Gene Baker began playing guitar at age eleven, and honed his woodworking skills in Junior High preparing for his guitar-building career. Baker attended the Guitar Institute of Technology (G.I.T.) to further his playing abilities. After graduation, Baker served as a teacher/repairman for various stores, and briefly worked at Ernie Ball/Music Man. Baker built a number of guitars in a limited partnership under the Mean Gene trademark between 1989 and 1991.
Baker then took a Masters apprentice job at the Gibson West Custom Shop, serving under Roger Griffin. His duties included warranty repairs, vintage restorations, and custom building guitars. After Gibson closed down the shop, Baker moved to the Fender Custom Shop in Corona. Baker's first production work at Fender included working on the Robben Ford Signature Series, as well as the Carved Top Strat. In 1995, Baker was promoted to Master Builder (at age 28), and continued to produce around sixty custom Fender guitars a year. Baker and his good friend Gil Vasquez, who was also a Master Builder in the Fender Custom Shop, started building Baker guitars in Vasquez's garage. Both Baker and Vasquez worked at Fender until 1997 when they both left to focus on Baker full time. Baker closed up shop in 2003, and both went to work for Ernie Ball/Music Man. After Baker closed, Ed Roman and Robert English bought the Baker trademark from Gene Baker. Guitars are currently built in Ed Roman's shop and Gene Baker has no affiliation with the company. Vasquez is currently the manager of the Washburn/Parker Custom Shop in Mundelein, IL. For more information, visit Baker's website, or contact Baker via Ed Roman. Roman died December 14, 2011 at the age of 61.
Instruments currently built by Ed Roman Guitars since 2003. Previously built by Baker in Riverside, CA between 1995 and 2003. Distributed in the U.S. by Ed Roman Guitars. Previously distributed by Baker Guitars and Intertune, Inc. in Japan.

BAKER Electric Guitars Models

BAKER B1 Image

BAKER B1

- single white bound mahogany body, figured maple top, set-in mahogany neck, 22-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with custom side block inlays, Grover tuners, nickel hardware, Tune-o-matic bridge/stop tailpiece, two Seymour Duncan humbuckers...

BAKER B1 BASS Image

BAKER B1 BASS

- single white bound mahogany body, figured maple carved top, set-in mahogany neck, 34 in. scale, 21-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with custom side block inlays, Grover tuners, nickel hardware, Badass fixed bridge, 2 Seymour Duncan p...

BAKER B1 Chambered (B1C) Image

BAKER B1 Chambered (B1C)

- similar to the B1H, except does not have Talon f-hole, carved flamed maple top, available in Watermelon, Aged Cherry Burst, Cherry Sun Burst, Tequila Sunrise, Antique Burst, Two-Tone Sun Burst, Binge Cherry, or Ice Tea Burst finish, disc....

BAKER B1 Hollow (B1H) Image

BAKER B1 Hollow (B1H)

- similar to the B1, except has single white bound mahogany neck/headstock/body, 3/4 chambered body, carved undertop with bound f-hole, mfg. 1997-2003.

BAKER B1 Seven String Image

BAKER B1 Seven String

- similar to the B1, except in a seven-string configuration, top bound solid mahogany body, highly figured carved maple top, mahogany set neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with custom side block position markers, medium jumbo frets, two Di...

BAKER BJ Image

BAKER BJ

- mahogany body, set-in mahogany neck, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, Grover tuners, nickel hardware, Wilkinson wrap around/stop tailpiece, two P-90 pickups, volume/tone controls, pickup selector, available in 2-Tone Su...

BAKER BJ Hollow Image

BAKER BJ Hollow

- similar to the BJ, except has hollow mahogany body, highly figured maple top, medium jumbo frets, available with two P-90s or two humbucker pickups, Schaller Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge, two volume and one tone control, three-way pickup...

BAKER BNT Image

BAKER BNT

- mahogany body, figured maple top, mahogany neck-through-body, 22-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with custom side block inlays, Grover tuners, Wilkinson tremolo, two Seymour Duncan humbuckers, volume/tone (push/pull) controls, pickup sele...