The Electra Forums

they have listed this for $600 for a long time. Now it is dropped to $440.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Electra-Phoenix ... 1975482693?

Reverb had one for $275 that sold. Interest in the new models have not been particularly hot, with the exception of the Talon.

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

Can't say I'm surprised.

Hmm... buy a Matsumoku Japanese Phoenix for $250 or a Korean re-pop with pickup-surrounds for $800?

That particular one they weren't asking $800, so that is good.

I have mine and it is better in some ways, and in some ways not. I like the balance of the vintage ones better, and the fact that they are Japanese, are a great value, and will likely increase in value. The new ones had too hot of pickups for me personally, and I didn't like the sound of the metal pickup surrounds (it really does affect the sound to me). I also don't like the longer distance between the nut and the first key (almost like a bass headstock instead of a guitar). But in some ways it is better too. The Korean quality is really quite good, and those makers (World guitar? the same as makes PRS SE models) have an excellent reputation. The bridge is certainly better on the new one than the original (those pot-metal strat style bridges crack and bread on the originals). I put the pickups i like in mine, and plastic surrounds and set it up the way I like it and it is a killer strat style guitar.

The old ones were good though and still can be had really cheaply. Hard to compete with that. But I think it is a good effort. Just how are you going to compete with such a nice vintage guitar when you still can get them for $200 or so? The real vintage ones are such incredible bargains. It depends on the earlier or later versions too. Earlier ones had some nice ash bodies and a pickguard, later ones had plastic pickup surrounds and bodies frequently made of a lot of pieces. Neither pickups in the vintage models or the modern particularly appealed to me compared to modern strats.

Now that i have it setup the way I like it my new one is fantastic to me. It is comparable to PRS SE models in its list price range in quality and construction. There are a lot of really good guitars in that range. It is super competitive.

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Thorny

I thought doing a Phoenix was a very brave move indeed given that vintage Phoenixes do not command very high prices and that the price for a new Phoenix was going to be necessarily quite a bit more!! I liked - and still like!! - the Talon and reckoned it was the way forward; a nod to Matsumoku heritage but going its own way.

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

I thought the same thing, John... that Talon was hot!

Doing cursory searches every now and again, seems the Dealer's sold through the Talon the quickest. Mine is super, what an excellent job they did on the Talon.

Regarding the Phoenix, it was a bit of a stretch perhaps. But seeing as how many guitarists nowadays won't really know of the old Phoenix, maybe they would have seen it with fresh eyes? Something a little different, and the reverse angle bridge pup and blend knob were very cool features. I still want a vintage burst Phoenix with a Floyd, guess I'll have to make one now! That Phoenix headstock... Fave.

Perhaps marketing was one of the stress points with the new company. I didn't see a whole lot about them, though they did push to get out there. But what do I know? I can only speculate as to what it takes to successfully launch, maintain, and strategically move forward.

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