Electra "Howard Roberts" model guitar

**flashlarue** · 06-26-2010, 12:58 PM

Was just wondering if anyone owns or is familiar with this guitar? I believe it was made in the middle 70's It's an archtop style guitar. I've seen one photo of it.

Thanks

Michael

**derek** · 06-26-2010, 03:48 PM

Seeing pics of it online, it looks like a knock off of the Gibson, then Ephipone versions of the HR. A laminated archtop with oval hole and floater in the neck. Some had set buckers in the bridge. A number of makers have produced a version of this guitar. Always a bit funky, but wonderful design.

I have no experience with the Electra version, sorry.

**JohnW400** · 06-26-2010, 05:56 PM

I've seen photos too. Back in 74 Sam Ash sold a version under the Carlos Ribelli label or some such name. Probably Japanese or Korean and sounded fine for the money. I've played other Electra models and they were decent guitars

**monk** · 06-26-2010, 06:54 PM

I don't know much about the Electra HR guitar. I've seen a few in music stores during my travels. I own an Aria Pro II PE-185 that was MIJ in 1979. Very few were made and it's a very fine instrument. I bought it new in 1980.

**JohnW400** · 06-26-2010, 07:48 PM

Very nice monk.

You know, there really are a lot of people with oval hole guitars.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 06-27-2010, 11:33 AM

Not the droid you're looking for, but I can across this cool image of the Epi version:

While oval-hole archtops are less common, so are full-sized floating humbuckers, come to think of it!

**NSJ** · 06-27-2010, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

Not the droid you're looking for, but I can across this cool image of the Epi version:

While oval-hole archtops are less common, so are full-sized floating humbuckers, come to think of it!

That's a Gibby and looks just like my '74 HR. --the Epis were made in the 60s

**Doctor Jeff** · 06-27-2010, 05:26 PM

This may be one of the rare cases where Gibson copied Epiphone:

Epiphone "Howard Roberts" HR-1 - Year? - Epiphone Acoustics - Epiphone Forums

I wondered where that vine of life inlay came from...

**flashlarue** · 06-27-2010, 10:47 PM

Thanks for all your great information. I have a chance to purchase one and was just doing some research. If I pick it up I'll take a photo a upload.

**randyc** · 06-28-2010, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by NSJ

That's a Gibby and looks just like my '74 HR. --the Epis were made in the 60s

You bet!

I think that the Epiphone that HR played didn't have humbuckers (or maybe the small Johnny Smith or later LP Deluxe version ?) but I recall a P-90 on the first album covers ... Epiphone was acquired way back, around the mid-fifties as I recall.

One of my great regrets was letting go of a hybrid Gibson/Epiphone ... single P-90 thin archtop made around that time by Gibson with Epiphone parts. May have been worth some $$$ now.

I saw HR (photo) with a red one later on -maybe a Gibson version. That guy did some incredible two and three-minute drills. His long-time buddy, Pete Jolly, was a pianist that I also enjoyed in the sixties...

HR is rarely mentioned now but, in my mind, did more than most to take the guitar out of the traditional roles and put it in front of the band ... Listen to some of his stuff where he replaced traditional alto/tenor sax solos with his Epiphone.

Just another sessions guy?

Randy

**Tom Karol** · 06-28-2010, 08:55 AM

"HR is a Dirty Guitar Player" (album title) - and my all time favorite!

**jeffstritt** · 06-28-2010, 12:36 PM

I love both of the albums with the Magic Band Live at Donte's. Those albums are just sooo burnin!

**randyc** · 06-28-2010, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

"HR is a Dirty Guitar Player" (album title) - and my all time favorite!

One of his best, with liner notes by his longtime friend and admirer, Jim Marshall !

**monk** · 06-28-2010, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff

This may be one of the rare cases where Gibson copied Epiphone:

Epiphone "Howard Roberts" HR-1 - Year? - Epiphone Acoustics - Epiphone Forums

I wondered where that vine of life inlay came from...

Howard designed the guitar and was responsible for the oval sondhole & tree of life inlay.
Epiphone was a subsidiary of Gibson at the time the original guitar came out, so no real copying was involved.
The Gibson model came out when Epiphone was "demoted" overseas to Japan in the early 70s. The main difference between the two models was that the Epi had a solid spruce top while the Gibson was a laminate top.
Regards,
monk

**Fidelcaster** · 06-29-2010, 10:20 AM

It seems that Electra guitars were made in Japan by Matsumoku, who also made guitars for Epiphone (

), Washburn, and, obviously, Aria.

X510
Models Specifications and Info

EDIT: here it says it was made by Hoshino (Ibanez):
The Electra Guitar Page - X510 Concert Professional

So maybe it was made initially by Hoshino and then by Matsumoku?

jeffstocksmusic · 06-29-2010, 01:47 PM

I just picked up a very mint Epiphone Howard Roberts with a single mini-humbucker. I believe it is a '95 from the Korean plant. Really cool guitar overall. It sounds great, plays easy, and seems to be pretty well assembled/finished.

I just bought it because I hadn't seen one and it was priced low. Never heard the Electra version, nor the Gibson version (other than Gilad Hekelsmen) but after playing this one, I'd be interested.

**Squint** · 06-29-2010, 09:35 PM

Electras were made by other companies, not just Matsumoku... As were Epis, Washburn, etc...

**Squint** · 07-02-2010, 03:01 AM

Check out this Washburn version...

Washburn J-4 archtop electric guitar - eBay (item 200489248659 end time Jul-03-10 18:32:20 PDT)

**janward** · 08-11-2010, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by Fidelcaster

It seems that Electra guitars were made in Japan by Matsumoku, who also made guitars for Epiphone (

), Washburn, and, obviously, Aria.

X510
Models Specifications and Info

EDIT: here it says it was made by Hoshino (Ibanez):
The Electra Guitar Page - X510 Concert Professional

So maybe it was made initially by Hoshino and then by Matsumoku?

Actually it was made by Matsu...the same factory making the best of the Gibson (and Fender) knockoffs
There were two versions of the original (US) Epi...one was the HR with the slimmer standard headstock, solid spruce top, mahogany neck, sides and back, and chrome hardware (I owned one in the 60s)...the custom was Spruce/Maple,three piece maple neck - I believe an ebony fretboard, gold hdware, a lot of extra trimwork and the jazzier headstock with the tree of life. This headstock was a very old epiphone design from the 30s WITH the Tree of Life from the beginning...
They stopped making it for quite a while, then Gibson picked it back up with Howard's help in (I believe) 1976...the same as the Custom but with 3 pots and of all maple laminate to reduce feedback...I currently have one of the newer (I think 1990s) Korean Epis made just like the Gibsons...love it but would love to have one of the old ones again...