The Electra Forums

I have an Electra Bass that looks like a blonde Phoenix X635 but it has the old logo and also does not have the 4 inline tuners but 2 X 2. I checked the catalog and the X635 mis the only one that comes close. I would like to post a couple photos but don't know how to do it here.











Thank you,

email sent....

does the headstock look like this?
http://www.indysworld.com/guitars/Elect ... ctra-4.jpg

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No, I just posted the photos. Hopefully this will help.

That carving looks like an Ibanez Bob Weir Artist model - nice. Interesting piece for sure.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1977-Ibanez-Model-2 ... 2eb4d535d0

We'll have to have Tom Presley weigh in on this one. As you say it doesn't look like anything ever advertised in the catalogs. I would say early 80's prototype, and from the neck through construction probably not Matsumoku.

There's another headstock for your index McB. The serial on the back does not match the typical convention, isn't the same color that Mat used and the font may be a little different too. Horshino?

Definitely not a Phoenix, and that routing around the body isn't something I've seen from Electra in the past (not a historian here...). You may have a one-off, or a production sample, yikes. Welcome aboard, got any other Electras? Mike.

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Thanks for the quick reply,

I came across it about a year ago at a garage sale and snatched it up. I have had it every since then and use it from time to time to record. It plays and sounds great. Pass on the info, I have no connections to run this down and was curious about what I have. I was really intrigued when I couldn't find anything like it from Electra.

Robert

cool. it looks like the Electra name is carved into the headstock? is the logo under the finish? or a decal on top of?

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Very cool Bass you have there. It is not a production model for certain so I think it is safe to assume that it is a factory demo production made for Electra that never made it to production. I agree that it favor the Ibanez very much or maybe even an Aria Pro II basss but more like the Ibanez. I like the neck and the wood used on this one and the headstock is also different . Very nice Bass and a great score. thanks for letting us get a look at it. Maybe Mr Presley can give us some insight on this one. I do not think it is a PCM model either.

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The logo is embedded under the finish and not a sticker. The workmanship is very good on this bass. I appreciate all your comments and help on this. It really looks like a unique and rare bass.

I knew this was a great investment when I found it, I just couldn't find anyone that could tell me what i had. I tried to post this request without the photos several months ago but didn't get any response because is was hard to describe accurately without the pics.

Semper Fi

awesome

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Here's a Ibanez Bass ad I found. Notice the center lamination, which looks very close and lord knows there were many, many different center lam styles being made in the late 70's early 80's. Headstock is very similar to an Ibanez. I also found a Aria with a similar inlays and tuners, so who knows.


This new find has a very Ibanez look to it if you ask me, the shape is reminiscent of the 'Artist' line, the edge route and lack of a belly cut is very counter-Matsumoku styling. The pickups and knobs seem out of place... Obviously the knobs could have been replaced, but I think a black pickup and speed knobs would have looked more finished. Maybe this one was delivered without any electronics and someone put them in afterwards? The big Brass bridge is odd, I couldn't find an exact match (not that I looked exhaustively) and the Brass nut are both nods to Electra 80's styling. Tom Presley, what say you?

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I'm still scratching my head over this bass. The only Electra-like thing I see (besides the name) is the brass nut. If it was a bolt on I'd just say - oh someone bolted an Electra neck onto that bass. Even so, the fret position markers look pretty similar to markers on my Alvarez Yairi but nothing like any Electra I can think of. I'd say it's SLM for sure. Which plant manufactured it beats me though. It has characteristics of lots of different guitars all rolled into one. What really surprises me is a single pickup with the neck through. I would have expected the full electronic package we see in the X640's or X650's. The split pickup looks like the pickup on my X650 but I've never seen one that isn't black......

If it wasn't for the neck through the body, I would explain this as a sort of Frankenstein that someone had a blank body and neck and added the electronics and brass nut and bridge. The knobs definitely look like they were substituted. I think I will find some metallic black knobs and replace them.

I am stumped by this.

yeah, I searched too and got the same results as Pro (we must all have the same sickness )

when I first saw this, I was reminded of the non-mpc outlaw bass that was up for auction a few years back...
http://www.indysworld.com/guitars/Elect ... w-non-mpc/

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I failed to mention the tortoise binding on the body below the routing. Dresses it up very nice. I want to thank all of you for your input and comments. I am beginning to think this does not have a specific model # and never made it to production.