The Electra Forums

If you can solder, you can replace it pretty easily. Or just take it to a guitar shop near you. It's an inexpensive repair.

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

That's nice, and in red; just pretty!!

Ummm... the pick-up heights look a little odd; it may just be the camera perspective, but the h/bs look very close to the strings which could mean 'choking' of the sound, and yeah... the s/c does look way too low! Play around with the heights of pickups until the sound is balanced - bearing in mind that you cannot get the middle pickup on its own!!

I do wonder why these had the Bendmaster Precision bridge when at the some time and in the same factory, Westones were being fitted with the much better Bendmaster FT with stringlock?!?

As for Dynastys being better than a Spectrum in sound quality due to shape, I'm not convinced, although I don't have a Dynasty here to play with!! I do, however, have 4 other Matsumoku pointies to play with, and while I can hear a difference between, say, a Spectrum ST/SX/GT and a Westone Raider II, APII U-60, Electra XV-1 Lady and Vantage Invader II, I reckon it's because of pickup manufacture date, with the later models being just that bit hotter in both sound and electrical output.

YMMV

Ah, yes... the old "I'd better learn to play 'em before I can collect 'em" conundrum!! A very good collector friend of mine out here has around 50 - he's not quite sure exactly how many! - and plays not a note; and he has examples of the absolute finest of Matsumoku, too; APII PE Supra, Vantage VAs and APII PE 1500 are amongst them - he just likes the look of them!!

He's a shooter, too; just built up a Practical 20 for sh1ts and giggles....

Replacing the 3 way is a very simple job and one which you can do yourself, as Chad says! Just remember to keep the switch tip as those squared-off Matsumoku barrel tips are unavailable anywhere I've yet found!!

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

406 in your serial number translates to June of 1984 Build date.

Did you get your Vibrato working yet? Have you had the Spring Cover off so far? Sometimes people (myself included) wedge the Trem Block in the cavity to purposely keep it from moving, or, someone could have really torqued down the Claw screws which would pull the bridge down against the guitar, which makes it tougher to move and wonkys up the intonation and string height. Basically volumes have been written about Vintage Tremolo setup and adjustment (same basic principles), google could help your quest for knowledge.

I'm not certain what kind of bar that bridge uses, try a standard 6mm thread for starters. Non-Locking tremolos are a mixed bag, and some are a 'use at your own peril' when it comes to staying in tune. Proper string winding, string stretching and lubing the nut will help, but some guitars just never come back to tune. If you're new to guitar, go slowly into the valley of Dive Bombing!

I'd raise the middle pickup a hair, and lower the Neck humbucker almost flush with the mounting ring. The neck position doesn't need to be as powerful because of its placement, and the Bridge Pickup has to be as loud or HOTTER than your Neck sound (take my word for it... that's why so many guitars have a different Bridge pickup installed, to try to get a big boost when you go to the bridge pickup, when all they had to do was sink the neck pickup for a better blend).

Best of luck, what kind of amp are you gonna hook it up to? Mike.

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

Yep, I can solder. One of my many hobbies is gutting and rebuilding HO scale locomotives. You gotta learn to solder if you plan to drop a new motor in. I will run her over to the local shop and pick up a new switch this weekend.

My collection currently stands at 4 guitars of various makes. But 3 are in use by my oldest 3 kids. So it is definitely a working collection. I do like the look of many of the pointy guitars. But I really want to learn to play.

Here is my favorite project. Not a guitar, but some serious HEAVY METAL none the less!


I will certainly keep all the parts that come off. While I am not a stickler for originality, the next owner might be.

Thanks for that info. I saw the add in '84. So I think I can safely tell myself that had I of ordered one, this could actually have been the exact one I might have gotten.

I have not worked on the vibrato yet. I did open the cover plate and don't see anything wedged in to act as a block. But quite possible the claw screws have been driven fairly deep. I will keep that in mind for down the road. I will look for a replacement bar when I go in to see about the 3-way switch. The owner of the shop said he has loads of them and usually just gives them away.

I certainly will see about altering the pick up heights as you suggest.

Amp? I am still using the cheap, no name practice amp I bought with my first guitar back in '84. Using a cheap, no name distortion pedal as well. Still looking for that "hair metal" sound from the 80's

[quote="Hypoponera]Here is my favorite project. Not a guitar, but some serious HEAVY METAL none the less!
[/quote]


Ha! An SLR! Or an FN-FAL; mine was an ez-NZ Army SLR and got the heave not long before Port Arthur and Aramoana excited the politicians into blanket bans over here!! I had an AR-15 and a Valmet M-76 as well... I was a goat culler for a while and needed the magazine capacity and hard hitting calibre. Gee, that SLR was a behemoth..

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

It's a bit of both. It's called a "FrankinFAL" over here. The upper is from Brazil while the lower and furniture are from Austria, (FAL parts). The barrel and most internal parts are out of a British SLR. Everyone always complains about the weight of a FAL. Empty, it ways only about 1 and 1/2 pounds more then my Dynasty!

That SLR (is it?) is a great looking piece of kit! Did you restore it?

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

Just saw your post which answered the question, sorry! I was typing while you were typing, lol.

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

Very nice Weapon and shooter you have there. Long and heavy but very nice shooter. Congrats on the Axe as well.

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

Thanks! I play that FAL a hell of a lot better then the axe. But even as a reloader, ammo costs have gotten out of hand. The guitar should provide cheaper entertainment!

Right you are, ammo prices are a little insane! That Dynasty is one of the most versatile guitars ever made. Same as the Phoenix/Spectrums and the Westone Dimension IV's. You'll love it. Enjoy!

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

Thanks a lot for the explanation and the video! Just one more question - how can i switch only to center single coil pick-up without hearing humbuckers?
Thanks

You can't; the push/pull activates the middle while the either or both h/b are alao engaged - just the way it is, I'm afraid!!

You could, I suppose, install either a kill switch for the h/b output, or re-wire completely with a superswitch so you can get north/south/both coils on the h/bs and the middle on their own, or combinations??

I might have a play with that myself.....

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."