The Electra Forums

http://buffalo.craigslist.org/msg/5358161719.html

Anyone in the Buffalo area?

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"This is the way that pop ends, Not with a BANG but with a box set whose fourth disc you never get around to playing” - Simon Reynolds

"My guitar wants to kill your Mama" - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention

what a deal!

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Thorny

Not quite as great of a deal as it appeared.

I had a friend in Buffalo pick these up and bring them to me yesterday.

The X165 is white. It's cosmetically rough and is missing knobs.

The X199 is actually the omnipresent X189, in red of course. At some point the cavity covers and the knobs were "bedazzled" with gold pen!

Either one should be a decent player.

I'd let either one go to an EF member for $125 plus whatever it costs to get it there.

I just picked up an x165 in a gunmetal greyish metallic (might be the blue metallic, but it looks more grey). Anyhow, it is a great guitar - my first one of this type because I was into the MPCs and earlier instruments at first and was slower to get into the phoenix era instruments. But that x165 of mine is a fantastic guitar. So - even if bedazzled, a little rough, or missing a few knobs - that one should still be a pretty good deal.

The only complaint I have (being the picky SOB that I am) is that the MMK bridge pickup is not wide spaced to match the strings resulting in a noticeable roll-off of bottom and top end because the poles do not match under the strings. All pickups had this back then, until they started going with wider spaced models in the bridge. So all of them had the issue. I really like the stock pickups in it, the coil tap and out of phase switches are awesome too. Really versatile. Mine was in better shape, and it cost a little bit more though (worth it). I bet you have versions of both that are almost like new.

Also, one thing about these guitars is nearly everyone gets the models wrong when they look them up. I have done it myself on occasion. Some models are almost alike, with maybe slight variations in bridge models, or a fixed neck instead of a bolt-on. But it gets aggravating thinking you are getting one model and getting another. It confuses people. You really can't go by their descriptions unless you know the person you are dealing with (and it is someone that knows better).

Sorry man! At least it wasn't a terrible deal. If they are really ugly you can fix up ones of yours that might have parts changed out in them (stock pickups, bridges, tuners, things that get swapped out on otherwise fantastic guitars). Almost every one I get seems to need a tremolo bar! I hate parting out guitars, but it IS nice to restore a nicer one back to originality when you can.

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Thorny

Phoenix/Spectrums rock way hard!!! I have about 5, all of which I gigged at least once before I stopped playing out! I have to say that I have never really noticed the bridge pickup thing, Thorny; now I'll have to go and have a bloody good look at them!

I certainly agree re. the model variation - it is a little confusing and sellers often don't get it right in their descriptions so you've got to know what you're looking at if you're buying!

I will say that the H/S/H models with Tom's trick switching seem the most useful with a plethora of different tones easily available and the X199/Spectrum FX would have to be the most desirable, at least to these eyes!! I don't have one; I was willing to wheel and deal on a white one in Rotorua, NZ in 2009 but the pawnshop owner wasn't going to budge on price and I pay the sticker price on nothing!! Shame, because it was in beautiful nick....

C'est la vie!!

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

$250 for the pair still sounds like a pretty good deal.

Thorny - See if you can get your hands on an X140 - A good one is a real strat killer...