ssydor wrote:
1. I know electra, univox, ibanez, and conrad all made similar acrylic models back in the 70's. What were the biggest differences between them, and are some brands better or worth more than others?
2. Were all these guitars made in the same factory?
3. How can I tell what year my Conrad is?
4. Will the Original Dan Armstrong parts fit it this guitar...pickups & Tuners?
5. What was the original sticker price of this guitar?
Both the Electra and and the Univox have a one-piece bridge/tailpiece with a single angled saddle. The Conrad and Ibanez had an ABR1 clone with screw-down (not slip on) stopbar tailpiece. The Electra had a slide-in pickup just like the Armstrong, and the Univox (I beleive), Ibanez, and Conrad had dual covered humbuckers mounted right next to each other close to the bridge. Naturally the Electra did not have a 3-way pickup selector.
My Conrad Lucite is circa 1974 and I would imagine yours is in the very close proximity. Mine is awfully bright probably due to the dense body, but the pickups are also a bit crunchy. It is 100% original, and other than a few chips in the pseudo wood pickguard which have been glued back in place is in fantastic shape. I guess I am lucky, but mine stays in tune pretty well and it has hardly seen much use in it's life.
I don't know for sure if they were all made in the same factory or not. I know the Conrad is very close to the Ibanez. I believe Hoshino was still contracting out most of the work at that time, so they may both have come from the same factory.
I doubt many of the Armstrong parts will fit without modification to the guitar.
Original sticker price is going to be a tough one.
Hopefully this helps.
http://www.therathole.org/guitars/mine/ ... ucite.html