The Electra Forums

I spent a while researching pickups last night. It still seems like Electra picked an awkward number of knobs and holes for this one. If I use a push/pull pot to change each pup individually (series/parallel or coil split), then I'm still left with the extra hole near the knobs (in/out of phase?). It's like, there aren't enough holes to do it all, and then if I want to do more I need more holes, or if I want less I have an extra hole... I'm starting to see why someone along the way added the extra switch. Maybe I'll just aim to reproduce the original wiring. Lots to think about.

My radiused sanding block should arrive on Monday, according to StewMac. In the meantime I'm still thinking about finishing options, and now wiring too...

Lately I'm thinking again about a very subtle yellow burst. Something like this, but with gold hardware and, of course, the maple fretboard, and I'd carry the yellow around the back side, not black. Want to keep it "blonde" for the most part.

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X260n Blonde Invicta! (1980)
Gibson Les Paul Studio (2007, walnut with black hardware, active EMGs)
Alvarez Yairi (1992)
Art & Lutherie 12 String

Good luck with the wiring!! Bear in mind that Matt did loads of 3 pot layouts which worked a treat - Phoenix/Spectrum being prime examples - and some of those had 3 push/pull pots!! My Spectrum LX has Vol/tone/tone with the push/pulls being coil split, middle p'up on and phase reverse; elegant and easy to manipulate on a dark stage!!

That yellow you've pointed up looks great with the cream pickups, eh!! You'll have to keep in the back of your mind that gold hardware looks bloody awful when it starts to wear - my Vantage VA900 has gold plated everything but years of roadwork see it now looking very tatty indeed; still plays like an absolute belter, but blood, sweat and wear have reduced the gold plating to tatters!

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

Is there a link where I can find those 3 pot wiring diagrams (maybe I'm missing something obvious)?

I noticed EMG has a plug and play phase switch, so if I get that, plus use push/pull pots to switch between single and double coil pups (apparently they actually have two separate pups in one enclosure), that might work. I'd have to route the two volumes through a single tone knob, which would be ok with me, but might require some soldering (again, ok with me, but their setups come with some nice solder-free wiring).

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X260n Blonde Invicta! (1980)
Gibson Les Paul Studio (2007, walnut with black hardware, active EMGs)
Alvarez Yairi (1992)
Art & Lutherie 12 String

Here's a Westone H/S\H diagram...

http://www.westoneguitars.net/fixme/wir ... s/dynasty/

... and a H/S\S

http://www.westoneguitars.net/fixme/wir ... ectrum-sx/

... and a H/H

http://www.westoneguitars.net/fixme/wir ... thunder-i/

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

This page has a diagram similar to the x155/x165/Futura wiring that has 2 volume and 2 tone pots. This drawing has push/pulls on the volume pots unlike the Electra models that are on the tone pots that push/pull for coil tap and phase reverse.

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/produc ... Phase.html

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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

Thanks for the link. Looks like a lot of good info, including several for 2 h'buckers and 3 knobs!

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X260n Blonde Invicta! (1980)
Gibson Les Paul Studio (2007, walnut with black hardware, active EMGs)
Alvarez Yairi (1992)
Art & Lutherie 12 String

re. the re-finish, I'm sort of driven to distraction... paralysis of analysis...

I like the playability of an tung oiled neck, but with a set neck I'd want to finish the whole guitar the same way. Some people say tung oil doesn't hold up, shows dirt and grime, doesn't resist humidity, etc. And still some others say it makes for a higher risk of warping. I dunno... never done tung oil before, but I have played oiled necks and like them. Also, what I read said pure tung oil doesn't change the color too much.

I just saw The Chad's recent find, and it's gorgeous. It's got me wondering how these were originally finished. I'd really love to preserve that clean wood look (although even my freshly sanded one doesn't look as clean as his)!

Funny, I sort of keep coming back around to poly. I've refinished a couple of bodies with wipe-on poly, but they had bolt on necks. The necks had a nitro finish. Any thought's on poly finished necks? Sticky? Dry and slippery?

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X260n Blonde Invicta! (1980)
Gibson Les Paul Studio (2007, walnut with black hardware, active EMGs)
Alvarez Yairi (1992)
Art & Lutherie 12 String

If this is to be your main player, then the oiled finish on the neck is OK, I reckon! Make it so that you'll WANT to pick it up and play it - the joy of a gunstock finish is that it can be re-finished as many times as needed; just a quick sand and application of finish, not sure what tung oil is like as I've never used it.

Function before form, I say!!

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

Because even the Australians need heroes."

New guy here,just a word on the poly,Ive painted quite a few guitars with set necks with it (Im an automotive painter also) and if you dont like the slick feel of buffed urethane then use some 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper and some water on the neck. Makes it a matte finish that a some people like better than the unsanded neck. As long as your friend puts 2 or 3 good coats of clear on and you are careful you shouldnt have a problem sanding through the clear.

Super happy I found this site tonight.....got my first electra MPC back in 1980 and never did find people that new much about them until now......