The Electra Forums

The above pic is not my gutiar, but the same model.

Anyhoo, paid 55 bucks at an auction. My mom took me, and now I actually am glad I went.

It's a 1940's Kamico, a brand produced by Kay in the US. The particular model is called the Jumbo Jazz.
Features:
-Solid Bone Nut
-Les Paul-ish pickguard
-Bakelite tuning heads
-3/3 tuner design
-Twin F-holes, not one soundhole.
-Floating "Trapeze" hardtail
-Rosewood Bridge/saddle.
-Rosewood Fingerboard.
-Maple body (all)
-Maple neck
Mine has two things that really stuch out.
The bowed neck (being repaied), and a rare variation of the headstock wth a Pinstripe detail under the Kamico name, not pictured on above guitar.
I'ts nice, and I've shined it up and de-rusted it as much as was possible.
My plans:
-Fix the neck.
-Black or red solid finish, maybe metallic.
-New bridge w/ bone saddle.

*update*
I will need a new neck, because there's no truss rod in the current one.

So yeah, not bad at all.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

I have a kimco (also a Kay brand) mandolin of simaler vintage. It is very solid and a blast to play. I like having to think in 5ths instead of 4ths.

Seems Kay surel ike "K".

Yeah, I've never actually played a mandolin. I'd try, unique instrument I'm sure.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

I picked up a F5 'style' Mando two years ago, and they're pretty darn cool. It was tough to put aside 30 years of thinking in 4ths, and many of the chords end up having the 3rd or 5th as the lowest tone, which for guitar players is really foriegn. At least for me, I always consider the lowest pitch the root (or one), unless I'm barring an 'A' chord and add the lower fifth with the low E string.

It's also tough to get used to playing two strings with one finger (never owned a 12 string, or want to really), and I find myself getting left hand cramps after an hour or so, probably my lazy guitar grip habits as I tend to wrap my thumb around the top of the neck, ala hendrix. One thing I read is that if you can 'imagine' a guitar chord inverted (top to bottom) you've basically got the mando chord pattern because (as we all know?) 4ths and 5ths are just oposites of each other (A is a fourth in the key of E, E is a 5th in the key of A).

Anyway, if you ever find a decent mando for cheap (not to be confused with a cheap mando, some of them can be basically unplayable, just like a poor guitar) think about picking it up, they're a blast. Cheers, Mike.

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Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch

I think its good to shake up how you think. It gives you new ideas when you return to your root instrument. I just got a five string bass (not an Electra, did they make any?) after 30 years of playing on four strings. It changes my aproach even when I am not playing notes lower than the E.

I picked up a Yamaha mandolin years ago and taught myself how to do the basics on it and found that it can add textures you can't get any other way, particularly if you cover the Eagles, or acoustic Zeppelin; or if you give bluegrass a whirl, as I did!! I also own and try to play a longneck 5 string banjo, a la Earl Scruggs, not terribly successfully, I might add - the man is a genius! Everything Proendorser said about the mandolin applies to the banjo in that you have to start again from scratch as the banjo is tuned to open G, and then there's the Scruggs style picking.... I have more success with my old lap steel which is only a 6 string and normally tuned to C6, though I tune to Em if I'm doing 'One of these days' or E9 if I'm feeling a bit daring!
I couldn't agree more with the observation that to try new stuff keeps us fresh, and also makes us appreciate the fact that we are competent guitarists - I also play an Alesis QS6 onstage which for e is a bit of a trial as I am self taught and find it a bit daunting, especially when the other keyboard player in the band is beyond good!!

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

A banjo is something else i've never actually tried. I've always wanted to just pick one up and try it, but never did. I mean, it's got a lot of uniqueness to it, and a sound that just, you know, sticks.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.