electro es17

[dhmorgan]

I have a neck thru Electro ES17 with a factory installed tremolo. The pick guard comes down and goes around the tremolo to the bottom of the body. I've seen many pictures of the ES17 but the have a fixed tail stock and full body pick guard. I had it restrung and set up by a Luthier who grew up with this stuff and he said it is a Rick and probably a 1967. I'm trying to date it and shed some light on the tremolo. Can anyone help me? Thanks.

[libratune]

I think what you have on your ES17 is called a Boyd vibrato. There are a few 425 examples in the Register with a Boyd. Some are missing the cover. (The ES17 is basically an Electro logo-ed 425).

http://www.rickresource.com/register/in ... celebrity=

If you have a cover on yours, there should be a 4-digit serial number stamped on the bottom of the cover (see photo below). However, because the guitars with a Boyd vibrato unit don't have the same string retainer/bridgeplate that a "non-Boyd" 425/ES17 does, there's no letter code (such as GH) to date the guitar. Chances are what you have was issued in 1966 or most likely 1967, as that's the year of mfg of most of the Boyds appearing in the Register.

If you find the serial number on the Boyd cover, either PM me with it or post it here and I'll try to determine the date.

Boyd Cover

[dhmorgan]

No vibrato cover. I was told the numbers on the pots might be another way to determine the date. It's a neck thru and dual truss rods. I was also told that the Electro's were made in the same factory as the Rics and when an order was placed for a electro and none were is stock the would take a 425 change out the truss rod cover and ship. Could this be possible?

[jdogric12]

Can you post pics?