The Electra Forums

It's a 1982 XV1PW Pearl White Futura! This is a project guitar, what you see is what you get.

This is going to make someone very happy. This is an uncommon model, and this should be an easy and successful repair.




It's hard to see at first, but the entire lower leg of the body is cracked in several places and basically hanging together by matchsticks and the screws on the control cover. At first you wonder what could have caused this damage, and then it all falls into place- this guitar was smashed. In the days of homebrew punk rock, smashign guitars was cool, and what better to destroy than something so glam and beautiful as a Futura? I know, it makes me sick too.

But this should be a solid repair- you'll need to take it apart and use gorilla glue and clamps, but after that it'll be solid as a rock. The original gold neckplate appears to be missing, but I believe it shoudlb e standard (and I may have a replacement)

This isn't the original bridge, it should be gold. This is in fact a very rare Tekglide bridge from another Electra Phoenix. Normally I wouldn't consider using an incorrect bridge which is so badly needed for other correct restorations, but this bridge will bring this Futura back to life again. Do me a favor, and if you can ever find a gold bridge (original or repro) send me this bridge back again. But for now, it should go with this guitar. This guitar needs to come back to life in the hands of someone who appreciates it.




The electronics are 'LP-style' with seperate volume & tone knobs for each pickup. The tone knobs are pull-switches to activate coil tap and phase reverse. Like the Electra Phoenix to which this is an exotic sibling, the tonal range of this guitar is great, thanks to the MMK45's. Like many pointy guitars, this was a flagship model designed to hang in the music store and attract attention (even though what they went home with might be more sedate) as such it got a lot of attention and TLC, and I know that's going to be apparent when this one is bakc together.

And that's the catch: you have to agree to give this one a good home- it's an uncommon guitar, and not everybody loves the pointy Electras! It shouldn't be hard to fix, jsut agree to give it a new chance and I'll be glad to help you with the repair.

See #1 for details, basically PM ProEndorser

This ones got my interest too! Has a pair of MMK45's in it (I just had to pop them out to verify!), the phase/coil cut push pulls, just like the Endorsers! All it needs is a neck plate and four neck screws, I'll have to think long and hard over this... Mike.

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

Mmm... still waiting for a good home... who will it be?

http://www.rivercityamps.com/electraforum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4207&start=15

...so cool!! Of all the Westone/Electra pointies, this would have to be my fave, eh! I sure hope it gets a good home AND shows up here when fixed so we may collectively drool!!

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

Two Observations on this one. First, the crack, while SIGNIFICANT, did not completely disturb the paint on the front. In other words, it's not that obvious from the front. Secondly, when we were putting all the guitars up for a group photo, we slipped the neck in and we were all really impressed at how Tight the neck joint was. The neck stayed in place even when being leaned up against the wall, and we had to give it a good tug to get them back apart, pretty impressive for something that was smacked hard enough to crack the body that bad.

I would have liked to plug this into an amp, and I think it's a straight forward enough project that even I could have taken a stab at it. I am not kidding when I say I was really, really close to choosing this one, even though three totally playable guitars and the outlaw were staring at me.

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

I'm so totally stoked on this one, boy, I think the Phoenix has competition!

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Gorilla glue. Get some and learn how to use it- use some test wood to warm up! Take a piece of wood and break it and then fit it back together, first dry with only water, then with gorilla glue in there. The tricks are:

1. get the wood grains lining up perfectly again.
2. use tape or clamps since the glue isn't sticky before it dries.

3. if you get it on your hands or clothes it's not coming off. wear gloves.

I love Gorilla glue.
In fact, I used it to secure a crack in the neck heel on a second Venura 12 string i got.

But for the Futura, I want no chance of messing this up, so for once, I'm not doing the repair myself, I'm going to a pro.

We'll just see if I can afford it first, though.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Alright guys, the Fututra has arrived!
I wasn't expecting it until later in the week, but who's complaining?


Sorry about the pics, they always look brighter on the Camera screen.
Technology....

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Yeah, nice!! I like the white neck; classy! Is it gonna be a tough fix, or not too bad! Does the broken bit wobble about on it's own? It must be reasonably secure after all, it's now been in the hands of the postal service twice without suffering further indignities!!

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

Well, the way ProEndorser packed it, there was no way it was moving anywhere.

(P.s, ProEndorser, we had tons o' fun with the bubblewrap. )

I have the guitar glued and clamped so fingers crossed I did it right.

I got a neck plate and three screws (for neck security only).
The plate is form a Squier and says Made in China, so next time I go by Jim's guitars I'll get a good MiJ neckplate and screws.
The bridge went on no issue as well, obviously.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Nice to see this one comming to life. Are you thinking of a refinish are are you going to keep it with iths rock 'n roll battle scars?

I did think of getting it re-finished but decided to go with my gut and not do it.

I got the crack fixed right and I had a good whammy bar lying around, so she's gettin' played no problem.
The neck pickup is a bit too over-bassed, which may be due to low positioning of the polepieces and pickup.
Plays great, sounds even better.

Already getting to recording with it.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

Firstly, try the coilcut with the Neck pickup, it will both make the tone brighter (read as trebly) and lessen the output. Remember that the strings vibrate more above the neck pickup than the bridge pickup because of the distance from the bridge, therefore the strings are louder there anyway. I never understood why people installed humbuckers in the neck position on a Telecaster... to my thinking, you want a smaller, brighter pickup there. Santana is about the only guitarist I listen to that uses the Neck Humbucker sound, very round and it distorts easily, and it works for him, but I prefer a little bite to my sound.

Secondly, because of the above mention reasoning, you may want to sink the neck pickup to try to get a balance between the two pickups. Usually you don't want a really loud neck pickup, your amp wont like the signal, it gets too muddy unless you're running your amp really clean and going for a jazz type tone. Again, try the coilcut, it doubles your sonic choices.

Realize that the phase switch will only make a difference when you're using both pickups, and some of those sounds aren't real mainstream. You have four different both pickup sounds:

Humbucking in phase
Humbucking out of phase
Single coil in phase
Single coil out of phase

I typically use the 2nd and 3rd options above, the others are usable, just not me I guess. Try playing the rhythm part with single coil bridge and then clicking into Humbucking for a lead (very useful live). The signal will get meatier (read as middy) and louder at the same time. Don't be afraid to experiment.

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

... who sadly has done nothing worthwhile since Abraxas!! And don't forget Andy Summers who crated an entire catalogue from a Telecaster Custom and a phase pedal...



Amen to that; especially when there are so many options available to you... but if you decide that the Futura isn't for you, just send it to me to look after...

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."