Others that have dissected these can tell me. That is not a bad thing at all, but they are NOT unbalanced significantly and I don't think the 'bar' magnet or pole is a real thing. So my verdict (although I have not removed the pickups to look behind them) - these are MMK45s - the same darned pickups. They apprear to be about 5.5K per coil and aroudn 11K for both - Putting it squarely in MMK45 range like my similar X198 models and a Westone LX model I have. Well, nearest I can tell this guitar has regular MMK45s in it with a metal cover of the poles to look like a bar magnet. Some have implied they might be unbalanced coils in these. These always threw me off in the sense that they have one coil that looks like a BAR and the other looks like a standard MMK 45. Here are some observations regarding the pickups.

The Maestro Fuzztone - The Granddaddy of All Guita.Hey just got a spectrum FX in from a fellow forum mate and Thank You BTW.

The Bellzouki aka The Danelectro 12 String Guitar.

The Dick Dale Stratocaster - Showman and Dual Show.

Some artists had their own model, such as Derringer with the X910 known as the 'Derringer' model Electra MPC. There were major musicians that endorsed the MPC line Peter Frampton, Leslie West,ELO, Allen 'Free Bird' Collins, Chris Squire, The Outlaws and Rick Derringer. The guitar could hold two modules at a time and could be switched or combined with a toggle switch on the guitar These modules plugged into a compartment in the rear of the guitar and were controlled by two potentiometers on the guitar front surface. These twelve Module Powered Circuits that gave the guitars their name. If you needed to use an effect, all that was necessary was to flip a switch on the front of the guitar, and turn a knob (also on the front of the guitar) to adjust the intensity of the effect. This was before the era of affordable digital effects and pedal boards. The Electra MPC's forte was it's on-board effects or module powered circuits. In 1984 the company became Electra-Westone and by the end of 1984 it is just Westone as St Louis Music abandoned the Electra MPC line due to lack of marketing success. This is mentioned in the Matsumoku post.īy the fall of 1983, the Electra brand changes it's name to Electra-Phoenix. In the early 80's, some production is moved to Korea. The Leslie West MPC (sort of a Les Paul Special) and the MPC Ultima X960 also made it's debut this year.ġ981 saw ties with Matsumoku further solidified and decision was made to merge SLM Electra brand with Matsumoku's Westone brand.

Around the same time, the Semi-Acoustic MPC (ES-335 style) was offered for sale and the X910 'Derringer' MPC (Explorer)debuted.ĭue to a lawsuit for patent infringement that Gibson initiated, all Electra guitars with Gibson style head stocks were changed this year to what is called the wave or fan shaped head stock.Īlso in 1978 the Contoured Ultima MPC Les Paul and the Vulcan MPC (a Les Paul copy with a Tele curve on upper bout)were offered. Electronics engineeer John Karpowitz was hired to design and build the Modular Powered Circuits knowns as MPC modules.įinally in 1976 The MPC guitars made their debut.īy 1978 the Outlaw MPC & Outlaw MPC Bass (both named after the band 'The Outlaws' who endorsed Electra MPC guitars). Louis Music as the Product Manager and part of the marketing team to begin MPC project.

Matsumoku has made many popular guitar brands over the years including Aria, Westbury, Westone, Epiphone, Vantage & Vox to name but a few. We have already discussed this company in detail if you would like to refer to an earlier post. The Electra guitars with MPC models were made by Matsumoku of Matsumoku, Japan. These unusual Electra guitars were imported from Japan by the Saint Louis Music aka SLM from 1971 to 1984. The upper knobs controlled volume/tone and the lower two controlled the effects level and attack. The four potentiometers were lined up in a row. There were twin toggle switches on the guitars body to turn on or off the modules. Instead of a toggle switch found on the upper bout of a Les Paul, there was a rotary switch to control which combinations of pickups/effects were turned on. I could not believe how many Les Paul owners and owners of other respectable instruments traded these guitars in for an Electra MPC Les Paul style guitar.Įach guitar held two effects modules and a nine volt battery in a body compartment. The guitar's distributor was more than happy to send a demonstrator to perform one night. Tim Keller, the owner, had built up a respectable business. Around 1977 Keller Music, the local store in my town began to offer a new guitar brand called the Electra MPC.

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