nice Les Paul & a nice PRS. Very versatile humbucker equipped axe.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Perfect to a "T" right out of the box. Victor knows what he is doing.

Reliability/Durability: 10
Everything is solid as a rock.

Customer Support: 10
Victor is a great guy to deal with, responds very quickly to emails, answers questions personally.

Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing 25 + years, and own or have owned Strats, PRS, Les Pauls, etc., etc. etc, this guitar ranks up there with the best of them. If it were stolen I'd get another for sure. You'll be hearing lots more about Victor Baker and his guitars very soon.

Submitted by Anonymous at 06/20/2002 21:38
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Purchased from: N/A
Victor Baker

Features: 9
Handmade by Victor Baker, Mahogany set neck/body, double Kent Armstrong hand wound PAF pickups, Schaller bridge, Grover tuners, Ebony fret board, top end pots, 3-way switch, body is flat top with very graceful double cut-outs and a very classy curve with very cool slight "wing" at the back. Neck has 2-way truss rod accessable from headstock with "tasteful" small" access cover. Overall a "PRS" style body that is extremely classy and a joy to look at. Guitar is "blacked out" in a beautiful nitro-cellulose midnight black finish, no fretboard inlays (has dots on side of neck) and Victor's VERY cool log inlayed in the headstock. Body has internally carved cavities that make this guitar very light. One really slick guitar. Gave it a 9 only due to its spartan nature of technical features. Very nice hardshell case was included at slight extra charge

Sound: 10
Extremely clear, wonderful tone. Would be a superb guitar for cutting thru other instruments if in a band. Guitar has a killer snap and twang when needed, chords come thru very well articulated. 25" scale length and the ABSOLUTE BEST NECK I HAVE EVER PLAYED makes this guitar a dream to play. Incredible action with 1" 11/16" nut width. This guitar screams and plays with subtle finesse. Thinking of a PRS ? Forget it...get a Victor Baker for ALOT LESS and get a true handmade guitar.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Incredible handmade quality. Flawless, gorgeous finish. Doesnt get any better than this.

Reliability/Durability: 10
Recently got guitar but other reviews of Victors guitars say they are build rock solid. Made from the best woods with extremely high build quality I cant imagine a problem with this guitar.

Customer Support: 10
Emails and phone calls to Victor get HIS immediate response. He's an incredibly nice guy, friendly and unbeleivably accomodating. What I like most about Victor is he is a professional musician who cut his teeth making world class arch top electric guitars which is the top of the heap as far as I am concerned.

Overall Rating: 10
There is a new guy on the block making some of the finest guitars your money can buy at prices that smoke other builders. I cant imagine paying huge dollars for a "name" when I can get a guitar like a Victor Baker for ALOT less that is truly handmade from better woods by a guy who knows what he is doing right here in the Philadelphia area. I playes alot of fine guitars before Victor's and let me tell you I got one hellova fine guitar and saved a ton.

Submitted by K Neal at 05/15/2002 06:28