The Electra Forums

My long, eloquent, funny original post "timed out" and got wiped, so screw it -- Here's the deal. Dead friend left me a buncha mostly junk axes. One of the not-crappy ones is an Electra X-270 w/serial #001001. Am I right that this means it is guitar #001 from January of 1980 ie the first-ever X-270 to be completed and/or sold?

I am planning on selling it to Guitar Center, possibly as soon as tomorrow morning, if someone doesn't quickly convince me to do otherwise. The X-910 will follow, assuming that it, too, turns out to be the real thing and not another worthless pile of fakery like the "Ibanez JEM MCG" and the "Albemic Whateverzis".

- Densa

PM sent

_________________
"If it ain't been in the pawnshop,it can't play the blues" R.L.Burnside

From that serial number it is indeed was made in Jan. 1980, and was the first guitar produced that month. Whether or not any x270's were produced in Nov or Dec 1979 is not known but there is a good chance that it might be first production model - we just don't have that info. Could you post any pictures of your x270? Also there are several members here that would like to have an x910 in their collection, pictures of it will help us identify if you have a real one. If you do ever sell and ship a real x910, make sure you post here for packing instructions because many of these guitars have had the headstock snap off in shipping due to case/ guitar design issues. Welcome to our forums and congrats on being member #1000 to sign in here. We hope you might stick around and enjoy these guitars with us. Sorry about your friend who left you the guitars.

_________________
"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

Welcome to the forums and glad to hear the Electra info.

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

My brain is still going binary over the deal about becoming member #1000 with this particular post about serial #001001, but…

YYZ guy, I’m going by the info here on the rivercityamps.com site, which says the X-270 was “introduced in 1980”. I take it that what you’re saying is that they could’ve been building up stock for weeks or months previous to January 1980 – or are you suggesting I take the site info with a grain of salt?

I think I managed to send photos to Mr. Mortar Man, who in a PM offered to post them here for me. This computer rarely lets me send attachments, though, so that might be why they haven’t materialized yet…

-- Densa

Yes that was what I was thinking about a possible build up. When exactly did 1980 models arrive in stores, who knows? It could be like automotive companies that put out models in advance of the year date on a car. I am just saying that we just don't have enough info. That doesn't mean that someone here might like an x270 with a serial number like that. The closest thing to that in my collection is the anniversary plate on my x135C is #200, which seems to be the halfway point of the 400 guitars produced with the anniversary plate. Another member here has the 0001 number on his anniversary plate.

_________________
"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

Here are the photos of the above mentioned Electra models.

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

Good luck on the x910 everyone. I hope someone here snags it. I think that it is the real thing.

_________________
"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

The workingman has been modified though, actually I think it is not an X270 but possibly an Invicta (also modified). There was no trem on the 270

Actually, I am dead certain that everything about the X-270 is 100% genuine apart from the tremolo set-up. When I put together that montage I was focusing on that area and the serial number, and I ended up skimping on a couple of obvious things like the brand logo -- well, I guess it's not so obvious when you don't actually see it!

For the record, the inner workings are identical to this reference photo, apart from the black bag:



Everything matches perfectly with this photo, including the bolt cover:



And by tomorrow (Lord help me!) I intend to prove whether or not my guitar can be made to look exactly like THIS:



Beyond that, I’m calling a time out until Tuesday, which is when I’ll be able to get the X-910 out of the pawn shop and actually hook these babies up to an amp. Then we can figure out which of you folks gets to help them escape from my deadly clutches. (Full disclosure: some pre-negotiations have already begun via PM).

-- Densa


Oh, and lookee – someone has a serial # not too far down the line from mine:

That is indeed a X270 Powered EQ. I've owned both, in fact the picture of the X270 with the pickups out is mine. The X270 had a different finish than the X250 (Powered Invicta!) as well as some other nicer appointments (Brass Bridge, Dot indicators for the knobs) and was a front to back sandwich of Maple and Ash, which tended to be about two pounds heavier than the X250. First guitar with the (then) new serial numbering scheme, pretty darn cool. Personally, I prefer the X250 with the separate Bass and Treble knobs:




What's the story on the X910 Explorer? Are you going to list it? Cheers, Mike.

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

It took awhile, but I made that nasty tremolo bar go away -- I was lucky that the previous owner of the X-910 had switched out the dinged tailpiece for a shiny one and left the old one in the case. It works just as well on the X-270:



- Densa

!

_________________
"If it ain't been in the pawnshop,it can't play the blues" R.L.Burnside

I will do some detailed documentation when these arrive,now if I could only afford the complete set of modules listed on the 'bay(not complete though-didn't see the Thorny overdrive)

_________________
"If it ain't been in the pawnshop,it can't play the blues" R.L.Burnside

Congrats on the score and as usual we want photos when they arrive. Looked to be a very nice pair of Electras. Anytime you can score a X910 it's time to rock. Congratulations

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