The Electra Forums

http://electraguitarco.com/
I'm going to E-Mail them and see if it's true.
Something about the pictures on the page is a bit cheesy though....
But, if it is true.....

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

This is the info I got back from the site:Thanks for the email. We are just starting our production and plan to show several models at the summer NAMM show. I plan to have imports from $395 to $795. We hope to be able to make the vintage reissues in Japan in a year or so. They will be between $1200 $1600. The USA models we are building now are the Omega and the Invicta and are priced from $2800 to $3600. I do not plan to redo the whole line. I want to keep the vintage Electras special and collectable. I do not want to confuse the marketplace. My back ground is with building and repair. I was the builder and designer for Dean Guitars for 8 years and helped bring them back. I also designed the Traben Basses and did some design for Michael Kelly Guitars.I have been building Chafin Custom Guitars for the past 5 years. Check them out! http://www.chafincustom.comHopefully we will have the Electra website up and running soon. I am waiting on the samples to come in so I will have pics. Thanks again,Ben ChafinChafin Custom Guitars

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

Oh. My. God.
I almost have to go to NAMM.
But for the price..yeesh...I'll probably get an Import Model.
I'd prefer a Japanese model, and if I got a USA I'd be in heaven, but can't afford it.
I'm glad the guy has the vision to try and keep the line kinda sacred and not just go all-out on it.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

There may be a market for reissues, but personally I'll pass. The body shapes aren't right on their prototypes, and those 'zebra' pickups make them look too 90's for me. The bodies look more like a PRS than a Electra if you ask me, and the 'Half' cutaway looks deformed, no thanks.

It reminds me of the guys who tried to ressurrect 'MicroFrets' a few years ago. The models were actually very true to the originals in design and manufacture, even built in Maryland like the originals, but they soon found that no one wanted to pay $1800 for a reproduction when they could get very nice originals for less than half that. If I were a betting man, I'd venture to say this will be a short lived enterprise...

I was playing my $200 X250 last night (batteries still going strong after probably 100 hours so far!) and I just can't see these guys matching the quality and feel of these guitars even at a grand nowadays, there will be corners cut. Best of luck to them, and maybe their promotion will renew interest in the vintage Electras, but I'll be watching from afar, Mike.


P.S. Just noticed there is no stop tailpiece on the prototypes (ala PRS), I never liked the 'wrap around' tailpieces, pain in the butt to put strings on, tend to scratch up the finish on the top, and you don't get as much down force on the bridge as when you have a (lowered...) stop bar behind the bridge.

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

I just got a reply, and I've looked everything through, this checks out.
Ben Chafin said that the prototypes are not finished, so those web pictures are just quick chop-ups that do not represent the real models to the fullest of accuracy.
He also plans to make a few basses, and among all else he should soon be joining here and sid he'd love our input.
I mean, don't go telling him what you want to every detail (not that anyone here would do that), but he said he'd like to "once things progress."
I'm excited beyond belief.


And don't diss Microfret.
You know Maryland rocks.
And if any MD company is worthy of ridicule it's PRS.
Around 7-800 for an imported "Student Edition?"

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Good work Phoenix. Tell the guy to remember the case was part of the sale price. One of mine has an Electra sticker on it. Now I'd buy some reissue MPC effects mods if the price was close to or cheaper than vins.

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SlmGuy

I wonder how much the Electra name/copy write/whatever you call it cost?

There was a discussion on this a bit back with another (failed) attempt to bring Electra back.
The site for that company went down after only a month.
I think that the trademarks and copyright names are probably dormant and most likely didn't cost much.
But for the MPC patent....hmmm.....

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Seems to me that if you wanted to resurrect the Electra name, why not move forward as well?

The MPC models were state of the art and even ahead of their time but technology has gone far beyond this!

How about a NEW version of the MPC that has built-in effects similar to that of a DigiTech RP-200 or better yet, something that you can download files from and also interface with your recording software?

Heck, I may just look for a hacked up example of an MPC and someone must have a smashed up Digitech pedal (or Line 6 POD?) somewhere and I'll come up with my own version!!

Email reply from Ben Chafin:

Thanks for the email. The reissues will probably come in about a year. I want to get a lot of input as to which models people are interested in.
The plan is to make them (reissues) in Japan like the originals. I have found a couple of really good factories there.
There will be regular stock models out of Korea or China. I am working with a manufacturer that has factories in Korea, China and Indonesia. They have been around for a long time and their quality is good.
The first models we will be making are going to be an Omega, Vulcan, Invicta, Workingman, Custom Pro, and I would like to do the Elvin Bishop model. It would be great to get him back on board!
It will be slow at first. But we will be adding models every 6 months at the NAMM shows.

Thanks and Take care,
Ben Chafin
http://www.chafincustom.com

RCSBlues
I am intrigued, especially with the manufacturing resources (re: countries) Ben Chafin refers to, although I will try to keep an open mind to see what actually develops and watch for quality of each future model when and if they hit the market; even so, nothing is going to replace my original Electra MPC's.

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RCSBlues

I'm not 'dissing' Maryland or MicroFrets, just the whole reissue subject reminded me of that failed endeavor (I think the Reissues were only marketed for about a year...). I have fond feelings for the Microfret line, of which my Brother and I own eight:


Nobody made guitars like this company... adjustable nut intonation, tunable vibrato tailpieces, twin hollowed out body halves, special Bill Lawrence pickups, they were truly unique animals. What many people don't know (if they can over look their homely appearance!) is that they have great necks and play like butter (whatever that means...).

I didn't mean to come off like a snob, but much like the Fender and Gibson reissues, I find myself being a little suspicious of new things. Frankly I would understand the need for a reissue if the Vintage Electras were going for, say, $2000 - $3000 (which would still be cheap for a vintage Fender or Gibson), but I think the most I've ever seen an Electra go for is like $1300, so maybe I'm missing something here?

As far as PRS, it's kind of love/hate with me. I do like their corporate image, and the fact that a relatively new manufacturer can be so revered in the industry, but it seems like they kinda sold out in the 90's with the off shore product line, the bolt neck junk, the single cutaway models... jesus they just never stop, and don't get me started on how (seemingly) overpriced they are. I would put my Endorsers up against any PRS, even a 513 which is about TEN TIMES more expensive than what Endorsers have been going for. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox. Cheers, Mike.


P.S. Vintage Guitar Magazine recently (within the past 3 months) did a feature on Elvin Bishop, where he spends a good chunk of the article talking about some new amp with his name on it, but makes absolutely no mention of Electra or really anything but Gibsons... I doubt anyone could get him interested in anything without writing him a check first, in fact he comes off pretty shallow ( and washed up...) by the end of the article.

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

My thinking exactly!

But then again, how much were old Danelectros going for before they started making reproductions?

Like I said, It would be a great idea to bring back the Electra name but to continue in their original philosophy of being leading edge technology at a value price! This would probably mean that the guitars would need to be manufactured in China or Indonesia but the processes today actually make for something as deacent as what you could get out of Japan back in the early to mid 70s (you know, back when everyone thought that "Jap" guitars sucked!).

Like I said, with today's technology, you can have what you had with the old MPC and more and never even have to bother with swapping out modules! I bet you could even get a recording device and a built in headphone amp with minimal development costs!

Man, maybe I should just shut up and do it rather than give away all my ideas!!

And if the resurrection of the Electra name causes the value of a vintage MPC to be jacked up to around $10,000, then it may be time for some high-end reissues for around $3,000 a pop!

Oh wow. Well, I guess you guys DO all know about Ben and his new Electras. I talked to him about it at the Dean Owners of America dinner last Friday night...he's pretty excited about it!

I wish he was looking at doing some Pheonix Models. They are great guitars! I love My X110 and X189!

Ben is a top notch luthier.

He has done a lot of repair and set up work on my instruments over the years, and I own one of his Chafin Custom guitars, and the quality and features are well beyond the standard "manufactured" name brand guitars offered in the similar price range.

The Electra brand is is capable and caring hands.