The Electra Forums

Hello All, Here are the promised pictures of my latest acquisition, what I believe is a BlackBurst Endorser. It shares consecutive serial numbers with my thin flame Pro Endorser, as well as having these styling/features:

Tiny Dot Fret Markers on a Stained (simulated Ebony?) Rosewood board

Push/Pull Coil-Tap and Phase on Tone Pots (I know they're Coil-Cut, but I like the term tap better!)

Scooped out Heel

Phoenix Bird Logo

There are some construction differences in the tops, but Judge for yourself: Los Tres Endorsers







Blackburst Top with Natural Lighting:



Blackburst Top with Flash, this is kinda harsh and not very flattering to the finish, but this picture shows how different a guitar can look depending on lighting, camera quality, etc. Note the tiny fret markers, they look to be even smaller than the pickup polepieces. You can also see a spot at the end of the fingerboard near the high E string where the fretboard didn't get stained, probably a piece of tape or something. You can approximate how much an Endorser has been played by the amount of stain that has worn off, this one has almost no 'toning'.



Seperated at Birth:



Push Pull Reflections:




Control Plate removed:




Bridge Pickup Route showing MMK53 pickup and '48' in marker under finish (kinda blurry, sorry)




Bridge and Tailpiece, the sides you never see:







I purchased this from a guy in Eureka, MO. who tells me that his Dad bought this new for him from a friend who was a Music Retailer. Apparently the son didn't excel at playing and it spent the last 23 or so years in a closet in the (Deluxe!) case. It does have a unfortunate ring of chips around the back of the guitar, but overall its in pretty nice shape with little or no fret ware and metal parts without oxidization.




Could this be a Black Endorser..? I think it is, but I yield to the wisdom of the Forum. Enjoy, Mike.

ok... i am convinced..

nice collection btw

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Live Better Electra-ly
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There's supposed to be an X935 (black) as well as X935cs (cherry sunburst). I guess you have both!

Mike awesome collection!

Yes I need to find me a Black Burst with the Phoenix Logo that guitar looks great as do your X935 CS'sss.

The bookmatched version is wild!

Lars

Lars....I do not think that Electra put the BM flamed tops (veneer?) on the black ones...perhaps they felt that the flame would not be appreciated behind a dark back finish....

Dave,

No I don't expect to find a bookmatched black burst X935. Though that would be cool no doubt. I think Mike has one of the rarest X935 CS ever with his BM version (maybe the rarest of them all). Anyway, I'm trying to put out the word that I'm in the market for a black burst with the phoenix headstock. Of course I'd like it mint(y) if possible.

Lars

That's some nice looking gits.

The store in my town that sold Electras never had anything like the higher end guitars, probably because they also sold Gibsons and probably didn't think anybody would buy Firebrands and Sonex Gibsons if they compared them to the better Electras.

** Update **

Related forum topic has new and interesting information about the Blackburst (or TransBlack) Endorsers:

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3844

Basically, we've established that there were X-935's made in Mid to Late 1982 (prior to this the earliest serial number I'd seen was December of 1982). The Early Blackburst Endorsers are unique in that they have:

1) Original Peace Sign Logo
2) Big Dot fret Markers
3) No 'Belly cut' on back of body
4) Apparently many of them have the 1982 "60th Anniversary" plate on the back of the headstock
5) 'Electra' logo Tuning Machines


So apparently there was some evolving going on during the introduction of this great model, But there is no mistaking that they are in fact X-935's, complete with the seldom seen TransBlack paintjob and coiltap/phase push pull switches. All of the Cherry Sunbursts I've seen have the Pheonix Bird Logo (as do many of the Blackbursts made in 1983), so we are thinking that the Blackbursts were in production before the Cherry Sunbursts now... we'll have to be on the lookout for a Cherry Sunburst with the Peace Sign logo. Happy Hunting, Mike.

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

Those are the first clear photos I have seen of an Endorser. They look great. I have never played or heard one, but the way the neck melts into the body I will be looking for one now. How does that push pull deal work on the knobs and what advantage does it give you? They didnt offer that back when I bought my MPC.

slmguy

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SlmGuy

Hello slmguy, The Vulcans have the same scooped Heal as the Endorsers. I've read on here that the neck profiles are a bit chunkier, but haven't played a Vulcan myself... one of the things I really like about the Endorsers is the slim neck profile. 'DaveG' has three scooped Electras on eBay currently.

The top tone control push/pull is a coil-cut for both pickups, very useful and used with the unbalanced wound pickups gives you alot of expression at your fingertips. The MMK's are un-waxed and will squeal at stage volumes, but I would still encourage you to find a guitar that has the stock pickups and wiring in it.

The bottom tone control push/pull is a phase reverse (happens to be on the Bridge pickup). These two push/pulls give you an impressive Eight different pickup options on board, pretty cool. Personally I think the 'both pickups, out of phase, Single coil mode' is a bit thin, but does pull off a 'boinky' country tone. 'Both pickups, out of phase, Humbucker' by dialing the neck pickup down just a hair, you can nail that Jimmy Page out of phase tone.

Often you can play a tune in single coil and then click into humbucking for the solo and it will give you a decent volume boost and drive your amp that much harder. The electronics on these guitars are nice, but what usually impresses players most is the overall quality and elegant design of the Endorsers and Vulcans. Good Luck in your search, Mike.

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

That sounds a lot easier than turning a 5 position switch while keeping time. My mpc is about a 76' model so the thing was as close to a les paul as they could get, but it handles good in the upper frets. The 5 position switch lets you also go out of phase enough to get that Robin Trower sound or a number of Eric Lifesons riffs. But you are endorsing the Endorser pretty good! I want one.

slmguy

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SlmGuy