The Electra Forums

Hey, took the trek to Indy to see my good buddy Dave at Six Strings Down because he found a guitar for me for ElectraFest 2014 in about a month from now. Dave donates in a round about way, he knows this is going to be a prize guitar so he looks to find me a decent Electra cheap. Dave said he located me an excellent guitar that he took in on a trade that he'd sell me cheap because he knows it is going for a prize. So basically I get it at his costs, and he more or less sells it to me for half of what he would get out of it. I hope me makes it down for the show. He did that the last show I got to go to. But getting there is a big deal - Indy is an all day thing up and back.

This time, he found an 84 XV3GR - it is the graphite color I think, sort of a greyish/green finish. It has the pointed style headstock not the phoenix style one and it has the pointed legs, not the ones that point a bit inward at the ends like the red one in the '84 sales literature It is LOCAL meaning it has the label on the case and on the guitar from the music store in Washington, IN - a small community about an hour from here. No doubt from a mom and pop music shop there. Oh, yes, you heard that right - it has a NICE original hardshell case with it (these never have the case it seems and they are not a typical size so good luck ever finding one). So even nicer, it is 100% original, minus strings and vibrato bar. I took it and removed the strings and started going through it. I cleaned it thoroughly including removing some nasty accumulation on the fingerboard scraping with a razor blade. I am removed the neck pickup for a peak, MMK45 as big as you please (I was 99% sure, but now I am 100% sure). I looked in the control compartment, and shot deoxit in everything. I cleaned the fretboard after scraping with some steel wool, wiped down, then oiled the fretboard. I touched up a few chips, mostly in the pointy corners as you'd expect. You can still see them but they are not nearly as noticeable. This thing is really cleaning up well.

I am getting excited about this, heck, I don't have and never had one of these. It really is in good condition. Original knobs (the notched speed knobs and the flat top 3-way switch knob). Then I put the new strings on and started to tighten. That is when I noticed, the bridge was bucking all up. Seems this one has suffered the curse of that series of guitars, that cursed pot-metal bridge was actually in pieces. Aw crud, I am now bummed. Dave didn't know this. He evidently got it this way, and the strings that were on it were not really tight. Truthfully it was probably bucked and I didn't fully notice it. I was bummed enough I went and ordered a brand new matching black American sized vintage strat style bridge for a replacement. I looked for a used one first, but seems that the chrome ones are easy to find but the black ones aren't. I guess I'll get it in sometime next week. So now it is a repair project. But you know, it really seems to be a problem with these bridges (they shouldn't break like that). The metal quality isn't up to the stress. The new one is supposed to be steel so it should be better but it should look almost the same. So far both guitars I have had with this bridge have had this problem.

Can't wait to get it on the guitar and get it cranking. I want to hear it!

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Thorny

can you post some pics of the headstock. I don't think I have this version in my pages.

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My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

Here is a picture of the whole thing. Incidentally, the cracked up bridge I actually was able to superglue back together. I am NOT KIDDING. It would never hold in the long run, but I already had it strung and wanted to tune it up. I have a new vintage style black replacement bridge coming in for it, but may be a week or so out. I can't believe it is holding. I know some of the parts on these leave a little bit to be desired but these bridges are stinkers - making a strat style bridge and the base is pot-metal and not steel. Gibson ABRs used to collapse, and the Electra tuneomatics have major issues with corrosion and their screws often lockup in the saddles - so it happens to all makers sometimes. Hey, it IS a 30 year old guitar. By the time I was 30 I had a few repairs too. So I suppose it should be looked at that way. Anyhow, I was able to superglue the bridge together and actually set it up and intonated it. Wow. Have not played it yet because did so late last night. I will have to see if it is still together this morning. *UPDATE* I just checked and it is not only together it is still relatively in tune from last night! It would never be fully functional except as it is now on the body - you could never put a bar in it and "wang" it. But once the correct replacement is in - it should be better than it was new and still should look right. Again, the trick on this one is to get an American sized unit, not an import sized unit. I have a mighty mite one that is supposedly steel, vintage american sized, and black - so it was the best deal I could find for something that I have a pretty good idea will fit properly. The Mighty Mite in it's picture looked a lot like the Wilkinson one I got from Corsair that is now in my X195.

Anyhow, this will really be nice. Come to Electrafest and WIN it. This thing is so cool I wish I could keep it. Even the hardshell case is very nice. I checked it all out electronically last night and it is perfectly untouched. O yeah, these are a V that you CAN put play sitting down too. Today will play it as soon as I get some time.

Picture as promised.







These pictures make it look almost perfect - it isn't because it has some dings around the edges but most of them are not visible from the front. It still is way above average, and with a hardshell case, and a 30 year old beast. It should be married with 3 kids by now. I think the color in the first pics are closer than these, as these look black - it isn't.

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Thorny

Great going on this, fantastic. You're the man. Someone will love this thing!!!

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

I just got the "mighty mite" us sized strat bridge in black - it arrived a couple hours ago - and I already have it on the guitar! I ordered it just a few days ago from an ebayer called "stratosphere" I think. If you need a replacement it is about the best deal for a good one new that I have found (that I am certain is the correct size and well-made). It is JUST like the Wilkinson bridge I have on the X195 that that needed a bridge also - I mean JUST like it. It has the same one round hole and the rest are elongated slightly. It was a perfect fit. The intonation was preset on it, and it really wasn't too far off (had to adjust it slightly, but not bad). I has the same push in trem arm of the wilkinson as well, with the same set screw. So if you run into another one of these, I found it for $30 shipping and everything on ebay - what a DEAL. It is good quality. The block itself is very close to the original electra block - identical size and similar weight. But it does have a steel base so that is the big plus I was looking for. The old electra bridge base is still holding together from when I super glued it the other day! I will strip the parts off of it that I can and throw them in a box in case for when I or someone needs them.

The guitar is back together - and the new bridge should be good for a long time. This is really going to make someone a NICE guitar. I get to play it for the next month though! And thanks again, Dave Bryant of Six Strings Down in Plainfield (near Indianapolis) for donating half the value of the guitar so he could sell it to me so cheap for this prize. I hope he can make it down.

Oh yeah, I may a really nice Mesa Tremoverb (dual rectifier) 2x12 combo amp at the fest, if I do, I'd like to possibly trade it for some electras! It is a great amp.

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Thorny

Got rid of that mesa.

New bridge is on and all is good on the guitar for Electra fest. Be there and win it. It is July 19th and 20th in Evansville, IN. And there is supposed to be another guitar that will be a prize as well and at least 4 collections that will be represented. Tom P is supposed to be there as well. You all that is missing is you! Let me know if you are coming - I need to plan the best I can.

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Thorny

Can you video the event somehow? A lot of can't be there

Tom Presley will be a treat to meet! Someone do an interview with him and video it!

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

Mike and some of the guys captured video - so I suspect it will be posted.

Here is our the winner of the guitar and the longest traveler to Electrafest 2014 Steve from Ontario - so a pointy westone addict gets his first taste of electra! It all works out doesn't it? Glad you took the time and expense to attend! The guitar could not have found a more appropriate home (although if Corsair were here, you might have to arm wrestle for it!).



We had some good guitars this year - a good variety too - the Westone above, but the really nice blue Electra and the corner of the gray Vantage, as well as Drew is in the background with the Ovation. I think they all went to good homes this year. I'm already trying to fix the few very minor things with the Vantage, and thanks to Stokes I already have parts coming in. I was excited enough that I must of forgotten to take pictures of each guitar! Also, we actually gave them away in a hallway, so in order to take a picture you had to be standing in front of everyone else too. Maybe next time we do it in a more open spot. But never mind that, we all had a great time. Thanks all. I won't be sending out thank you cards, but consider this my thank you card to each of you that attended. Also, all packages were shipped off to so you should have it by now (except Stokes will take a little longer to get to him) - which were mostly swag items, and someone got a high-tech "banana" brand tuner from the 80s - still in its box (sorry about that - but it surely would be a nice piece of case candy to go along with your 80s guitar - and still being in the box and all). Also, we proved the value of the strobe tuner app on an iPhone - Electras were tuned up after their long travel and sounded good at the show.

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Thorny

Thanks again to Thorny for putting all this together this year as host and a big Thanks to everyone that made the trek to attend. It was a great weekend and one to remember since we had Tom P all day Saturday to answer our questions and share his knowledge with us. Can't wait for next year. Thanks Thorny

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

Thanks to you core members that helped ensure things were not blatantly missed too. It turns out because of support from a core of people - Thanks again. You all are the best

Now, who is doing it next year?

How about someone in Nashville? That'd be cool.

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Thorny