The Electra Forums

No problem- believe me, you'll find no critical eyes for buying guitars around here. I used to post when I'd scored an Electra on ebay, but finally someone asked 'how many guitars do you have?' and I kinda skirted the question and shut up about it :)

..do tell?! Come on then - this is your chance to 'fess up...

Confesion is good for the soul

Besides it could help your fellow Electra enthusiasts explain to others that they are not that over the top, "there is this guy X189 player and he has ..."

three digits, that's all I'm saying.

Actually I don't know an exact count. I do have four of those stands which hold a half dozen each, and they're doubled up, so that's not quite fifty, and there are probably almost that many more not on stands. Then there are a bunch in cases stored nearby, I guess about as many again. PLus a bunch of projects, pieces, bodies, etc.

Of those maybe half are Electras? Many relatives. There are about a dozen or so that I play regularly, hard, including some Fenders and Gibsons. I have maybe two dozen weird japanese teles, brands like COnrad and Pan and National. I have more than a half a dozen soviet and czech guitars- Jolanas and Tonikas and Aelitas. There's a bunch of old fifties stuff, not valuable but interesting, Old Kraftsman and junk like that, some early electric archtops and the like.

Some shapes I particularly love- more than a dozen Vees, two Gibson and a handful of other things, some Epiphones (including the Popa Chubby P-90 Vee) and a 7-string, and then as many Electra, Aria Pro, Greco, Cort, etc etc. I'm not counting Dynastys as Vee, either- I mean actual Gibson copies. Least represented are strats- I do have one, an MIJ players strat for when I need a strat tone, and a Squier 7-string, but that's it, I don't like strats.

As far as Electras... I don't have one of everything. I have almost one of every Phoenix, excepting the rare X180... I don't have an early X145, but I don't feel the need to have one of every color, either. I do have almost one of every color pointy Electra/Westone (don't have a white Dynasty yet, but I'm not in a hurry). I have some basses but I don't play bass much and feel guilty about owning them.

Certain other Electras I do particularly like and have more than one of, generally one project guitar and one perfect complete one, mostly cause that's what appears- like the Vee, Explorer, and Howard Roberts, and the X150. I have one of each model of tele, plus some in pieces.

And I also have a bunch of Electras that are damaged, broken necks etc, because I'm interested in them and give them homes, eventually get them back together. My thought is that they'll be good entertainment, and forum discussion fodder, and if I don't like them I'll find them new homes.

I don't really plan to acquire any more Electras, or guitars in general, I have pretty much everything I'm interested in. Although I hear glowing reports of the Jazz strad and Rock strad and would probably consider those if they appeared, even though 335's and LP's aren't my main thing.


As a player I identify as a nylon/tele/Vee guy I suppose, which is great for jazz and generally weird, but that's me.

OK, that's the nickel tour of the collection. There are a bunch of wierd things I didn't mention but that's ok for now.

Here's a smattering of photos from past posts:











ever seen one of these? nope, me neither.


now given away:






one of the Dim IV's belongs to a friend- the red Dynasty now lives in England. (I've got another one in pieces)











this is a 7-string:


can you tell what's unusual about this X110?


this:


became this:


Here's why I'm not in ahurry to get another red dynasty:




This had been stripped and I refinished it and gave it the mod covers and awesome pickups (and blend pot). Matsumoku-made:


arguably one of the rarer ones:







This is a tele body made of Corian. Yes, Corian.



Here's a Futurama:


Here's a Futura:



One of my primaries- a great X199 FX.



This is the old Greco, related to Goya, probalby made by Kasuga. Not Fujigen, not like Ibanez.




refin job in progress:


need a pickup for this one:


this one is REALLY cool. A single humbucker with blade pickups, circa early 70s!!! superb action, round neck... can you tell it's maybe 3/4 size? It's the perfect guitar for a child virtuoso, and I have one in mind;


I know, I know. Soon.
















an unbranded early 335 copy, much like an Elger:




Skylark, the JC Penney brand made by MAtsumoku:




Tonika soviet guitar, in progress:


One of my favorites- wonderful to play, greay ergonomincs:










This is my original X185:






here's a can of worms- branded westone, I think it's a Korean prototype, but who knows:


OK, that's just the ones I have pictures of handy. It's the tip of the iceburg. One of these days I'll have to get them all in one group shot.

Wow

Thanks for the pics. The one of you the tele and your cat is great.

I don't think I will be using you in discussions with my wife about more guitars. She could take it the wrong way...

I don't think I'll be using you as an example, either!! Mate, that's a mind boggling, beautifully eclectic collection; thanks for sharing it with us!!

Personal favourites, the Tonika, the pointies and the Phoenixes/Spectrums and isn't that a Rail bass. I also quite like that Greco; leave to me in your will, eh?!

those pickups on the Greco are INSANE!

This thread being in the For Sale forum......?

and where the HELL do you keep "triple digit" guitars?

Wow, nice looking guitars and great bringing some of those back to life. Hmmmm funny though I didn't see a strat

Oops, meant to put it over here in the general section. No, they're not for sale, for the most part.

Well, like I say, 6-up stands are a really effective way to store a dozen guitars, and four of them holds four dozen pretty well. There are about a dozen actually on the wall, though more will go there when I can get the studio rearranged.

Other than that, no, it's a pain to get at them. This is why it takes me a little while to find stuff. We remodeled a bunhc of the house and everything got scrambled and moved around. I'm still living out of boxes in that end of the house.

Yah, the pickups are crazy weird. Hm, thought I'd reposted that repair thread in htese forums, guess not. Here's more of the Greco Shrike:

Thats sweet!

I think what you have at this point is a research library more than a collection. Maybe you can get a grant

Do the Greco pickups have two sets of coils or one coil on a wierd bobin? If the former, are they humbucking?

Wow, Paul! I knew you had a collection, but I had no idea how extensive. Great seeing the black Phoenix with the P-90s again. Sweet guitar!

M

GOOD GOD MAN! That collection RULES!! :\m/:

_________________
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