The Electra Forums

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I was looking at that one. I decided against it as I was scared off by not being able to see the condition of the neck. A neck reset can be fairly simple or a major pain. If its restorable its a great price. Good luck and let us know.

Nice score! Usually the problem with dead pickups is the selector switch, not the pickup.

It's a bolt on neck, so the 'reset' isn't an issue...
I've worked on several old bolt neck hollowbody guitars over the years; I'm fairly confident I can get this one pretty cherry...

FYI (or FMI) : are those the single coil pickups under fake humbucker covers?

Yep. Single coil. And they're unlike any other size pickup, truly weird.

I ask because I say that pic over on the electra site. You say they are unlike any other pickup, and I would be inclined to agree. BUT - I have an old Kustom Kraft wonky-caster solid-body that I restored (or more precicely, turned in to a good solid player) and it has the EXACT same pickups... Go figure that one out!

was it Kustom or Custom Kraft.

Custom Kraft was a brand made in the US, but Distributed by SLM at least through 1969. They were a budget line, and were most likely made with Japanese Parts. And, the Headstocks on some of the solid bodies is very likely the inspiration for the Phoenix Headstock...

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Wow! I didn't realize that. Do we know who made Kustom Kraft? I'm guessing it was from Arai, so either Matt or Kasuga?

Custom Kraft

It's a number 4271
The Beat Blaster Vibromatic!

How come the cheapest one of the bunch has a lifetime guarantee on the neck, while the other two only a year?

Lifetime warranty on the neck....

I'm grasping at straws here... but where else do we see lifetime warranty offered? Later Electra, when everything was made by Matsumoku. And here the necks in question are so similar to the headstock of the later Phoenixes made by Matsumoku. We've heard mention that early on Matsumoku was making parts of guitars for Arai, like maybe necks.

Now I really want to find a Kustom Kraft, and have a look at that neck.

Wonder if it's that weird multi-ply laminate? That would definitely rock my world.

But the neck from the Groover (cheapest) is SO similar to the neck of the other two (although it's short scale, and darker)...
Did they maybe outsource the short scale neck with the bridges from Japan??

The whole guitars were made in Japan. Arai was the source, and as they grew they outsourced first parts, then whole guitars to factories like Matsumoku and Kasuga. I'd heard it said Matt started jsut making guitar necks, I'm just speculating that this is an example.

Delivered: friday evening
I'm going out to pick it up tomarrow... Will post pics!

Pics comming tomarrow...

Couple things on first examination:
the neck joint itself is fine. The bindings pulled up near the neck joint on both sides, and it looks like someone screwed up the laquer trying to fix them with super glue. Structurally, it seems sound.

The tail is missing the trem spring, although the rest of the assembly seems to be there.

I haven't taken the neck pickup apart yet, but the poles are not even close to the holes in the cover, so it might be in need of some repair.

The toggle switch feels... loose? wrong anyway.. it doesn't detent in three positions very much/well although I haven't plugged it in yet.

More details tomorrow.

Duco cement is usually used for bindings- it doesn't eat into poly finish like super glue does.

Cool, keep us posted!