The Electra Forums

Greetings,

I was wondering if anyone else's neck pickup cavity contains japanese kanji characters? I'm just wondering if mine is somehow "different". I'm sure some of you remember in the past where I had the kanji translated for another guitar on the forum and I will have this one translated as well by my ex.

Please excuse the dust, some crystallized binding is being replaced. It took a long time to find a suitable substitute.

Yep, I've had hand drawn kanji in neck pockets and in pickup cavities which I've had my niece's husband - who is Japanese - have a look at. He wasn't able to directly translate but he reckoned they were internal factory markings for some reason or another; maybe yours actually mean something as they looked stamped, eh?!

Certainly watching with interest....

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This is awaiting better pics to my ex to solve. From the picture above it is something "technique". To be continued......

Can anyone ID the pickups? I've run across the same stamping on super70 pickups through a web search. I also know many "brands" used the same suppliers.

I haven't looked under every set of pickups, but I have not seen anything but 'western' numbering when the occasion has arisen. I believe the 2nd number stenciled on the bottom of the pickup indicates the last year of the seventies it was manufactured (in your case '75), don't quote me on that, and I'm sure there is some reference tables out there on the web.

As far as the Tortoise binding, I know that some owners think it's the Bees Knees, but I've owned two Electra's with it, and have found it to be a nuisance on the top of the neck personally. On my Outlaw the binding is so overboard that you can't see the little helper 'dots' to tell what fret you're on! Best of luck, and needless to say, we're all interested in the translation here.

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I can't swear by this, but i believe I've seen them on a few bolt neck guitars, usually a single of maybe two characters, and the same markings on the neck as in the pocket. I do have an Electra/Westone era prototype with a number of kanji on both the neck and the body with a permanent marker. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

This reminds me of looking for the little messages that bands/artists would sometimes inscribe in the inner matrix ring of vinyl records. Interesting stuff...

C.R.

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"... can't seem to hit that Bb right."

Metesky,

Thanks, I appreciate the input. I've seen photos here of the bolt necks with them but I was wondering if anyone had one of these models specifically with writing. I know the crowd is small but I thought it was worth a shot.

Yes, I have searched vinyl myself for markings in the dead zone because this can show if an album is an original pressing since it will have the persons mark that made the master and a code identifying it. You're right, collecting vinyl is just as crazy.

Thanks again for the input.

sandspur