The Electra Forums

There is, hanging in local pawn shop a Vulcan x930 just like the one pictured on Mike's Electra site, except it is equipped with a les paul style pickguard. It has been there a while but I never paid much attention to it until a few days ago. I have been an Aria/Japan fan for a long time but didn't even take a second look at Electras until this site. Looks like neck though construction, like the x940 also pictured. The face looks good, a few marks on the back, especially around the edge, and there is a paint chip off the lower horn. There is about the 16th fret a finish crack that runs around the back of the neck. The setup looks good, but I didn't have the time to play it when I was there. The asking price is $299, I could probably get it for a few dollars less. It comes with two mpc modules and an electra branded brown hardshell case.

Can anyone tell me how these compare with mpc les paul copies? Are they more common, or less? More or less desirable(your opinion)? I can't really afford this one now because I haven't paid for all the guitars I currently own. I thought I might buy it(if it has no major problems and the electronics are good), play with it for a few weeks, then sell it on ebay for the price I paid. If I didn't make a $1 it wouldn't matter to me. I would appreciate any informed comments/opinions anyone could offer about this model, and or the price.

If it handles anything like it's non-MPC cousin the Pro Endorser I would have to say it will come close to being a Les Paul killer. No price (save for the benefit of my wife or critters) could tempt mine from me. It is right up there with the PE.

Thanks for the info. I went back this morning to check out the guitar. I could tell alittle bit more about it off the rack. It a little worse cosmetic shape than I initially thought. There are a couple of marks on the face and common picking scratches below the pickguard, some buckle scratches on the backs and three or four dings on the back of the neck. It is not what I consider trashed by any means, and should clean up to be a good looking guitar. It was a good player, and the intonation seemed good. The unfortunate bad news is that I could not get it to make a sound with the mpc features switched on.(except for a slight buzz) I tried different switching combinations. The module in the first plugin was missing a strip of plastic beside its connection, and it looked like glue there(I don't know if it is factory glue or someone's fill in. I unplugged it and put the other module in first position. Nothing. I had a fresh battery with me so I know it wasn't that. I can rewire/fix standard wiring, with complex switching too, but I haven't tackled any active electronics and wasn't willing to gamble on trying to fix an mpc axe so I left it there. If you have any insight on an easy overlooked soution, let me know. Does it matter where the varitone is set, because I only tried a couple of clicks? I believe the guitar worked with the switches in the down postion, if I remember correctly, so I take it that it is up for the effects, which would make the bottom two knobs work. Is this correct?

I will have to agree entirely with Electraman. The components for the MPC circuits are somewhat antiquated, and edge card connectors are hard to find new. I have had to etch a few logic boards for edge card connectors and it was a major pain (corporations shoule never let their servers get 20 years old!).

With all the trouble that one has, unless one is an electronics wiz, it would not be worth the money. $150 would be about right for a standard guitar with a huge hole in the back. I guess one could use it for cigarettes or pocket chord books I guess.