The Electra Forums

Just got it, really like it!







These are pre-cleaning pics. I'll have her detailed in no time and post better pics later.

The guitar: Came with the deluxe case, two modules, and everything is in absolute tip top condition. Like it was barely ever taken out to the case and played with no wear to speak of at all (what's the deal with these closet queens anyway, people buy them and don't play them). Looks and feels top notch, sound great too. Neck is chunkier than my X935. Feels substantial, I like it a lot. Serial number starts with "2"

The MPC side of things: This is my first MPC. I kind of feel like I've finally "arrived" or something, like I'm now official. Have two modules, Power Overdrive and Phase Shifter. To set a benchmark, I set the Marshall onto the clean channel and had a go through each rotary switch position. Then I did the same thing with each module. I was expecting novelty for some reason, but wow I was impressed. I can use these two modules live, and I will. Power Overdrive could be more powerful however, and the Phase Shifter I like up to about 8.5 or so on the dial.

Overall I'm extremely pleased with the guitar. And with the MPC aspect of it. Now I need the Compressor module.

Questions: Zoom in, see the stickers on my knobs. Top two say "Electra Supercharger". Was this only in 1982, and did any other Electras have them? And there's two small red dots and two small blue dots. Anyone ever see these before? It may have been a music store thing to help the customers know what knobs were for what. Ideas? I may remove them.

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

The supercharger kit was an add on upgrade. Do a search for supercharger on the site and quite a bit comes up including this: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3663&hilit=supercharger

I don't know about the color dots, but I assume someone added them later.

New axe looks great Chad. Let us know more!

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"This is the way that pop ends, Not with a BANG but with a box set whose fourth disc you never get around to playing” - Simon Reynolds

"My guitar wants to kill your Mama" - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention

Sweet!

Chad -

Sent you a PM with the Supercharger attachments;

Hope that helps.

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RCSBlues

Got it, thanks a lot Randy!

This MPC has me thinking about custom modules, just as others have thought. The challenge is to make it worth it! Because you don't want to mess with a custom module that can be outdone by a pedal, you want something unique. Hmmm...

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

A true beauty. Great score Congrats

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

WOW...that thing is gorgeous. Love that Northern Light effect in the finish.....I'm envious again....I should be getting used to that feelin.

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JD's Electras

Thanks guys, I'm grateful to share with you all. Guitars are such fun, although I know that at the end of the day they're just pieces of wood and that they'll all rot eventually. What counts is what you do with them I guess! I thank God for the opportunities to steward what He's let me have, and always be faithful with them.

I have to say though, this thing sounds GREAT. Better than my X935. It's more clear and sweet, sounds more "alive" if that makes sense? Maybe the X935 just needs a good setup... Anybody else have that experience?

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

I can't say that I have Chad, but I've only got an x940 here at the moment.

If you would be so kind as to box up that Endorser I will be sure to get it set up properly and do a double-blind test for you.

You already have the address so if you could just drop me a line when to keep an eye peeled that would be great...

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...throw me a frickin' bone here, people...

That's a beauty for sure - My first MPC (X330 -still have it) does make you feel like you you fell down the rabbit hole a little. As far as the power OD goes - get in touch with Thorny and ask him to mod yours. The mod is easily twice as good as the original - I won't even bother with an unmodded anymore. I've had a lot of Electras's with the "supercharge" - some with marked knobs, most without. I even modded an Outlaw according to spec and I'll go out on a limb here and tell you that there's nothing either super or charged about that modification. I can't tell that it does anything at all. The knobs are cool though.

Steve, you crack me up! If I can make it to Electra fest this year, you know I'll bring what I got!

Jead, the knobs are cool! I'll probably buy two matching knobs to use on the guitar and keep the cool knobs in the case, don't want to damage them.

Comparison:
So I played for 2 hours last night, my Wife was patient. Bless her heart. Rotating between the 940, 935, and just for fun the 240. So different, all of them. The 240 does classic rock sounds like no other. The 935 and 940 are mostly close on all amp channels, although the 940 is more defined, sounds sweeter (pickups EQ'd better?), seems a little hotter (hotter pickups?), all of the guitar settings are very useable, and overall it just sounds more "alive". That "alive" sound really kicks in with the overdrive module on. Maybe my supercharger kit actually does something? It's just got that extra something over the 935 in my opinion.

Strangely, the 935 comes alive a little more when I do this: Select either the bridge or neck pickup by themselves, and activate the out of phase. I don't understand that, but hey, it's true. Gives it a little extra vitality, opens it up or something. What's that all about?

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

When I installed the Supercharger kit on my X340 way back when I didn't like the looks of the stickers on the control knobs -

so I immediately peeled them off and stuck them on the MPC door on the back - just my choice -

They have been there for over 30 years.



My X330 does not have the SC kit and sounds just fine.

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RCSBlues

Good idea! You won't loose them that way.

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

I know I posted this in the past, but this IS the supercharger kit. I don't get what is "super charged" about it. I would not doubt if it didn't come to be because they put those 50K pots in there by mistake in some guitars - it WOULD sound supercharged if they did that and replaced them with these (the correct values). The values were not on the literature - I added those in. I am 99% sure they are correct. I got the diagram from an original super charger kit. If someone needs to correct me please let me know. I have the paper description of the kit as well that accompanied the diagram - BS was thick that day! But that was the era. The more and more I think about it, these probably WERE to replace in guitars mistakenly shipped with 50K pots - that would explain why some bought their guitars with these pre-installed. Put the correct values in there and give them some stickers and call it a supercharged kit!

I love electras as much as anyone else. But there is nothing to this supercharger kit. It had to be to correct a problem. That is the only thing that really makes sense. Oh yeah, this is in addition to what is there (not a complete diagram). Were the 4.7M resistors to reduce pops when switching the effects on and off? Or am I off base?

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Thorny

I agree that the supercharger kit was probably to address improper component selection as you describe. 50k volume and tone pots would be worth correcting.

Yes, I think the 4.7M ohm resistors were an effort to reduce pops. Any DC voltage that would cause pops when switching would bleed off to ground through the resistors.

Whatever it is, it must've done the trick. My X930 sounds really amazing.

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton