The Electra Forums

Great looking photo and glad to see Electra represented in the Vintage Guitar Magazine for this month. Congrats on getting them in there.

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

I'd LOVE to see a scan of the page... any way to get it posted?

I let my subscription expire, but my brother still gets it and he scanned this for me a few days ago:



This is in the January 2010 edition, which isn't in bookstores yet (at least in my area), so I've yet to see the magazine myself. I sent this photo in July in response to Michael Wrights column on the X320 MPC, thinking that I may be able to ride on that wave of enthusiasm... well, better late than never. Since then I've picked up three more Electras, so maybe I should have waited!

One of the columns in VG magazine is a pricing summery from dealers about vintage gear, and I have been seeing more Electra entries there, as it was not unusual to go months and months between sightings in the past, so maybe this brand is becoming more visible in the collecting world.

My whole beef with this magazine is that (especially in the past two years) it has become more and more of a snobatorium for the elite rich collectors. I have no issues with $30k Stratocasters and the like, but I've read so many articles which 'columnists' will write that a guitar that has been refinished is at best worth 50% of a non-refined example (among other snobby statements) and it just burns me up... we're talking about paint here people, which probably has the least effect on sound or playability of any construction aspect. Reminds me of the Emperors new clothes, that if you say something enough times, all the 'sheep' will believe it. Another notable was a guy saying that he would never ever consider buying a early 60's SG (which by the way is in fact a Les Paul dufus) if the pickups had been changed out... again I understand the desire for originality, but press like this only caters to the ultra rich, which is not what put that magazine on the map (in my humble opinion).

They also have another newer column in the magazine called '401k Guitar' or something, further promoting this idea that old warhorses should be locked away and collect dust until you retire, and then sell them for a tidy sum... which is not what Leo intended his instruments for, he wanted them out there being played and enjoyed.

Another thing I've noticed is that right after a product is reviewed (almost always glowingly rated...) that same item will be advertised in the magazine for months bringing to mind some conflicts in objective journalism if you ask me. Anyway, didn't mean to be so long winded, enjoy, Mike

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

Very cool that your axes were featured in this magazine; congratulations!

I encountered the same kind of attitude that you referred to at an LP Forum elsewhere - to which I no longer subscribe;

I guess if you haven't had an Electra experience -

then you just can't understand, can you?

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

VERY cool... thank you for sharing! And congrats on being featured in the mag!

Beauty, mate - looking good! The sentiments Mike expressed would be mine in spades, too; Leo, Orville and Adolph built their guitars to be played, sweated on and bled over, not salted away in a vault appreciating in perceived value.

My fear is that Electra, Westone, APII and the rest of the Matsumoku stable will go the same way; particularly the likes of the top-of-the-line models. I'm OK 'cause I like the bottom of the range models!!!

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

That is very cool that they published your photo. Snobs or not, it's still cool!

I finally got a copy of the January Vintage Guitar Magazine, In Bookstores Now! Has a picture of Jerry Garcia on the cover. I just noticed that I spelled Matsumoku incorrectly, oops, and they identified one of my Endorsers as a X934c model, surely stirring up controversy for years to come.

As much as I rag on this magazine, you really can't beat it for the 'eye candy' factor alone, and we can live vicariously through other collectors, right? This issue also has a good article by Michael Wright on the Alvarez Dana Scoop, which I had never heard of before. Turns out that Alvarez was another SLM line, so there's mention of Tom Pressley, Electra, Ampeg, Crate as well as other cool info... it's a good read. Enjoy, Mike.

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

I'll bring my Dana Scoop to the next 'fest. It's pretty unique.

There is a scoop for sale here locally. Ive drooled over it in the store a few times, but its been routed and has EMG pickups, so I havent snatched it up. There arent many scoops left because they can be a bit fragile if they are mistreated I think. Ive seen lots of broken ones for sale on the bay. Awesome guitars. If I ever find one thats been unmolested, I might grab it. Very unique guitars.