The Electra Forums

It's no museum piece, but in keeping with my record it seems to be all original except for the selector switch cap and possibly the strap buttons. No cool story on this one, but I've been wanting a X150 with the booster intact for a while. The frets on this one are almost totally unworn, former owners must have had a soft touch, or never stretched. Unfortunately it looks like someone cleaned it with a brillo pad as the clear coat is scuffed up badly on the top (what a pinhead), may be able to buff it out with some polishing compound. Brass bridge and knobs are tarnished and it has its share of nicks, but overall not a bad example at all, has some nicely grained pieces of ash:

The Center sandwich is Maple separated by Walnut, and the outer grainy wings are made of stained Ash:


Has the peacesign logo and the rarer truss rod cover that matches the shape of the headstock.


It's got to be one of the early examples with the peacesign logo and a May 1981 build date, nice Nickel Electra Tuners:

Here's a shot of the pickups out and bridge off. Nice old pair of MMK 45's, and a '32' down in the front pickup route. The route under the bridge is for the strings which mount underneath (but don't go through the body like the later models) keen eyes will spy the crack in the block between the neck and the neck pickup route:

The neck is a single piece of Maple, unlike all of my set neck Electras... go figure! Has a huge knot in the middle of the neck, which I'm sure is a weakspot, but looks pretty:

And here's the back with the covers removed:

Although it may be a little smaller (I'll take some measurements someday) it looks alot like the 18volt board in my X250:


All electronics work good, no scratchiness in the pots, active switch a little noisy (not like I'm going to replace that thing anytime soon). Active works a little different than the X250 in that it only has one tone control, not separate treble and bass knobs. Controls are:

Master Volume
Tone with center detent. Active off 0-5 works like a standard tone control, doesn't do anything above 5. Active on 0-5 rolls off treble increases bass (yikes, pretty much useless) 5-10 increases Treble, not sure if Bass is rolled off, but it gets pretty biting.
Active Volume. Like the X250 you can use the active all the time and just vary the volume to the amp to get any thing from crystal clean tones to swamp metal meltdown depending on how you have your amp set.

First Switch: Coilcut Up: Humbucker Down: Single Coil
Second Switch: Phase Up: Normal Down: Reverse
Third Switch: Active EQ Boost Down: ON

Haven't replaced the strings, I think it got shipped with 10's and I like them a little slinkier myself, and the action is a little high, but I'll do a bridge setup intonation soon enough when I change the strings. The neck is a bit wider than my other Electras, and I'm assuming it has the Strat 25.5" scale, so it's not as comfy to me personally, but it has very nice sustain (noticeable!) and barely used frets, so I'm sure I'll be putting lots of hours on it. Cool little guitar, if it fits my coffin case, it'll be waiting for you guys at ElectraFest 2010! Mike.

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

That is one pretty guitar, man.
You just can't beat those looks.

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Addicted to Matsumoku.

That is SO smooth; nice catch! Apart from the bolt neck, it looks to be the same set up as my VA900, control wise - so very Matsumoku!!

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

That is a true beauty there and looks like it will be quite the player when your done. Great score congrats

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

SWEEEEEEEEET!

Glad it went to one of our own. I was very close to grabbing it myself

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If you don't know the blues you got a hole in your soul -Freddy King
Gary Dranow and the Manic Emotions, circa 1994

MM - Good catch!

Glad someone with your appreciation for the trademark was able to score it!

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

Nice catch and very well documented.

Thanks guys... (is my head swelling yet?) I have to say I love the EQ on this one just as much as the X250. It'll make my tube amps glow at Seven (usually have to dime it with a non active guitar like an Endorser). The EQ can brighten up the neck pickup so much that it's a totally new sound to me, harmonics of a neck pickup but so much more biting... I'm lovin' it.

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