The Electra Forums

It's a Vantage 12-string project! What? Huh?



Well, there were no acoustic Electra guitars, but if there were they would have been like Vantage, who sourced guitars from Matsumoku when Electra did. This is a later model, made in Korea, but still a distant cousin somehow.



And this is a pretty cool guitar, it has good intonation, which many 12-strings don't, and it has pretty easy action, at least for a 12-string.





What's the catch? I'm so glad you asked. Not much. A little thing, but it means so much. This guitar is missing a truss rod nut. probably metric size, probably you could get a replacement from Stew-Mac. (it -might- be the thing that's rattling around inside the guitar)




But without the truss rod nut, the truss rod is loose, and the tension of the 12 strings bends the neck so the action is ridiculously high. It should be an easy fix! you can see the hole where the truss rod nut goes in the brace just above the soundhole.



This guitar is going to make great music with somebody someday... you?

For me, this one has a BIG neck, and yeah, the action is a little high, but man for someone who's never owned a 12 string it has a hauntingly full sound. I've got it tuned about a full step down from concert pitch just to be easy on the neck (is that a drop drop D tuning?). Didn't check the electronics, will try to do so today. This guitar could turn anyone into Dave Mason.

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The sound of a 12-string guitar is one of my favorite sounds out there... and if the whole guiter is a step down from standard, I'm pretty sure the tuning is just called whole step down.

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Who needs a Fender Jazz when you can get a perfectly good Spectrum bass for $50?

I've always just called it Concert Eb, or Concert D depending on 1/2 or whole step; there must be someone who knows out there!!

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Because even the Australians need heroes."

Perfect choice! It plays just fine if you don't tune it up to C.

Drop-D usually has the bottom string only lowered. But lowering a guitar's tuning is a way to get really great tone out of it sometimes. The late great Ted Greene used to play a Gibson archtop tuned all the way down to A!

Did you ever figure out what was rattling around inside that thing?

Just an update on the status of the Vantage. I cleaned her up good and she is playable at a lower pitch or with a kapo but still has high action. The truss rod nut was replaced but it will not hold in place. I think there may be a thread stripped out. I do not have the expertiese to go into the truss rod or neck so I am sending it off to my local luthier for repair. It has a great sound when played but with 12 strings and high action is a beast to play as is. I think it will be a real gem when I get it back. I will update and post pics when I get her back. Thanks to X189 and proendorser again for a great electra fest. even though I did not make it I feel as if I did with all the updates and photos. Thanks mortarman120gang11c

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