Electra Super Rock 1972

1972 Electra Super Rock

Model 2242
Les Paul Custom
(a virtual twin)

A vintage piece of Rock
and Roll History!

Extremely rare!
A true pre-Lawsuit
Electra Les Paul Custom 1972 in Black nitrocellulose finish.
Absolutely pristine,
100% original condition.


Notable Characteristics:
Amazing tone and resonance
High quality tuners
(stays in tune for weeks)
Lightening fast, thin neck
Outstanding fit & finish

Electra Super Rock Specifications:

  • Dual coil humbucker pickups
  • Adjustable pickup poles
  • Adjustable four-way bridge
  • Very thin fast necks
  • Adjustable truss rod
  • 16 to 1 Encased tuners
  • Edge bound neck and body
  • MOP inlayed fret markers
  • MOP inlayed headstock

It's quite easy to understand why Gibson sued over this guitar.

Guitar Collector Market Values:
- 100% original pristine condition
$3,000 to $5,000
- 100% original excellent condition
$ 1,000 to $ 2,000
- 100% original very good
$ 500 to $900



What is and what isn't a
"Pre-lawsuit" Electra?

A lot of folks will try to incorrectly squeeze their vintage Electra Guitar into that "Pre-Lawsuit" Category why?

  • If it truly is an early model, it is a much more valuable Electra Guitar. These guitars are very high quality. (They definitely shook up Gibson) They are nearly 'exact' copies of the high-end Gibson in every way.

  • So what are the identifying characteristics of a "Pre Lawsuit" Electra Guitar?

  • First. let's compare...
    a 1972 Gibson Les Paul Custom
    with a
    1972 Electra Super Rock


# #
Pretty much identical!

A lot of guitar collectors (or sellers) will tell you, "it's the headstock that determines if it's pre-Lawsuit."

Some say an Electra Guitar with the "Open Book" style of headstock would all fall under the pre-Lawsuit vintage.

Which one do you think upset Gibson the most?

1975 Electra Headstock
#
1972 Electra Headstock
#
Identical to a Gibson
Les Paul Custom!
And from a few feet
away, the Electra
script resembles
the Gibson script.

A Brief History of "Electra" Guitar

Emerging onto the fast growing market for electric guitars in 1971,

Electra guitars were imported from Japan by Saint Louis Music Supply Company of Saint Louis, Missouri.

In this heated-up era of rock music Saint Louis Music Supply Company recognized an opportunity for providing well made, well
appointed (near) professional grade guitars at a more affordable price point then Gibson, Fender, or Gretsch, to a hungry market. Up to this point in time, many guitars coming out of Japan were little more than oddly designed, awkward pieces of junk (I've owned such a guitar so feel qualified to offer the comment.) Electra Guitars however, were different. Very different!

Electra Guitars were well designed, and well made, with great attention to detail. Many Electra models sported outstanding finishes, and beautiful inlay work. The best feature of the Electra Guitar was its excellent playability and outstanding classic tone.

In 1972 I purchased an Electra 2242 Super Rock (which I still own today). With its gleaming black lacquer finish, white bindings, gold hardware and Mother of Pearl inlays, the Electra 2242 Super Rock is a beautiful guitar, but then . . . it should be. The Electra Super Rock it is an "exact knock off" of a Gibson Les Paul Custom,
including the "open book" headstock design of the Gibson.

I still remember the reaction of a fellow band member (who owned a nearly identical Gibson Les Paul Custom) when I handed my inexpensive Electra to him. After a few riffs up and down the neck he handed it back to me in disgust, commenting that it plays just as nice or better than his Les Paul.

Unfortunately, the Electra's best qualities were all undone by the fact that it was, except for the name on the headstock, and exact copy of the Gibson. Lawsuits on copyright and brand infringement ensued by the American manufacturers, which were won by the American manufacturers.

In 1975 all Electra Les Paul styles came to market with Electra's own "wave style headstocks" and the name Electra in a type font that could not be confused with Gibson. Electra also sported hardware that was noticeably different than Gibson's.

Electra guitars were made in Japan from 1971 to 1984 by the well known Matsumoku Company. The Matsumoku Company has manufactured guitars for a number of popular guitar brands over the years including; Epiphone, Vox and Westbury.


1970's 80's Marketing & Promotion
#
These are the three top-end models of the Electra Super Rock. The Super Rock was also the longest running model offered by Electra. It was sold from 1972 until late 1981.

Peter Framton and Electra Guitars

Peter Frampton not only endorsed the Electra . . . he played them in concert.

Vintage Electra Guitar Models in Our Museum

  1. History of Electra Guitars
  2. 1970's Marketing & Promotion
  3. What is a Pre-Lawsuit Electra?
  4. Electra Guitar Technology
  5. Super Rock - LP Style 72'
  6. Electra Studio Zephyr 1977
  7. Electra X220 MPC 1976
  8. Electra X250 W 1980
  9. Electra Super MagnumTree-of-Life 1976
  10. Electra 2247 SG Tree-of-Life 1975
  11. Electra X940 Vulcan 1981
  12. Electra X260N Invicta



Electra Guitar's Technology

What is a Magnaflux Pickup?

The magnaflux is an exceptionally 'hot' twin, double coil, humbucking pickup.

These pickups are designed to achieve richer harmonics and greater sustain. The lead pickup is exposed directly to the strings for a noticeably better treble bite and sharper clarity.

Tailpiece and Adjustable Bridge.

The hard tail tailpiece is imbedded directly into the guitar body. This produces much more sustain then other mounting methods.

The adjustable bridge can be moved up or down and adjusted forward or backward, for each string individually, to achieve perfect intonation and playing ease.



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