Electra X-350

1981 Les Paul Copy made by Matsumoku in Japan. 22 frets on a maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Neck is pretty beefy, but in a good way. This is an MPC Electra which means it has built in (interchangeable) effects (12 to choose from). Controls are a 5-way rotary pick up selector, 1 volume & 1 tone knob, toggle switch and pot for each module. Body is mahogany with a laminated flamed maple top (beatiful tops on the two I owned) dark cherry sunburst finish. Gold hardware, brass nut and Electra tuners that do a good job. Standard tune-o-matic/stop tailpiece combo. These guitars are nice light Les Pauls (7.5 - 8.5 pounds for the 7 or so MPC's I've owned).

Powerful humbuckers that are prone to microphonics as they get older (easily fixed with wax dipping if it happens). The pickups aren't 1959 PAF's, but they're great pickups with great tome...plus the 5-way pickup selector offers you the three normal Les Paul sounds plus two very unique phasing sounds. Rocks hard but sounds great clean too. You can use this guitar for any style you would use a Les Paul for.

Beautiful bookmatched lame top on every one of these I've seen. Factory finish was excellent on these guitars.

These things are tanks when it comes to durability. I've yet to see one that has broken down due to age or heavy use. As dependable as any of the top guitars today.

Saint Louis Music still exhists today but new company policy dictates that they don't spend time on supporting "dead" guitar lines (they used to). The Electra line was phased out in 1984. Feel free to check out my Electra MPC website a http://www.reskie.com/electrampc/ to find out more about these great guitars.

If you're looking for a unique set neck Les Paul type guitar that will cost you even less than a Korean made Epiphone, this guitar will not dissapoint.

This is an update to my earlier review. see below.

OK, I was talked into doing a gig in Philly the other night. On a whim, I took this Electra MPC X350 Paul copy, an Ibanez EX-1500, and my Aria. This little club was full of the typical Strat and Paul blues players, so of course, I got the dirty looks and snickers when I pulled out my Japanese children. The first set was done with the Ibanez, and I needn't go into that. The second set was done with the Electra. And after the set, I was ambushed by the Gibson guys, most of them going "What the hell IS that thing!?!" The tones and sustain of this thing blew away the Pauls and other guitars that night. And somer of the older guys smiled when I turned on the cheese'a'matic phaser. (I borrowed my bud's Yamaha G100 112 amp. I gotta get me one!) If you can find one of the Electra MPC line, don't hesitate, get one. It is such a great guitar, kinda the ultimate Paul, but it has it's own voice and tone. And yet, close your eyes, and there is the pure Paul. (I did modify thwe wiring to have just a standard 3 way switch.)

1977 Japanese Les Paul copy. Set in Maple neck with a mahogany body, and a Cherry sunburst over a 4 ply lamanate fiddleback mahogany top. (Really quite stunning.) Brass nut and 22 frets on a rosewood fretboard. REAL abalone inlays, like on a Paul Custom, and mother of pearl Electra & logo inlay. Black/white/tortoise shell binding. 5way rotary switch for Bias mix, neck, both, bridge, both out of phase. 2 DiMarzio PAF Pickups (Not stock.), with a master volume and tone. And the infamous built in effects as in all of the MPC "X" models. (I have the phase, and the overdrive. The overdrive is great as a volume boost. The phase is cheesily cool.) and the 2 volume/amount pots for the effects. Standard Tun-a-matic bridge and tailpiece. And before I forget, all the hardware was gold, but has faded over the years.

It's so close to te true sound of a 70's Paul, that it's scary. But... it has it's own voice. The neck is bassy as hell, but for my jazzy style, it perfect. And can scream like Gary Moore's 57 Paul. The bridge can hurt you with it's crisp highs, and present mids. With the effects, it's really versital, but all things cannot be perfect. The overdrive, when used in a high gain situation, produces a hiss that comes out as the note finally tails off. (The sustain of this beast is INCREDIBLE!) and any phaser is cheesy. (Think porn soundtrack.) The Phase option is a standard option that thins out the sound nicely, and can be adjusted by setting the pickups at different heights. The bias mix is HEAVY on the bass side, but I like a bassy axe.
Through a Fender Deluxe Tube amp, it's warm, cutting, bright, bassy, whatever you8 want. Through a Digitech RP-3, it's all that, and more.

Hey, it's 28 years old. The finish, while a little worn on the usual spots, is still sweet. (After a LOT of cleaning.) And after all that time, yeah the electronics needed cleaning, but to have everything work near perfectly after 28 years, Hell, I'm impressed. The only thing that worries me a bit are the saddles. Anyone who owns a tun-a-matic bridge knows that sometimes the strings eat through them, then they start eating the strings. Only time will tell.

See above. It's great, and built like a friggen tank! And yet it's light compared to a Paul. (Something around 7-8 pounds. My shoulder loves it.)
Some of the hardware, ie: screws, were a bit on the rusty side, and didn't want to come out. The gold has worn off in all the usual places, the bridge, tailpiece, and tuner buttons. And only a fool plays without a backup.

Hee Hee. For a company that really doesn't exists anymore. 'nuff said.

I've been playing something like 27 years, (God I'm old.) and got rid of three guitars to get this thing. (A 67 Telestar, a mid sixties Ibanez/Domino, and a 87 Alvarez accoustic.) I hated parting with them, but this is worth it. EASILY!
Currently I have my 87 Aria, 72 Penco Goldtop Paul, 84 Roland G707, an 84 BC RICO Wave modified with Kramer Quad Pickups, and a 77 Aria accoustic. Basswise I have a 56 Dan Electro Longhorn and a 80 Kramer DMZ6000B Bass. Primarily I've been doing studio work. But when I do play though an amp, I use a 70 Oliver G150R tube, an 70's Marlboro transi, and a 67 Estey tube. I will be buried with the only effects processor I use, the aforementioned Digitech RP-3.
The guitar is perfect for what it is! It does what I want, when I want, and sounds exactly for what I want at the moment.
Now excuse me while I go take my Steve Vai pills.