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Stankfloyd
Username: Stankfloyd

Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 11:47 pm:   

I'm looking for some information on bolt-on SG copies. The brand is Electa which I believe means it was made for the Austrailian market in the Hoshino factory during the infamous copy era.

What I'd like to know is how well were these instruments made? Electronics aside, they can be replaced. How are the necks in general? If they are similar to the neck on early Ibanez Roadstar's that'd be amazing. I love mine.
I've read reviews(Ibanez) on Harmony-Central... but I take those with a grain of salt.

Lemme have it guys, all the info you've got on these babies. They certainly look the part.

Matt
Harry
Username: Harry

Registered: 03-2001
Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 5:22 am:   

Hi Stankfloyd

You are launching a question here that can never be answered for you by an other person......
I hear this so often in the guitar shop where I work. Bunch of guys coming in and there will always be one that tells the other "Try this one; it has a great neck!"
Nobody can tell anyone wether a guitar has a fine neck or not. We all have different hands for starters and besides: personal likes can never be transmitted to another person.
I myself own a few Ibanez SG copies and mostly I think these necks belong to one the finest necks around, to my taste. But I have rather small hands and so these necks might be judged totally different by someone who has the big "Steve Vai Claws".
Besides: the feel of a neck and the playability has everything to do with some few other things like string gauge, action, fret gauge etc.
But to keep the info basic: the Ibanez SG necks are thinner than the well-known Les Paul necks, but then again: could you make this comparison when Les Paul necks vary also?
You will just have to try and decide for yourself if the neck fits your expectations.

Kind greetz,
Harry
Stankfloyd
Username: Stankfloyd

Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 12:02 pm:   

That's a fair answer, although you've given me something to look forward to. My hands are also small and so far I've liked all the early Ibanez necks I've had my hands on. I decided to purchase the Electa (no R) SG I was referring to (eBay). It's a little beat up, but I got it for $100. The input was punched through and that's the only real repair that needs to be done. Should be an easy fix.
I'll post some pictures to see if anyone can ID it's (possible) Ibanez equivalent
Stankfloyd
Username: Stankfloyd

Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 12:12 pm:   

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/37/571lb7.jpg
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/796/051vo9.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/5280/dsc02591yn8.jpg
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3584/dsc02592rm1.jpg
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/1208/dsc026050001qn0.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/98/dsc02616ly9.jpg
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/1884/dsc02618iy3.jpg

I can't figure out the formatting..
Mr_roadstar
Username: Mr_roadstar

Registered: 06-2002
Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 11:55 pm:   

SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG
SG

The Bear
Stankfloyd
Username: Stankfloyd

Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 5:48 pm:   

A small update..

After coming across a Sumbro SG copy on eBay and talking to a fellow ICW member that sold Japanese imports in the UK it turns out Electa is on par with the Sumbro. That is to say I would assume they are the exact same guitar under different names. My Electa matches the Sumbro down to every last detail, including the unqiue pickguard shape.

I have come to the conclusion - after doing some research - that Sumbro, Columbus, Grant, Grantson, Shaftsbury and now it seems Electa are all under the same umbrella and most likely were made in the same factory. Weather or not it was made by the Hoshino (Ibanez) factory is anyones guess. Or at least the guess of one more informed than myself.

I'll post about it's performance once I get the guitar and complete the repairs.

Stanfield
Stankfloyd
Username: Stankfloyd

Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 5:51 pm:   

Thanks for the pics Bear - I tried, but it didn't work out.

Stan
Stankfloyd
Username: Stankfloyd

Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 12:45 am:   

...follow-up

The Electa, not ElectRa, was really a risk buying. One that I would not take again. Its plywood body was damaged in shipping. The electronics were/are of poor quality. Poor neck joint cavity. The humbuckers were phonies, single coils in humbucker casings. Not a quality guitar.

One the bright side, because the body was busted I decided to make a new one and refinish the neck to see if it was worth saving. In fact, it was. The neck was made of a single piece of mahogany with no joints. Nice fretboard with MoP square inlays. Starting a 1, 3, 5 , etc stopping at the 17th. 22 frets total. Truss rod still adjustable.

I've come to the conclusion that the manufacture slapped surplus necks onto terrible bodies with economy hardware and electronics. The only saving grace was the neck.

Stear clear of the lower end Electa guitars.
Dave_g
Username: Dave_g

Registered: 01-2002
Posted on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 7:49 pm:   

Stank...I think all of the Electa guitars are of questionable quality..if your looking for an excellant build quality-similar to Ibanez-you need to invest in an ELECTRA guitar.

Even the early Electra clones are better builds than any of the Electa. (Mahogany block construction, book matched flamed maple tops, laminated maple necks, etc-no plywood construction like the Electa or Memphis or some of the lower end student guitars)

The ones they built in the late 70's and early 80's rival anything that Ibanez or even Gibson was doing and the "Super Magnaflux" pickups are unreal !

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