Class of 2013: Electra – A Legend Reborn

Guitar aficionados may recognize Electra Guitars as the defunct brand of handsome guitars endorsed by artists like Peter Frampton and Leslie West back in the ‘70s and ‘80s. This spring, after he acquired the rights to the classic Electra name and logo, Florida luthier Ben Chafin relaunched the brand with his “Omega” model electric guitar. After a year of success, CEO Gene Ymiolek says there’s plenty more in store for the near future.

“Seeing the Electra Brand gain acceptance again by consumers and also artists has been very exciting,” he states. Not that it’s been much of a surprise – the name association has helped, but the first product out the gate was the striking Omega model, which boasted handcrafted features. “We refined our messaging, so it is very clear – Electra Guitars are boutique import guitars. By that, we mean we offer high quality woods, paint, appointments, electronics, and hardware. It is an extremely compelling value when you compare it to other choices in today’s market.”

Ymiolek says that the variety of industry partners that Electra has worked with – along with a variety of endorsing artists – has been a refreshing part of the process of getting the company off the ground. “We’ve done a good job so far with companies like Babicz, GraphTech, and TonePros/Kluson,” he says. “We’re branching out from product relationships and have some cool upcoming promotions teamed up with Blackstar Amplification, Heil Sound, and Peterson Tuners.” Artists who are already onboard include Red Fang’s David Sullivan, Less Than Jake’s Chris DeMakes, and Dink Cook from Toby Keith’s Easy Money Band.

So far, Electra’s approach to guitar creation has been to update and improve on certain original models while doing their best to retain the look and feel of the original Electras. Subtlety is key: rather than working on radical departures in design that seemed cool 30 years ago, Ymiolek says the focus is on feasibility as well as value – look for built-in EQ, pre-amps, and pickup combinations as sly improvements.  Coming soon is a completely new design called the Talon, geared at “hard rock and metal players,” as well as updated designs like the Omega Prime, Invicta, the Phoenix guitar, and Phoenix bass, with a goal of offering “high value guitars” between $500 and $1,000.

electraguitar.com

The guitar market has continued to grow in 2013, to the delight of many in the industry. With that has come the usual proliferation of new companies, new models, and new tough choices for anyone working on making changes to their inventory this year.  We checked on smaller suppliers throughout the industry that are making big moves this year – determined visionary changes, fan-favorite reboots, big relocations, and even a couple of newborn brands – and ended up with a handful of guitar companies that deserve a special look.