The Electra Forums

Hello Everyone,

I have owned an Electra X420(I believe) for years and just found this site this morning. Great Information.

The serial # on the back is 010009.

Questions:

1. Year made 1981?
2. Is this considered a non-MPC guitar?
3. Could this be the 9th guitar manufactured in 1981?

Any info is helpful. Not looking to sell the guitar, just looking to find out more about my black beauty.

Thanks,
Ed

Judging from the serial number, my X420 is the same year as yours. It's 010130. I've assumed it's circa 1980, but I don't know for sure. I do know it's not MPC.

Mine also has two extra switches between the control knobs, that I haven't seen on others, so I'm not sure if it's been customized or if the switches were stock. You can see them in this pic:



I adore this guitar, and would love to find out more about the specific model, so I could properly brag about it. She's loud and raunchy and just MADE for blues, and I can't imagine how I got along without her, before. (^-^)

I agree, too. This forum is terrific! Thanks to the guys who keep it up!

We're not 100% certain on dating serial numbers before 1981, but to the best of my judgement 010130 means October 1980, and so does 010009, which makes sense, two of the same model being made in a similar batch, 121 numbers apart on the assembly line. So 010009 would be the ninth guitar made in October of 80.

In my experience this pattern holds true for any of the X-models with the serial number stamped on the headstock. The first digit is the last digit of year, and the next two are month. I have never seen any Electra guitar like this where the second and third digits were anything but 01-12, which points really strongly to the month hypothesis. Some months that saw really high productions added a seventh digit, such as the X420vs on the site with serial 2122092- the 2092nd guitar made in december of 82, which is very plausible for the holiday season.

The exception is where the serial numbers start with a letter, like the X510, in which case it appears to follow Hoshino's 'Ibanez-style' numbering- even though the serial nubmer font and placement point strongly to this being a Matsumoku model too. In that case the letter is month and the next two digits are year, the rest are sequential.


The X420 is not an MPC guitar, no. MPC guitars have a panel on the back with two removable effect modules and battery compartments. You can also spot them because they have four knobs in a line and two toggle switches alongside. There are a few Electras that have active preamps, such as the X150, but that's not an MPC either.

I couldn't say for sure if the switches on your X420 are stock are not, but they very well could be- I bet they're coil tap and phase switches, very typical options on an Electra.

I'd be really curious to see what's on the back of those pickups. MMK45 maybe, but I bet they're MMK53's or even MMK75's.

Glad you like the site. It's the latest evolution in a long line of efforts by a lot of people devoted to preserving all the info we have on these guitars!

Ah, thanks so much for the great info! I'll have to take a peek at the back of the pickups, next time I change strings, to see which ones they are. I'll post what I find! (^-^)

we never get tired of pictures, either.