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PostPosted: Wed Oct 28, 2015 5:08 am 
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Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USED-Electra-19 ... SwYHxWMF4i

Saw this one and the price and my first thought was someone is dreaming, however after closer examination, we've got a real oddity here, a one of a kind 24 fret neck through Phoenix. Someone needs to grab some photos, and if Tom Presley could chime in that would be great. I have seen another prototype from this era, Steve Marriott holding a neck through (maple and walnut) X960 Ultima, so there were some cool prototypes and mock-ups being created that just never got into production.

The $1700 price will no doubt scare everyone away, and in the past this seller (guitar is in Japan) is short on description and uses low res photos. Some of the unusual features are:

24 frets (no Electra that I can recall had a two octave neck)
Slot Nut that appears to be Brass
Scooped-out Heal
No holes for Truss Rod Cover, probably never had one installed

She's pretty beat-up, been rode hard and put up wet as they say, but one of the few totally unique eye poppers I've seen in a number of years. Enjoy, Mike.

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PostPosted: Wed Nov 04, 2015 11:30 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2010 11:03 am
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Wow that thing is awesome. No way to afford it though.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 6:11 am 
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I'd like to know more about it before I get that home equity loan...


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 12:59 pm 
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Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
So I had to lift these pictures for future viewing, long after the auction is pulled. Small and low res, you take what you can get. Maybe Mcbrat can relocate this to the vintage section? Anyway, it is a fascinating guitar:

Wave Headstock Phoenix (unheard of)
24 Fret (any other Electra offering have those?)
Maple/Walnut Neck through
Scooped heal, predating the Westone FX's by four years (August '81 build)

Image
Image
Image

This guitar is obviously a mock-up that never left the Land of the Rising Sun! It probably weighs close to ten pounds, and is a beat up mess of a thing that doesn't even come with a case, possibly never had one. Despite those issues, it is an important one of a kind example that some collector may bite on, not that anyone here can be accused of biting off more than they can chew! Cheers, Mike.

Image

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 2:11 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:23 am
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Location: Oxford, MI
I am one winning lottery ticket away from buying this one!

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 2:49 pm 
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Location: Mount Hunter, New South Wales, Australia
Oh, mate!! That's a beauty, eh!! :love: Active electronics, too.... 2 9V batteries under that small black cover on the back and a boost circuit that'll blow you out of your socks!

How do I do know this??

Well, I don't - not for certain - but it looks to have the same deal happening electronics-wise as my ever-so-classy Vantage VA900, right down to the same switches for coil split, phase reverse and boost. The VA was a 1980 model, so there's an ever-so tenuous link... plenty of PCBs floating around at the Matt factory in 80/81?!

I played through the active boost just once - from new - and after that, removed the batteries and it has never had a set of batteries since; I found the gain was fiddly to engage and a touch unusable; stopboxes served the purpose much better!

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 8:13 am 
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Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Wow that's nice. Thanks for lifting the pics!!!

That shape reminds me of my Electra Talon... doesn't it?! Which is also the shape of the Westone Prestige.

Image

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:20 am 
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Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Here is that picture of another one of a kind Electra Prototype, probably of the same era as the Phoenix above, sad note, both Marriott and West have passed on now, but check out the guitar Steve Marriott is holding:

Image

Looks to be a one of a kind, neck-through X960 Ultima MPC. Three Electra's on the cover of a magazine, now that wont ever happen again! That is the only photo I've ever seen of Leslie actually holding a X120, drink it in people.

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:54 am 
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Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Oh yeah... that is great stuff right there!!! :hyper:

Thanks for posting this...

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 4:24 pm 
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Location: Tifton, Ga USA
Love that Talon and the cover photo :up:

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