The Electra Forums

1979 figures in to my 3 year range based on it's features. Man, it's really disapointing about the serial number situation thogh.

p.s. nice avatar, I took that picture of my x330 for the boards use

Hey BD, I wrote the other day that it's cool to use that avatar...that's why I uploaded it man! I guess it got deleted in the move of the board. Anyway, I have zero problems with you or anyone using that avatar, it's good to see my long gone x330 again

I also wrote, love the Zappa avatar, I shook hands with the man in the mid 70's at the Montreal Forum.

Also 1979 could be right for that guitar, the features are all indicating it's 1979-1981. Real bummer about the serial number thing though...I looked back on some old serial numbers and at the very least, there were inconsistancies from 77-81 and pre 76 fahget about it

Electrasrus,
Thanks for the use of the avatar. This is the best action, best sounding guitar that I have ever played. My brother had it for the last 26+ years and just he just purchased a Gibson ES-335. He said the Electra action was much nicer. I couldn't be any prouder to finally get my hands on this guitar!

By the way, the guitar was purchased new in late summer 78, I just had this confirmed by the guy that bought it new. It took him a few to nail it down. Now doesn't that just throw the serial number thing into a tailspin.

Memory is not always the best way to date them either BD. All confirmed 1978 models I've seen have white plastic nuts, you said yours has brass nut (a feature which I'm sure came in to being in 1979). Bottom line, this guitar was built between 1977-1981. You probably are never going to get the exact date unless you have a sales reciept. I've sold off my last Electra so dating them is becoming less important to me by the minute

Even a sales receipt is only good to tell you it was manufactured before that time. Some of these sat a long time on the walls of mom and pop music stores before they sold back then.

_________________
Thorny

you guys are killing me with how difficult you make cleaning up one of these modules...so... for what its worth, here is how i do it

first of all, get yourself two little tin plates... like the ones you are left with after eating one of those individual serving meat pies... carefully cut an X in the bottom of one, and fold the pieces back so as to let the potted module hang into the tin plate without falling through.... set this plate on top of the other... set the pair on a stove burner and turn on VERY low...(hopefully the pics will work)



if necessary, turn up the heat a little if needed... eventually, the heat will start to do its work on the hot glue compound these things come packed in.... there will still be a thin layer of the glue clinging to the circuit board, but this can be scraped off while the module is cooling... the module can also be returned to heat as necessary... i found that using a dental pick that has a flat edge is great for scraping off the residue as needed.... repeat this second process as needed till board is as clean as needed to work on... what you will be left with is a dish of glue (this is 3 or 4 modules worth) and a module ready for servicing



this is my tube sound module that i had to splice a broken wire on the big brown cap.... should have probably replaced it but fixing it seems to have it working just fine... so that is what i did...



anyways... hope this is of some help to you guys... its sure a lot easier than carving a module out of a block of glue with a knife (and much safer too) and it is a lot less effort than trying to do it with a soldering iron...

now... if you are thinking about trying to fix one of the early modules that are cast in concrete... i could sure use a couple of tips there..

_________________
Live Better Electra-ly
http://www.therathole.org/leia/visitors_axes/leia/leia.html

_________________
Live Better Electra-ly
http://www.therathole.org/leia/visitors_axes/leia/leia.html

oops... this was supposed to be in the module discussion...

_________________
Live Better Electra-ly
http://www.therathole.org/leia/visitors_axes/leia/leia.html

Great advice here! Thanks, Leia!

Matthew

by the way mathew... all of the modules that i have had to repair, have not needed new parts... the problem has been a poorly soldered joint, that has, over the years, let go... that was the problem with my dynamic fuzz module, and basically what was wrong with the tube sound module (above)... only problem with the cap on the tube sound was that the one lead was so short i couldn't get a hot enough solder joint, so i just folded it back as you can see so i could get at the short stub properly, and spliced in a small chuck of solid copper wire.... so... my advice would be to try wiggling all the caps, resistors etc to see if the solder joints are solid.... if not, just resolder... and seeing as your module is still working albeit poorly, my guess is a bad joint rather than a bad component...

_________________
Live Better Electra-ly
http://www.therathole.org/leia/visitors_axes/leia/leia.html

More good advice. Thanks! I'm not sure when I'll get around to operating on mine, but I'll post my results when I do!

Matthew

I purchased an X-930 Vulcan on October 3, 1978 from a new music store on Old Galveston Hwy in Houston. The serial number is 11404. This was the first Vulcan they received from SLM. I have the original sales slip. I am afraid that this serial number question is getting more confusing! But I hope that this info will somehow help! By the way, I can't say enough good things about this guitar. I have never regreted selling a Les Paul and a Fender Telecaster to get it!

_________________
I bought the X930 Vulcan guitar serial # 11404, C200 guitar case and 6 modules on October 3, 1978. In Houston for $785.00+$39.25 tax.

I'm guessing it's fairly safe to say at this point that you can't date Electra's before 1982 with serial numbers. Back to the drawing board

_________________
"Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted." - Groucho Marx

I'd say more like before 1980. Probably the serial numbering started with certain models. I have a very early 81 model Phoenix dated 12/80 by the serial numbering system (ymmxx)

But certainly there were earlier models, like the 78 Vulcan you have, which didn't follow that system. For one thing, the second and third digit don't fall within the 1-12 month range, another tip-off that the serial number is pre-dating system.

Also, the 82 models had that extra anniversay badge on the back with an additional 4-digit serial number not related to the date either.