Way back in the Seventies, Electra was one of a handful of companies that challenged the big name American manufacturers by offering quality guitars for affordable prices.
Electra guitars were originally designed and marketed in the U.S. but manufactured in Asia, and many of the company’s models featured visionary innovations like versatile switching circuits and built-in modular effects. After almost a 30-year absence, Electra is back again with a new line of guitars that follow a similar philosophy of providing maximum value.
The Omega model may look similar to single-cutaway Electra models from the Seventies, but it’s a modernized upgrade with even better build quality and value.
Features: The Omega has classic looks, with its black or white gloss finish, single-cutaway mahogany body with carved top, multilayer top and headstock binding, dual humbucking pickups and large mother-of-pearl block inlays, but it offers plenty of modern upgrades that make it a desirable model in its own right. The back of the bass bout is contoured, as is the neck heel, which makes the Omega very comfortable to play. Controls consist of individual volume knobs for each pickup with push/pull coil splitting, a master tone knob and a three-way pickup selector. Hardware includes a TonePros Tune-o-matic-style bridge and locking stop tailpiece and TonePros/Kluson Deluxe tuners.
Performance: The Omega’s set mahogany neck has a 24 5/8–inch scale and somewhat chunky C-shaped neck profile, similar to a 1958 Les Paul. Together, they give the guitar a vintage vibe and tone, but the jumbo frets and 12-inch radius balance that out with a modern feel that’s more comfortable for today’s players. Electra’s own MagnaFlux humbucking pickups are the Omega’s secret weapon, delivering fat, punchy humbucker tones and crisp, percussive single-coil tones when the coils are split. Simply put, the Omega sounds and plays as classy as it looks.
Street Price: $899 Manufacturer: Electra Guitars, electraguitar.com
The Bottom Line: The Electra Omega offers a great bargain for players who can appreciate its unique combination of vintage and modern features.
Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.
