The Electra Forums

Hey!

We spent a lot of time deciding that non-Outlaw Electra necks are almost definitely all maple, but I was wondering if anyone knows what the body of an X-340 is made of. I know it has the jacaranda cap, but what lies beneath?

Thanks for any help!

Matthew

How did you like the X-340? I'm finding the X-330 just a tiny bit too bright and was wondering if the 340 might be a good way to tone things down a bit while keeping the same basic feel and sound...

Also, I've been noticing an odd tendency for notes to die out under my fingers too soon with the 330, even with tons of gain, something I've *never* had a problem with in the past. Would potting the pickups (something I think needs to be done anyway) possibly help with that?

Thanks in advance!

Matthew

Switching to 250K pots for volume (and in some cases tone) may also make a difference. Most of the harsh overtones are bled off at about 250K resistance to ground but still offer about 85% or better of the original volume heard with 500K resistance to ground.

I have an X340 which I bought new in 1977; it is pictured in the X340 section of this web sight; I purchased a volume and tone pot replacement package that was offered by St Louis Music back then called the "Supercharger" Kit; it had the 2 pots and some other electronics to replace the stock pot / resistor combination; the schematic was backwards in the instructions, so I had to reverse the wiring to make them work, as the volume was OFF at 10 and all the way on at 0; but I have had that replacement on there since about 1978. The thing really cranks, especially through my Roland GP8. I use the MPC Compressor and the Flanger exclusively in the Electras. Everything else I could ever want is in the GP8. The X340 is also excellent when utilizing an EBow - better than my PRS 10 Bird. I think that is because the Electras are set up for .010 - .046 strings and comfortable action, while the PRS is set up for .009 - .042 strings and really close action.

My X330 is a bit mellower with the stock setup; I play the X340 more but it would be hard to choose between the 2 (if I had to); either one has excellent feel and playability, as well as quality workmanship; I was actually in the market for a Gibson LP; I played the SLM Electra X340 and liked it better, bought it, then the X330 about a year later; never have had a GLP.

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

So, it sounds like the consensus is that the MPC LP models are pretty similar sounding without mods. I think I need to pot the pickups first and work out from there. Replacing the pots is an interesting idea, but I always feel like I lose a lot of 'headroom' in my tone when I roll off the highs, so I'd probably leave that as a last resort. Of course, it would be easiest to just replace the pickups with something more standard, but I'm dedicated to the idea of the Super-Magnaflux pups. It seems a waste of such a unique and interesting guitar to just mod it into any other LP knockoff... no offense to any of you who have tried that, of course. I'd just like to keep mine as stock as possible.

Best of weekends to you!

Matthew