NJGD X2!!!!! (new japanese guitar day...)

formula73

INTENSELY corrosive sweat
Sad as it sounds, I traded up my old 05 LPC for these two. The hs repair on the Gibby made it a more-or-less even trade, and at the end of the day, the LPC's neck profile just made my left hand sore. Off to a better home, and the new owner couldn't be happier. :D

77 Electra X410 Jazz Strad. As good or better than my 77 Ibanez 2630 in some ways. The Ibby has real ebony and jumbos and I'm partial to the Ibanez hardware, but this thing's stock pickups are FAR superior (louder, less abrasive, and not microphonic like the Ibby's Super 80s), plus tortoiseshell binding and it's a hair lighter. Very rare, very comfy and I dig!

IMG_0870.jpg

IMG_0869.jpg

IMG_0868.jpg

IMG_0867.jpg

IMG_0866.jpg

IMG_0865.jpg

IMG_0864.jpg

IMG_0863.jpg

IMG_0862.jpg

IMG_0860.jpg

IMG_0859.jpg

IMG_0857.jpg

IMG_0854.jpg

IMG_0853.jpg


...and the REAL score, an 82 Greco Hamer Standard copy. Everybody knows that they copied the hell out of Gibsons and Fenders, even Rics, but the toggle ring, binding, traps, even the trc all scream "Hamer." I had to have it. Mahogany body/neck, rosewood, original Double Trick pickups, nickel plated hardware, ABR-1 style bridge (!!!!), and factory jumbo frets with binding nibs! This thing totally rips. The bad stuff...I have no idea what the red stuff is or how the HELL to get rid of it. It looks like somebody tried to rattlecan it red or pink and then later tried to remove it. I figure the scraped up areas are likely where stickers were, before the red abomination. Regardless, were it not for that, I never would have been able to own such a rare guitar. I've never seen or even heard of another. Again, very, very comfy, probably about 8lbs with the classic 70s Japanese neck profile, a nice thin-ish C.

0a44_3.jpg

0847_3.jpg

0aaa_3.jpg

0b1e_3.jpg

07ab_12.jpg

07f6_3.jpg

08ff_3.jpg

09e2_3.jpg

089f_3.jpg

0751_12.jpg

0943_3.jpg

0993_3.jpg
 
Re: NJGD X2!!!!! (new japanese guitar day...)

cool some 3M Surface Prep and you should have one hell of a cool Explorer
 
Re: NJGD X2!!!!! (new japanese guitar day...)

Anyone thinking some 600 grit polished up to 12,000 and buffed out on that Explorer? Man, that thing looks like an old friend waiting to be caught up on whats up.
 
Re: NJGD X2!!!!! (new japanese guitar day...)

Ohh, like the archtop but LOVE that Explorer!!!

If you ever wanna sell I call dibs on that k? :9:
 
Re: NJGD X2!!!!! (new japanese guitar day...)

Oh, man! I'm SO green with envy of that 77 Electra X410!

It's been made in the Matsumoku factory, and being one of the top-of-the-line models, it's been made mostly by hand.

The electronics aren't anything to write home about, the p'ups could be Gotoh, measuring 'round 10K-11K, ceramic magnet. Let me know, I'm curious.

The hardware is good, but I'd change the mechanics, as I've had problems with'em in other Jap guitars from the same era.

If you change the harness and p'ups, you'll have a guitar that could give any CS Gibson ES-335 a round for its money and then some.

If you ever think of parting with it, PM me FIRST.

This is my #1, an 1980 Emperador 335 copy, made by hand in the Terada factory.

Empeador003.jpg


CTS 500K pots, .022 400V Sprague Orange Drops, Switchcraft toggle and jack, Gotoh bridge, Grover Imperial Mechanics, Earvana nut.

Mine is all-maple, even the central block. But it's not bright at all.

SD A4'59N in the neck, SD Custom 8.
 
Last edited:
Re: NJGD X2!!!!! (new japanese guitar day...)

Dude! Wow! That copy is gorgeous. I dig the Electra a lot, I don't know about the pickups. I figure they should be Maxons, but they look a lot less like the crude pickups they were pumping out at the time and more like they may har been swapped for something else, even if it was a long time ago. Regardless, this is fairly bright with it's all-maple construction, inherently brighter than my 2630, even though (ironically
enough), I put a MMK45 in the bridge to brighten it up. It worked. If I decide to let it go, I'll let you know. Right now, I do plan in rewiring the while thing and while I have it apart, I'll put a meter on the pickups. That said, I just tossed a set of strings on it, so it probably won't be for a little while...
 
Re: NJGD X2!!!!! (new japanese guitar day...)

Dude! Wow! That copy is gorgeous.

Thank you! I'm actually pretty proud of the outcome.

Regardless, this is fairly bright with it's all-maple construction, inherently brighter than my 2630.

All maple? Really? In that picture the neck looks like three-piece mahogany to me, but of course I can be totally wrong... it's not the first time and it certainly won't be the last! :)

Best wishes of enjoyment playing it with health.

Yours very truly,
 
Back
Top