The Electra Forums

I'm not so sure that the new Electra brand will be successful in the market. But, keep in mind that I'm not very representative the target customer.

I don't think that the original Electra brand was such a huge success that it begs to be copied. That doesn't mean the brand has no value. But like The Chad said, it may be an answer to a question nobody is asking. I don't see influential players giving the nod to the golden era of vintage Electras. But I also believe that many of the Electras that go through ebay, for example, are overpriced. That's my value judgement.

As far as I'm concerned, the allure of the old Electras is thus:
- High value to price ratio. You know, bang-for-the-buck. Good guitar at a low price.
- Charming quirkiness. It's cool to pull out a guitar that people don't see every day.
- Nostalgia. I remember these being around when I was a kid, and they're evocative of the era.
- Crazy MPC stuff mostly confuses people who haven't seen it before. That's worth something. Right?
- Local (to me!) connection w/ the company and the people involved with the brand.

These things are certainly not features of the relaunched line. But there may be something there for other people. I don't doubt Ben's talent, or the quality of the instruments. And I wish those involved the best success. But I do wonder what the Electra brand, or the characteristic features might mean to those people in the market for guitars. As others in the thread have pointed out, there's no shortage of quality guitars available today.

Seems to me there are main 3 factors in marketing new guitars:
- What current "stars" are using the brand/model?
- What historical significance does the brand/model carry?
- Is there high value at low price for the entry level player?

If you're not operating with at least a couple of those, you might have a hard time selling new guitars. As a new manufacturer you might get started by having one of the above plus some REALLY innovative and useful new feature.

But what the hell do I know?

I think you're bang on Ultra Sonic, I agree with pretty much everything you've said! The new Electra's may be a tough sell. Users of original Electra's will probably want to stay with the old ones and nostalgic players still have their pick of used originals. I'm just not sure who the buyers of the new Electra guitars are going to be. I also feel that many of the used Electra's on eBay are selling for confusingly high prices...considering I was picking up MPC guitars for $150-200 as many as I could handle, a mere 12 years ago.

Anybody know where the bulk of the regular new models will be made?

All indications are Korea. They make some hand-made custom shop stuff in the US, but the bulk standard models will be out of Korea. I say this from previous discussion, I don't personally know or work with them. But their list price is in-line. I'd like to see a bit lower street price to compete with the likes of PRS SE, Schecter, ESP, LTD, and Dean Korean models.

Also, nix that Jack-0-lantern logo on the phoenix - scares me too much

You know - they could do some models with some carving on the bodies - such as the tree-of-life carved models (electric oak and such) and also the electra logo'ed Outlaw. I could see a mean creepy jack-0-lantern logo on a pointy bodied phoenix model. The piece sign logo thing might take off again - just as an old flashback and political statement. Maybe on-board FX, maybe not though. Conventional electronics though. NO one wants to see another EMG in a guitar - at least not vintage electra buyers. And seems like schecter, LTD and Dean are doing that on their cheaper models. I don't think you want to be associated with that. A vintage name like electra does not fit the EMG flavored world in my opinion. Better off with a Duncan distortion, JB, or EVH style thing than that. I think the floyd thing is a good idea as long as it is done with quality parts, but also floating models without locks for a lighter feel. You can revive the phoenix wiring again, but with modern balanced pickups per position. That could be duplicated and done very well. Consider some innovation here. Maybe consider a boutique winder, different alnico magnets - such as alnico 8 for instance - gives a fat powerful pickup with lower winds, but not a "crunchy" as ceramic in my opinion. Think GROSH quality at a Schecter price, with Electra innovation (anyone that has played a grosh knows what I mean). Lots of options here. Think outside the box a bit. Someone call Tom Presley!

Take the innovation part, take the cool 70/80s vibe stuff, and design out the stuff you operationally and looks reasons don't like. Use ONE floating bridge that is strat or PRS-like, and have a floyd option on some of the pointy models (one that is balanced and can "warble" with the best of them). Is there room for a 7 string? Maybe. Just do something different than Ibanez - DON'T USE BASSWOOD. People definitely don't need another ibanez.

I am afraid the MPC thing might not go over well again, and if it did, it surely could be done smaller, better, and classier. We'd have to figure out what works best inside a guitar and what belongs on the floor. Compressors, Fuzz, Overdrive, Distortion, tonal shaping all works well I think. May just want to skip it too. More recent examples of people trying to do this are Danaelectro - and they were inexpensive and didn't go over well (although I have one - go figure!). Maybe get a designer pedal maker to do the FX if you did them - I met the guy from Wampler, and he is a really cool dude. It'd have to be done right if it were to be considered a success. It could work. Takes just one great idea and someone big to latch onto it and you have a huge seller. But the distortion FX do work well in a guitar. Probably can use the vintage circuits too - do variants for the ones that work the best. Again, might not work at all.

I have a thousand ideas. But they'd have to appeal to kids today looking for that old school vibe, and to us that lived then too. Peace sign logo should be capitalized on, and others could not copy it. That is an opportunity.

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Thorny

I agree with that, The name says a lot just starting off. The whos who list of who plays what and being different than the rest. One endorsement in Guitar world or guitar player could cause a run, you never know. Some of it will be the kid looking around the music store for his first real axe and zoneing in on an Electra.

Its still wide open. When people start asking where did all these old guys get these new Electras? I'm saving.....

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SlmGuy

if you could do effects in the size of a thumb drive, how cool would it be to have several USB ports on the front of a guitar, with individual micro controls. hang all of 'em off a keyring hook on the guitar, and you could easily switch out to different effects between songs.

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My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

Interesting, Mcbrat my friend. Have them discrete so they don't "look" like USB dohickeys. Need to have them built for quick activation and deactivation during songs. Pedals are so easy since they use your feet so your hands are free to play the whole time. Something like on-board effects, not so much.

I could see it working if you could tweak your on-board effects on the computer before transferring them to the guitar. That may be fun, they do that with pedals now anyway. It's all about personalization.

But at the end of the day it's like I'd said, it'll be hard nowadays to come up with useful electronic innovation. Could be done, though. Pedal boards are so fun and useful it would be hard to get around them for on-board effects to make it into mainstream usage.

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

good idea, but have them snap in the front, like a plastic battery compartment, but everything accessible like you said from the top.

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Thorny

How about Bluetooth? You could adjust settings/effects with iPad or PC and even could work out some sort of foot switch that would integrate. (Patent applied for 9-13-2013)

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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

Shape the thumb drives like picks, How many times have you seen picks stuck to the pick guard or other parts of the body.

I do remember seeing a Vox Apachee in a magizine and in a music store, I think its still there. It was kinda like a cheesy key boardeffect.

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SlmGuy

Korea is correct..............same plant that builds the PRS SE line. However these are basically USA spec'd with
real Ebony Boards, Real MOP Inlays and Tone Pros Hardware. I have one inbound and hope to have it in my hands next week.....pics and review forthcoming

I believe that the MPC models were unique for the time - but don't know if they would sell now.

There are a lot of guitars with effects that are available now with a more modern approach -

One being the Roland GC-1 - Fender Strat - Alex Hutchings on videos -
http://www.rolandus.com/products/details/1189

Also if you could get one maybe a Les Paul Recording model is you could afford it - or something similar.

For someone looking for endless effects at your fingertips -
Just do a "Synthesizer Guitars" search on the net and the possibilities are almost endless - like

Kitara
http://boingboing.net/2011/01/07/ces-2011-kitara-synt.html

Roland G808 Synth Guitar
http://www.joness.com/gr300/G-808.html

This site shows several synth guitars -
http://softwreper.com/13608-guitar-synthesiser.html

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RCSBlues

yes, synth guitars have been around for a long time. Lots of digital FX processors too, but they SOUND digital.

Yeah, while I like the idea. I don't know if it would every work again.

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Thorny

...

All they have to do is get Carmen Electra after all - I don't know how many times I've searched for Electra guitars and get pictures of her posing with a guitar

I started to post a link to some, but Wow - you can look them up yourself if you want to.

What were we talking about? I forgot.

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Thorny

I think compatibility with iPhone/iPad & Android based phones is brilliant! Make an app for both, sell it for $9.99 or so, and include 2 effects a'la MPC then sell the other effects as add ons. Bluetooth it to the guitar and your phone is your effects board. There's a couple apps like Amplitude & iRig that make decent guitar processors, but all the ones I've seen are hardwired.