The Electra Forums

I had to chuckle when I saw this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 2759.l1259

Seller has zero feedbacks, conveniently doesn't have any photos to speak of, and wants $1200 for an Electra Omega (actually looks pretty clean, with deluxe case) that was 'used' on the 1977 Kiss tour, which would be right around the time the Kiss Alive tour took place, maybe the year after.

I've seen Paul with just about every guitar shape imaginable, but never with something as 'tame' as a Les Paul style. Although I will say, I've always admired him for using Japanese Guitars (Ibanez, Greco) even though he could afford any Vintage American axe he wanted, that's conviction.

Firstly, just because a guitar is signed, unless you have a photo of the Celebrity actually signing the piece, how can you prove it's authenticity? Secondly, why would a celeb even bother to sign one of his own axes? Even if the signature is authentic, its infinitely more likely that it was a fans guitar, not his.

I read (somewhere...) that Pete Townshend sells his guitars anonymously through a broker to avoid driving up the price, classy move Pete. Unlike the shameless stunts that Clapton pulls with his much ballyhooed 'Christys' auctions, unclassy and borderline pathetic.

I wonder if there's any trace of makeup inside the case? Cheers, Mike.

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

From a comedic standpoint, it just keeps getting better. Just got a reply through eBay from the seller, now he claims its Ace Frehleys guitar... Jesus this guy must be a huge Kiss fan. I mean if he's had it this long, wouldn't he remember who supposedly signed it?


P.S. I've never seen any pictures of Ace with anything but a real Gibson, even the early days.

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

It's just sad what people will try. If, oddly this IS real, that'd be a treat.
I bet agianst it though.

_________________
Addicted to Matsumoku.

I'd bet thousands against it. In the early days Kiss played nothing but Gibson and proudly announced it on their album covers. Ace played Les Paul Customs & Standards exclusively until he dabbled with a Washburn (which he hated) sometime in the mid 80's. Paul did play the odd Les Paul in the 70's, also I think Marauders & S1's (these 2 were usually the guitars he broke at the end of the show). In fact all of Paul's early guitars were Les Paul like or had Les Paul configs like Flying V's, Firebirds, etc. Then he was under contract with Ibanez for a while.

So I'd seriously doubt either played an Electra on stage and I saw 4 of the early Kiss tours (Alive, Destroyer, Rock & Roll Over & Love Gun) and saw no Electra guitars on stage

_________________
"Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted." - Groucho Marx

I will play the devil's advocate on the point of what Paul played (NOT on whether or not this seller is mental, cos he might well be).

The Japanese guitar companies descended like locusts on American bands when they toured. Is it out of the question that they could have convinced Paul to play an Electra for 1-2 songs in exchange for 10-15 guitars, or some cash? I say the evidence says YES. Guarantee Electra would have 3 photographers taking shots on those songs for ads!

Consider the following:
Ritchie Blackmore never endorsed Fender in the US until they designed his RB models in the mid-late 90s (bolt-neck model and neck through model). But there are ads where he endorsed Fender in JAPAN ONLY in the early 80s. I can see Paul taking a deal where he endorses Electra in Japan media only.

Rick Nielsen played Grecos when in Japan, they actually designed some odd models for him (you can see this in his book with photographs of his collection.) There was even a contest where kids designed guitars - Rick chose the one he liked the best - Greco built it, and Rick played it. It was a sunburst, very Ibanez Destroyer-like.

Frampton endorsed Electra, why not Stanley? God knows Stanley has endorsed everything ever built with wood and strings attached, REGARDLESS of quality.

Paul played LPs early in the Kiss career, and he used to break the bolt-on early 80's model Gibsons (Invaders, etc). I almost caught the neck from one on the Lick It Up tour. I can see him, even on his worst day, taking an Electra deal and using them to break at the end of the set.

Adrian Smith and Phil Collen both got setup with Ibanez only when they got over there on tour.

Based on the above, I would not be surprised if Paul and even Ace did a token song or two on Electras for compensation. I mean, honestly --- has Kiss turned down ANYTHING as long as they get compensation? Especially if you had a Japan-only deal that didn't endanger your rep in the US? Pre-internet, remember. I'd bet thousands ON IT HAPPENING.

That just doesn't do anything to prove that the Ebay guy is telling the truth. He's probably full of it!

I guess my original point was, even if a guitar has an authentic signature, without any supporting evidence, how can you prove it was the artists actual guitar (as the eBay auction asserted)? Again, it would be much more likely that the entertainer had signed a Fan's instrument, not his own. How many 'real' musicians would sign their own guitar? For what purpose? I think anyone who pays money for a signature is being naive, and has a lot more disposable income than me (so I'm jealous!). Personally, I always cringe when I see a signature on a guitar, it smacks of the owner thinking "I can't wait to sell it now, I wonder how much I can get for it?" The one exception is I saw a guy with a 50's goldtop that he had Les Paul sign, now that IS pretty cool, if you can get the guy who the axe was (semi) designed by and named for to sign it, well even I can appreciate that.

I agree that KISS would do anything for a buck, their marketing is legendary, but if Electra compensated them, I think there would be some kind of Advertising evidence that could be pointed to. We've all seen the Jeff Lynn, Frampton and even Paul Yandell (who..??) ads, I think any KISS ads would have surfaced by now also. Seeing as SLM was a North American distributor, I don't think there would have been any 'Asian' marketing campaigne, but I'm sure somebody will prove me wrong with a Japanese 'Frampton' ad now... Cheers, Mike.

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

Paul Yandell - Chet Atkins sideman for 25 years until Chet Atkins died in 2001;
PY is still playing and recording - a great guitarist - and lives in Tennesee I believe.

RCSBlues

_________________
RCSBlues

I totally agree about autographed stuff. Though I will say....I own an Italia Modulo, the quintessential import guitar. Todd Rundgren used one on the New Cars tour. I thought it was a very cool guitar visually, and if it wasn't a nice guitar to play --- why would he use it on his first major US tour in decades? I asked him that question, too, and he said he just wanted a visually striking guitar. I got him to sign it, and I won't sell it unless I HAVE to. Not like there's a huge market anyway.....

George Gruhn has gone on about this for a while --- autographed stuff should not change the value of the instrument. If it's desirable, pay what it's worth. I always believe, autographs are only valuable if you were standing there when it happened. It makes a good story. Why buy an autograph? Who can even prove it's real?

I still think, though, if you handed Paul an Omega and 2 drink tickets, he'd endorse it. LOL

LOL, same kinda thing happened to me on the Alive tour at the Montreal forum. He used to break a Gibson Marauder at the end of every show back then. My buddy and me were standing at the far left (Paul's left) of the stage and he broke the guitar and flung it in to the crowd. It goes sailing by my friend Steve's head and hit a girl a few people behind us...cut her up a bit too, nothing serious but a few string slices I guess. After the show, a bouncer approaches us and offers us the headstock for $30.00...we pool our money and come up with about 11 bucks, he says no chance and moves on.

You are right, Paul would endorse almost anything but we probably would have seen ads if he was an endorser as Kiss was pretty much the biggest selling band of the latter half of the 70's. From memory I'd have to say that during the Alive (1975) tour they probably had an exclusive deal with Gibson. Then in the late 70's signed with Ibanez.

Here's a great Japanese fan page of Stanley's guitars I just found in a Google search. Not definitive but an interesting guideline (no Electras

http://www.nexyzbb.ne.jp/~kt-factory_2007/KISS-MUSEUM/psg.html

_________________
"Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted." - Groucho Marx