The Electra Forums

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1983-Electra-Lady-XV1RD-Guitar-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ170188740731QQihZ007QQcategoryZ2384QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Fewer than 200 ever made? Then I think I've seen every one of them on ebay twice =). I wonder why it's not going for it's suggested retail of $3500?

Because the Lady got mentioned in Wright's book on japanese guitars, and some columnist a few months ago featured it- what a sad choice when so many other great guitars are out there.

Don't get me wrong, I have a Lady, it's nice, it's like a Dynasty or an X185, basically. THe balance is like a Vee and it's surprisingly comfortabel even sitting down. (but then I love Vees).

The Lady is also arguably the least popular Electra ever. I've seen them offered on ebay for $125 and the auction end with no bids. Red guitars like that are a little hard to take (post-1984 I mean) and that body style... it was the first of the pointy Electras based on alternate bodies for the Phoenix, and it's one of the weirdest.

Every few months I see some collector- maybe the same one- try to sell a Lady for a ridiculous price like this. I suppose wishful thinking never hurts. A thing is worth what someone will pay for it- but I'd caution anyone thinking the investment will return on this one.

For the record, no reliable reports of production figures have ever turned up, so we can take the 200 as a wild guess. I think it's too low, I've seen a fair number of these, way way more than, say, an X149 or an X175.

Or maybe I'm wrong and that Lady I've got upstairs is worth a fortune :)