The Electra Forums

I bought this old Electra guitar from a friend for a very affordable price. I have not had much luck figuring out which exactly model/year it is and what kind of value it would have. It is all original from what I can tell and plays very nice. There is one issue... I could not get the G-string to properly intonate. It is just a bit off and I even so far as to flip the saddle around to get it pushed back as far as possible. Still a bit out but as some may say "It is close enough for Rock and Roll".

This is my first post to this forum so I appreciate any help anyone can pass my way. Also, can someone tell me how to post pictures here? Thanks!

(The best I could think of to post pics is to link it directly to my guitar page on Facebook. I hope that is ok and I am not breaking no rules.)
Picture album of Electra Guitar:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 003&type=1

Looks to be the X250 active eq model but would need to see the back cover plate to be certain. There should be an active boost circuit board mounted to the underside of the back control cover.

_________________
Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

Thanks! I will take a couple more pics just to be certain. I am almost confident that this is it in this video. Mine does exactly that. How would I go about putting a value on something like this without a lot to reference from?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmHxxqrEhZQ

Having owned all six variations (seven with the X960 Ultima) I would agree that it looks like a X250. Both the X270 and the X960 had brass bridges. The X250 is my fave of the series with the separate treble and bass adjustments. Yours was made December of 1980 according to the serial number. Even in pristine shape you'd be hard pressed to get $400 for one, they just don't have that great of a resale (which is great news for collectors, bad for sellers and investors currently). The active circuit, which I find powerful and useful, is not received well by most guitarists who typically want something more conventional.

How old are your strings? Old strings can play havoc on intonation. Also, check for fret wear. Divots will cause you to press the string down further, making the pitch go up. I see you've got it adjusted the saddle as far back as possible, trying to bring that pitch back down by making the string longer. It is not uncommon for a 30+ year old guitar to need a fret dressing, and it may even necessitate a slight nut recut, lowering the strings to complement the 'new' height of the frets.

When you consider what you typically get for $300 (a Indonesian made Epiphone, or a Mexican Fender) these are great little guitars that deserve the cost of maintenance to make it 100% again. You will find that it's utility far outweigh it's value. Hold on to it and experience its quality before you jump to resell. Mike.

_________________
Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch