1970's Electra Model X630N Fender P-Bass copy

I picked up this guitar in August of 2008 and it has a market value of $204.50. It is a 1980's vintage Electra Phoenix P bass style electric bass guitar. I believe this to be the X630N model from 1980 based on the serial number.

Here are the features of the X630 series:

Maple "C" type bolt on neck & Fingerboard
Solid "Ash" body~Satin Natural Poly finished
Black pickguard
Neck plate with the Electra inverted "Peace" style logo
1.5" @ nut
Weight: 7.5 lbs.
20 Fret~ 34" Scale
Single "Magnaflux" P style pickup with adjustable poles

The bass included an original case as shown in the pictures.

Electra guitars were imported from Japan by St. Louis Music from 1971-1984. Most of the instruments were made by Matsumoku in Matsumoto Japan. The Electra line replaces SLM's Japanese made Apollo and US made Custom Kraft lines. The first guitar, simply called The Electra, was a copy of the Ampeg Dan Armstrong lucite guitar and issued in 1971, followed quickly by a variety of bolt-neck copies of other brands. In 1975 the Tree-of-Life guitars debut with a leaf pattern carved into the top, and the Electra line expanded to 25 models. Open-book headstocks changed to wave or fan shape by 1978. By around 1981 ties with Matsumoku further solidified and decision eventually made to merge SLM's Electra brand with Matsumoku's Westone brand. Some Korean production began in the early 80's. In the fall of 1983, the Electra Brand becomes Electra Phoenix. By the beginning of 1984, the brand became Electra-Westone and by the end of 1984 just Westone. By 1987 or 1988 Singer Sewing Machines had bought Matsumoku and killed guitar production. SLM changed the brand to Alvarez (it's acoustic brand) and switched production to other plants, including Korea.

SLM was even competing with itself. Bernard Kornblum's Saint Louis Music (SLM) Electra brand competed with his own brother David Kornblum's California based Pacific Coast Music (PCM) Electra brand yet the two were not connected. Pacific Coast Music's Electra logo was nearly identical to the SLM Electra logo from 1972 to 1975 except instead of the SLM gold text, a black text on a white background was used. Both companies often imported from the same source. Pacific Coast often have an X on the headstock or the pickguard. In general, most favour the SLM versions to the PCM ones and the documentation and models are better represented by the SLM versions.

1960's Teisco Gold Foil Guitar Pickups

I acquired up these pickups in September of 2008 and they have market value of $100.00. They are 1960's vintage Goldfoil guitar pickups similar to those used by Ry Cooder on his guitar. This was Teisco's version of the famous DeArmond Gold Foil pickups used on many Harmony guitars of the 1960's.

These were pulled as a working matched set from a Melody branded Teisco guitar with other issues. I marked the N and B on the backs to track their original position on the guitar. The neck pickup measured 5.49K ohms and bridge pickup measured 5.43K ohms. The lead wires are over 8 inches long on both of the pickups.






The most popular way of using these pickups is the "CooderCaster", a custom guitar originally built for Ry Cooder. A lapsteel bridge pickup and the old Teisco Del Ray neck pickup is mounted to a Fender Stratocaster.

Here are some examples of guitars modified with the addition of a Teisco Goldfoil.






I have about 3 more sets of these pickups so if you're looking for a set, send me an email.

1830's Jens Nielsen Gade Danish Parlor Guitar

I picked up this guitar in August of 2008 and it has a market value of $1,137.00. It's a parlor sized guitar built somewhere around 1830-1840 by Jens Nielsen Gade (1788-1854) in Denmark. There are 2 labels inside that indicate restoration work in 1854 and 1871. There is a pencil inscription inside that I believe reads JE Sorensen April 1870. There has been some more modern restoration work done with modern glues. As far as I can tell, this guitar is all original and complete except one bridge pin has been replaced. This is a beautifully built guitar that in the hands of a good restorer will be worth thousands. Dimensions of the guitar: Length is 36 inches, lower bout is upper bout is 11 1/4 inches, upper bout is 8 3/4 inches, and thickness is 3 1/4 inches.

Website with history of Danish guitar builders including Jens Nielsen Gade (see chapter 13). http://home10.inet.tele.dk/erlmol/bogg_uk.html

Website with pictures of a restored Gade guitar http://www.guitarbygger.dk/english/reparation.htm

This is an interesting book on Danish guitars. http://www.elderly.com/books/items/570-1.htm

I was told this guitar came out of an estate in New York and in fact there are storage tags for Rochester NY and one for an Amelia L Harris in Salisbury PA included in the guitar.

1970's Electra Gibson ES-335 Copy

I picked up this guitar in August of 2008 and it has a market value of $111.50. It's a 1960's or 1970's vintage Gibson ES-335 style hollowbody Electra guitar. Could be a Kawai, Tokai or Matsumoku built guitar for either SLM or PCM (not sure since it has features that are similar to both but I do believe it to be the PCM Electra). Nice red sunburst color and as far as I can tell, this guitar is all original and complete except for the missing bridge. I didn't have a bridge for an archtop and didn't want to buy one to restore the guitar. I did plug it into an amp and didn't hear anything "strange" out of the pickups.

Electra guitars were imported from Japan by St. Louis Music from 1971-1984. Most of the instruments were made by Matsumoku in Matsumoto Japan. The Electra line replaces SLM's Japanese made Apollo and US made Custom Kraft lines. The first guitar, simply called The Electra, was a copy of the Ampeg Dan Armstrong lucite guitar and issued in 1971, followed quickly by a variety of bolt-neck copies of other brands. In 1975 the Tree-of-Life guitars debut with a leaf pattern carved into the top, and the Electra line expanded to 25 models. Open-book headstocks changed to wave or fan shape by 1978. By around 1981 ties with Matsumoku further solidified and decision eventually made to merge SLM's Electra brand with Matsumoku's Westone brand. Some Korean production began in the early 80's. In the fall of 1983, the Electra Brand becomes Electra Phoenix. By the beginning of 1984, the brand became Electra-Westone and by the end of 1984 just Westone. By 1987 or 1988 Singer Sewing Machines had bought Matsumoku and killed guitar production. SLM changed the brand to Alvarez (it's acoustic brand) and switched production to other plants, including Korea.

SLM was even competing with itself. Bernard Kornblum's Saint Louis Music (SLM) Electra brand competed with his own brother David Kornblum's California based Pacific Coast Music (PCM) Electra brand yet the two were not connected. Pacific Coast Music's Electra logo was nearly identical to the SLM Electra logo from 1972 to 1975 except instead of the SLM gold text, a black text on a white background was used. Both companies often imported from the same source. Pacific Coast often have an X on the headstock or the pickguard. In general, most favour the SLM versions to the PCM ones and the documentation and models are better represented by the SLM versions.

1990's Johnson Fender Stratocaster Copy

I picked up this guitar in August of 2008 and it has a market value of $40.00. It's a newer Johnson Stratocaster (Strat) electric guitar with beautiful deep red or maroon transparent finish. The finish on this guitar has to be one of the best I've ever seen. The pickup configuration is S-S-S (single, single, single) with 1 volume and 2 tone controls. It came with it's original tremelo with whammy bar, which seems to be rare for any guitar. I'm not sure what wood is used for the body of this Johnson guitar, but this is by far the heaviest Strat I've ever played. As far as I can tell, this guitar is all original and complete except for having the neck painted white. Just a few nicks and scratches and the guitar sounds great. Only negative is the mark at the first fret which I think was used to hold the guitar while the neck was painted (now why anyone would drill a hole in the fretboard to paint the neck is beyond me).

Johnson guitars were founded in 1993 so we know this guitar was built sometime after that date. Based on what I know of the headstock design, they used something different on their earlier models, this matches what they use today. You can find out more about Johnson Guitars at their website; http://www.johnsongtr.com/ I don't think they build this model today, but they can still be readily found.

1980's Electra Phoenix X-145VS

I picked up this guitar in August of 2008 and it has a market value of $102.50. I found out it was made in 1982 by the Matsumoku plant in Japan. It's a modified version of the X-145 (vintage sunburst color, X-145VS) guitar they produced. This one had the H-S-S (humbucker, single, single) configuration on the pickups while it originally had a S-S-S set up.

This guitar was a bolt neck double cutaway with ash body, maple neck, chrome hardware, and three single coil pickups with 3-way selector and fat switch (middle on), and brass knobs.

First Series Configuration:

X145R (S-S-S)(red metalflake)
X145B (S-S-S)(blue metalflake)

Second series Configuration:

X145VS (S-S-S)(vintage sunburst)

The first series was a deluxe version of the X130 model with special metallic paint and black pickguard like the X130, brass nut, trem bridge, brass knobs. Most had a brass '1982 commemorative anniversary' plate on the back of the headstock with an additional serial number.

The second series was almost a different model entirely- no pickguard, it had pickups mounted flush against the body, like all Phoenix models to follow. It was the only model in all the Electra Phoenix/ Westone Spectrum series to be available in a sunburst finish.

Electra guitars were imported from Japan by St. Louis Music from 1971-1984. Most of the instruments were made by Matsumoku in Matsumoto Japan. The Electra line replaces SLM's Japanese made Apollo and US made Custom Kraft lines. The first guitar, simply called The Electra, was a copy of the Ampeg Dan Armstrong lucite guitar and issued in 1971, followed quickly by a variety of bolt-neck copies of other brands. In 1975 the Tree-of-Life guitars debut with a leaf pattern carved into the top, and the Electra line expanded to 25 models. Open-book headstocks changed to wave or fan shape by 1978. By around 1981 ties with Matsumoku further solidified and decision eventually made to merge SLM's Electra brand with Matsumoku's Westone brand. Some Korean production began in the early 80's. In the fall of 1983, the Electra Brand becomes Electra Phoenix. By the beginning of 1984, the brand became Electra-Westone and by the end of 1984 just Westone. By 1987 or 1988 Singer Sewing Machines had bought Matsumoku and killed guitar production. SLM changed the brand to Alvarez (it's acoustic brand) and switched production to other plants, including Korea.

SLM was even competing with itself. Bernard Kornblum's Saint Louis Music (SLM) Electra brand competed with his own brother David Kornblum's California based Pacific Coast Music (PCM) Electra brand yet the two were not connected. Pacific Coast Music's Electra logo was nearly identical to the SLM Electra logo from 1972 to 1975 except instead of the SLM gold text, a black text on a white background was used. Both companies often imported from the same source. Pacific Coast often have an X on the headstock or the pickguard. In general, most favour the SLM versions to the PCM ones and the documentation and models are better represented by the SLM versions.

1960's Gibson ES-175 Copy Aria? Ibanez? Tokia?

I picked this up in August of 2008 and it has a $205.50 market value. It's a 1960's or 1970's vintage ES-175 Gibson style archtop guitar that was made in Japan. Looks similar to some Aria, Ibanez, and Tokia models from the era with the lawsuit style headstock. Rare solid red color with all gold plated hardware. It included an original case although it did have one detached hinge and wasn't in great condition. I was never find information on a similar model and nobody that saw it had seen one like it before either.

1960's Prestige (Mosrite - Univox copy)

I picked this up in August of 2008 and it has a $152.50 market value. It is a rare 4 pickup Prestige guitar likely made by Teisco or Kawai. The guitar is copy of the Mosrite Ventures or Univox Hi-Flyer body style with a bright red sunburst finish with tortose shell pickguard.

The Teisco brand name stands for 'Tokyo Electric Instrument and Sound Company'. Teisco was founded in 1946 by renowned Hawaiian and Spanish guitarist Atswo Kaneko, and electrical engineer Doryu Matsuda. Teisco guitars sold in the United States were badged "Teisco Del Rey" beginning in 1964. Teisco guitars were also imported in the U.S. under several brand names including Silvertone, Jedson, Kent, Kingston, Kimberly, Tulio, Heit Deluxe and World Teisco. While guitars manufactured by Teisco were ubiquitous in their day, they are now very collectable.

The Kawai company was best known for its keyboards and pianos once made one of Japan’s most interesting and cool guitars of all-time: the Kawai Moon Sault. Shaped like a crescent moon, it was loaded with active EMG pickups and was adorned with green abalone inlays and sparkle finishes. They were made in the early 1980’s, and have been recently (and pathetically) reintroduced in bolt-on neck form. Kawai also made copies of Alembic guitars of exceptionally high quality and those are somewhat popular to collectors as well. No model can compare to the popularity of the MoonSault.