The Electra Forums

Just arrived today, intact.

Needs the following:
Pick Guard (it's broken and painted over)
Bridge (or at least the adjustable piece with the saddles) It's got a plastic piece in place of one of the saddles)
P-Style pickups (can these just be upgraded easily? to EMG, etc...) They were painted over right along with the pickguard!!!

also, any tips for removing paint from tuners? they were painted over front and back. even the open gears....

any tips for cleaning fingerboard?

thanks!

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My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

I actually would need a good paint remover for a pickup (preferably to be applied without disassembling the whole thing)... since I don't want to exchange them.

Usually I use a toothbrush for cleaning the fretboard... wipe away the dirt with some soft cloth or tissue paper... and apply a bid of oil (lemon or rose oil).

Can you take pics of the bridge & tuners & any parts you want to replace? Quite possible that if the parts are out there & loose, it's not known that they're from an Electra.

At least, if there in MY basement it's quite possible...

je

Ah, I saw the pics in the E-bay ad, don't have the bridge but might have some tuners. A better pic would still help, but I'll take a look.

je

you can make a new pickguard by tracing the old one- stew mac and such suppliers have pickguard stock.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Pickguards/ ... rials.html

Here's the "bridge"
http://www.ultimatesubaru.net/80s/mick/ ... C_0047.JPG

the pickguard really only has a small chunk out of it (besides being painted flat black), but I'll probably make my own....
http://www.ultimatesubaru.net/80s/mick/ ... C_0048.JPG

a better shot of the color, and the flat black on the PG and the pickups.
http://www.ultimatesubaru.net/80s/mick/ ... C_0049.JPG

By golly, let's just paint everything....
http://www.ultimatesubaru.net/80s/mick/ ... C_0051.JPG

Here's the whole mess of pics...
http://www.ultimatesubaru.net/80s/mick/ ... /x620.html

I need to take the nut off and flip it over to, as it's been flipped and strung for a lefty....

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

I pulled the strings, bridge and tuners off. tuners seem pretty worn/loose, so I definitely want to find a different set.

after seeing the original finsih under the bridge and pickguard, I believe it is the x-620 and not the x-610 (I like the 620 finish better, so bonus there.... if I can get back to it.

input jack was replaced at some point, and the wire was just wrapped around and electrical taped. no solder....

there's even paint on the neck binding....

looking at the head, I can see the Electra logo peeking out through the thin spots in the paint....

ampeg sticker feels like it was put on when the paint was wet... didn't want to peel at all.....

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

definitely a labor of love! when that bass is done it's going to sing in your hands for all your good care. good job giving a rare axe a second lease on life!

there's another one on eBay right now, and the seller replaced the bridge with a rick bridge. identical.

it's the same bridge as the Electra Corsair/Stereo Bass too.

I was able to scrape off a little paint tonight (just testing)... it flaked off pretty easily....

I also nabbed a Compressor and Octave box for $50 each earlier today
boy I sure do love the "Buy It Now" Option

I noticed while messing with it, that because of where the curve in the body is, when playing sitting down, it feels like a shorter bass

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

I've been looking around at some custom pickguards, and I think this may be a custom "resto" job....

I found this material for a pickguard, and I think it would go well with the neck inlays....

http://www.terrapinguitars.com/pg/mater ... es/930.jpg

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

I went to a local shop tonight looking for a Ric 4001/4003 bridge or saddle, and lo and behold, they had a old bridge with one saddle on it. chrome was flaking off, but I'll just use the saddle. it will need to be filed a bit, as the bottom is a bit wider than the electras. and it's a shade taller. not sure if it's from a real Ric or not.

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

well, I ended up getting an actual outlaw bass bridge/tailpiece, along with an original Hardshell case off eBay....
so I have all the parts now. I just need to get the time to start stripping the purple paint off it.....

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

as far as removing the paint, i aquired a mexican strat that someone had spraypainted. i used paint thinner to get it off and it worked perfectly without harming the finish underneath at all.

a mexican strat would be a poly finish, so indeed enamel or lacquer would come right off. I don't know what kind of clear coat that outlaw would have- probably poly, but I'd test in an inaccessible area (like under the pickups) first.

well, I finally got around to getting all the purple paint off. I used acetone. works great. lot's of edge nicks, but otherwise it's pretty decent shape.

I'm gonna touch up the edge nicks with some black paint, and give it a new coat of poly.

I need to get some new knobs, and a pickguard.

I cleaned up the fretboard with some 0000 steel wool. very nice, and boy did the inlays clean up nice. it sparkles now I'm really leaning toward doing the shell material for the pickguard that I posted earlier in this thread....

it already looks a million times better than the purple!!!!

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!