The Electra Forums

Last Friday I was out of town and stopped in a pawnshop. The had 2 70's LP copies. One was a Ventura in original condition in 7/10 condition for $160 no case
and an Electra Custom in 8.5/10 condition with replaced bridge pickup and no case for $280. Both guitars are bolt-ons. I tried to deal,but they wouldn't budge on their prices. I passed on both,but I regret letting the Electra go. What do you guys think? Here's a pic of both:

The Ventura is a very close cousin to the Electra models just another distributor and they are great guitars as well. That is a super rock model Electra with a nice sunburst also. I would have grabbed the Ventura without a doubt and so long as No major problems on the Electra that is not a bad price to boot. Nice Axes for certain.

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

Thanks. I know you're right about the Ventura. I was just being stubborn because it didn't have a case and I wanted the to discount it more that they were willing. I might be going back in a couple of days. If they're both there, then I guess it was meant to be.

That super rock has some nice grain/flame going on.

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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

Both are indeed nice and both have the older open book style headstocks which means they are both 1976 or earlier models. The super rock has the nicer custom style TRC and headstock inlay also and should have a great neck on it as well. If they are there then I would grab them both or at least one. Good Luck

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

Thanks guys for the replies. NOW I'm hoping at least one is there.

A pawnshop that won't deal?!

Idiots; I had an experience like that in Rotorua, NZ where there was a Spectrum FX which I suppose was cheap enough, but I don't pay the asking price for anything and the dickheads wouldn't budge, so I passed it up.

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

You don't pay the asking price for anything?.... John, say it ain't so!

I have a Ventura hollowbody which is a surprising nice build for what was purported to be a low end budget label back in the day. A virtual twin to the Aria 5102 models made early on actually. I would vote for the Ventura as well, but that Super Rock 'burst is nothing to sniff at either.

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

Got my original electra x320 at a pawnshop. When you want two items and get one that won't deal offer a little more than the more expensive one for BOTH of them. I bet you walk out with both. It is just like pawn stars and the "bundling" deals they do for those that are addicted to the History Channel. I had to do that with my original electra rescued from that pawn shop. They wanted too much for both items but the combined deal worked. I flipped one of the items and it paid for the electra that I still own to this day. You might be able to flip one of the guitars to one of the guys here - they all like these. Sometimes I do that and it works most of the time. Although sometimes I wind up with two additional guitars. Darn the bad luck.

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Thorny

I did pick up both after all Thorny. I traded a PRS SE Tremonti that I picked up in a pawnshop for $250 + $50 cash. I really couldn't bond with it and I figured I'd be happier with the 70's Ventura and Electra. It all worked out well. I still need to get both of them to my guitar guy to get set up properly. I'll post some pics after they go to the beauty shop.

Great. Two terrific vintage guitars now belong to someone that appreciates them.

I actually met Tremonti when he was doing Alter Bridge. I fixed a Bogner Uberschall for him on short order before a show. One of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. We talked about our favorite guitar players and amps - he asked about a Diezel Herbert - which I never have seen one in person so I wasn't a lot of help. That was several years ago.

PRS SEs are good guitars for the money - but I understand how sometimes you just can't bond with something - maybe it is the shape or thinness or fatness of the neck, or scale, or the pickups, or placement of some control. Sometimes you can work through it and get used to it. Sometimes you are not going to be happy and need to do what you just did. I don't recall having played a Tremonti, but I have played a couple of those early SE series P90 singlecuts when I was looking for a P90 guitar. I liked the feel of the ones I played, but every model is different. I wound up with a great deal on an epiphone that suits me fine, or I may have gotten one of them. I also had a couple Electras (and a killer Zion guitar) that had very small necks that I could not bond with and they were fantastic guitars, and now guys on the page own at least one of them maybe both. Anyhow - everybody is happy!

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Thorny