25.5"         Scale Length

42mm      Nut Width Bone

SSS           Pickup Configuration

22              Frets

12               Fretboard Radius

Zebra        Color of Body

7.1 lbs        Weight

1.75mm     Action at 12th Fret

Right Handed

X   Deep Clean

X   Electronics Checked

X   Tuners Serviced

X   Fretboard Cleaned / Hydrated

X   Neck Adjusted

X   Setup Completed

X   Body Buffed / Polished 

Upgrades and Modifications

This Eleca Transparent Blue received a combination of component upgrades, electronic modifications, cosmetic correction, fretwork, and setup adjustments. Rather than undergoing a complete high-end rebuild, the restoration focused on improving functionality, playability, tonal versatility, and overall appearance while maintaining an affordable price point.

Electronics and Pickup Upgrades

• Pickups: Reconditioned ceramic single-coil pickups sourced from another Eleca guitar, replacing the original pickups that were damaged during the initial reassembly.

• Potentiometers: Original miniature potentiometers replaced with three Musiclily Pro A250K pots.

• 5-Way Selector: Original green circuit-board selector replaced with an upgraded heavy-duty black circuit-board 5-way switch.

• Gilmour Switching: Added a mini-toggle switch to expand the available pickup combinations beyond the traditional five positions.

• Treble Bleed Circuit: Installed on the volume control to help retain high-frequency clarity when reducing volume.

• Independent Tone Capacitors: Installed two .022 µF capacitors, providing a dedicated capacitor for each tone control.

• Reconfigured Tone Controls: The bridge pickup has its own dedicated tone control, while the neck and middle pickups share the second tone control.

• Output Jack: Installed a new Switchcraft output jack after removing and polishing the original chrome jack plate.

• Wiring: Cloth push-back wire used for connections to the output jack and tremolo claw ground. Silver solder used for electrical connections.

• Cavity Shielding: Applied conductive copper foil tape to the body cavity to help reduce unwanted electrical interference.

The replacement ceramic pickups were previously used components that were inspected, cleaned, and reconditioned before installation. Their measured DC resistance values are approximately:

• Bridge: 5.36 kΩ

• Middle: 5.50 kΩ

• Neck: 5.47 kΩ

These are reconditioned donor pickups, not new aftermarket replacements.

Neck, Nut, and Fretwork

• Bone Nut Upgrade: Removed the original plastic nut and installed a new bone nut, individually hand-shaped, fitted, and polished.

• Fretwork: Inspected the frets for level, followed by recrowning and polishing to improve the fret surfaces and overall playing feel.

• Fretboard Reconditioning: Thoroughly cleaned the fretboard, carefully scraped away accumulated buildup, and lightly rounded the fretboard edges for a more comfortable feel.

• Neck Adjustment: Installed a shim at the rear of the neck pocket to optimize neck angle and provide a more suitable adjustment range at the bridge saddles.

• Fretboard Conditioning: Applied lemon oil following neck reassembly.

• Tuners: Cleaned, inspected, and verified the operation of the original tuning machines before reinstalling them.

Body and Finish Restoration

The original transparent blue finish received corrective polishing using a dual-action polisher and automotive-grade correcting compound, followed by a gloss-enhancing finishing polish.

This process reduced the appearance of minor surface scratches and scuffs while improving the clarity, depth, and overall gloss of the existing finish.

The original finish was retained rather than refinished or replaced, preserving the guitar's distinctive wood grain and coloration.

Bridge, Strings, and Final Setup

• Bridge: Retained the existing six-saddle tremolo bridge. Replaced saddle screws with new set.

• Tremolo Configuration: Set up for downward pitch movement only, rather than a fully floating configuration.

• Strings: Installed a new set of Ernie Ball Regular Slinky .010–.046 strings.

• String Action: Adjusted to approximately 1.75 mm at the low E string and 1.50 mm at the high E string.

• Intonation: Adjusted for the installed strings under shop environmental conditions.

• Final Adjustments: Neck angle and bridge saddle positioning adjusted together to establish the desired action and tremolo configuration.

Restoration Approach

This restoration emphasizes practical improvements rather than expensive replacement hardware. Several original components were retained after inspection and servicing, while selected electronics and hardware were upgraded to improve reliability, control options, and playability.

The result is an affordable, individually reconditioned Eleca featuring expanded pickup switching, upgraded controls, a fitted bone nut, refreshed fretwork, and a polished transparent blue finish.

The Story Behind This Guitar

Eleca Stratocaster – Transparent Blue | Circa 2010–2011

An imagined history inspired by this guitar's appearance, condition, and eventual journey to Back From the Dead Guitars.

Sometime around 2010 or 2011, a small, independently owned guitar shop near Sylvania Southview High School in Sylvania, Ohio, received a shipment of new Eleca electric guitars. The shop owner had ordered several models to create a colorful display of affordable instruments, hoping to attract younger musicians who were just getting started.

As he unpacked the shipment, one guitar immediately caught his attention. It was a transparent blue Stratocaster-style model, but something about its finish wasn't quite right. Instead of the consistent blue coloring he expected, the wood had absorbed the stain unevenly, creating distinctly different shades of blue across the body. In certain lighting, portions of the guitar even appeared aqua blue.

The owner contacted Eleca's national distributor and explained the problem. Rather than arrange for the guitar to be returned, the distributor told him to keep it free of charge as a store special and promised to send a replacement.

Not wanting an imperfect instrument among his new arrivals, the owner placed the unusual blue guitar in the backroom and finished setting up his display.

Later that afternoon, a small group of students from nearby Sylvania Southview High School wandered into the shop. They were members of a garage band, spending much of their free time practicing, talking about music, and dreaming of someday playing somewhere other than a friend's basement.

One of the students, Tommy, stopped to admire the new Eleca display. After looking over several guitars, he remarked that he wished one of them came in blue.

The shop owner smiled.

"As a matter of fact, Tommy, I just happen to have a blue one in the back. There's something a little different about it, though."

He returned carrying the transparent blue Eleca and explained the unusual coloring. Tommy didn't seem particularly concerned about the uneven finish. In fact, he rather liked that it looked different from the others.

The guitar normally retailed for approximately $130, but since the shop owner had received it free of charge, he offered Tommy a special price of just $65.

For a high school student with limited spending money and dreams of becoming a rock star, it was an opportunity too good to pass up.

Over the next few years, the blue Eleca became a familiar sight at the band's rehearsals and occasional performances. It was played, practiced on, carried from one friend's house to another, and accumulated the little scratches and marks that naturally come with being a young musician's favorite guitar.

Eventually, as Tommy's musical interests evolved, he began looking for something with the heavier sound of humbucker pickups. During a visit to a local pawn shop, he found another guitar that caught his attention. The blue Eleca became part of the trade that allowed him to take his next musical step.

And so, the Eleca began a different kind of journey.

Over the following years, it passed through several hands, bought and sold as an inexpensive used guitar. Each owner had their own reasons for acquiring it, and each eventually moved on. Somewhere along the way, it found itself in the possession of another aspiring guitarist whose enthusiasm for learning to play didn't last quite as long as expected.

The guitar was eventually set aside in a crowded garage, where it remained for years among boxes, tools, sporting equipment, and the many forgotten belongings that tend to accumulate in family homes.

Time and changing storage conditions were not particularly kind to the instrument.

Years later, while cleaning out the garage, the owner's parents came across the neglected blue guitar. It was dirty, missing a string, and clearly hadn't been played in a very long time.

They asked their now-grown child what he wanted to do with it.

"Just toss it, or give it away. I'm never going to play it again."

Rather than throw away something that might still be useful to someone else, his parents placed the guitar with several other unwanted household items destined for a charitable donation and auction drop-off location.

There, the unusual blue Eleca waited once again for someone to see something worth saving.

In February 2024, its travels finally brought it to Back From the Dead Guitars, where this inexpensive, well-traveled instrument would receive the attention it had been missing for so many years.

What may have begun as an unfortunate manufacturing imperfection had become one of the guitar's most recognizable characteristics. Its uneven shades of blue, once a reason for discounting it, were now part of its individual identity.

From a music shop near a high school, through teenage band rehearsals, pawn shops, several owners, and years of forgotten storage, the blue Eleca had somehow survived.

It was never a particularly expensive guitar, and it was never a perfect one. But sometimes the guitars with the most character are the ones that were never quite perfect to begin with.

And now, after all those years, this unusual blue Eleca has been given another chance to make music.

Another guitar brought Back From the Dead.

Original Intake — Eleca Transparent Blue

This Eleca Transparent Blue arrived at Back From the Dead Guitars showing substantial evidence of accumulated dirt, handling, and age-related wear. Although the instrument appeared generally complete, closer examination revealed several areas requiring attention beyond routine cleaning and restringing.

Body and Finish

The transparent blue body exhibited surface scratches, scuffs, and accumulated contamination that diminished the clarity and gloss of the original finish.

An especially unusual characteristic was immediately apparent: the wood sections beneath the transparent blue finish displayed dramatically different grain patterns and coloration. Rather than producing a consistent appearance across the body, the original finish emphasized the differences between the individual wood sections.

This irregular appearance was present when the guitar arrived and is a characteristic of the instrument's original construction and finish, not a result of the restoration.

Neck and Fretboard

The fretboard exhibited substantial accumulated grime, particularly around the fretwire and along the fingerboard surface.

During restoration, careful razor scraping was necessary to remove stubborn surface buildup that ordinary cleaning could not adequately address.

The frets required inspection, recrowning, and polishing. The original plastic nut was also identified for replacement with a properly fitted bone nut.

Bridge and Hardware

The original tremolo bridge and saddles exhibited considerable dirt, oxidation, and surface deterioration. The tuning machines also showed signs of age and oxidation, although they were subsequently cleaned, inspected, and found suitable for continued use.

The original chrome output jack plate displayed surface contamination and wear and was selected for cleaning and polishing during the restoration.

Pickups and Electronics

The original three single-coil pickups exhibited visible dirt and discoloration around their covers and exposed pole pieces.

The internal electronics retained the original miniature potentiometers, green circuit-board 5-way selector switch, and factory-style wiring arrangement.

Rather than simply reusing the existing electronic configuration, the restoration included upgraded potentiometers, a replacement selector switch, revised tone control wiring, additional pickup switching options, and a new output jack.

Initial Restoration Assessment

The instrument was selected for a practical restoration emphasizing cleaning, corrective polishing, fretboard reconditioning, improved electronics, and a complete setup.

While the work would not involve replacing every original component, the objective was to improve the guitar's overall condition, functionality, and playing experience while retaining its distinctive appearance and keeping the finished instrument affordable.

Honest Condition Disclosure

Please review this section and all accompanying photographs carefully before purchasing.

This Eleca Transparent Blue has received substantial cleaning, restoration, electronic improvements, and setup work. However, it remains an affordable, entry-level instrument with certain original components and cosmetic imperfections. We believe in disclosing these characteristics clearly so prospective buyers can make an informed purchasing decision.

Transparent Blue Finish — An Unusual Appearance

One of the most noticeable characteristics of this Eleca is its unusual transparent finish, which shifts in appearance from deep blue to aqua blue depending on the lighting and viewing angle.

The body is constructed from three wood sections exhibiting distinctly different grain patterns and coloration beneath the transparent finish. These differences appear to have affected how the blue stain was absorbed, producing noticeably different shades, tones, and grain visibility across the body.

Closer examination also reveals what appears to be the beginning of a darker burst-style shading effect along the upper, longer body horn. This shading gradually diminishes as it continues down the body. Whether this was an intentional finishing technique or simply an inconsistency in the original finishing process is unknown.

The resulting appearance is certainly unusual. Some buyers may appreciate the contrasting grain patterns as part of the guitar's individual character, while others may consider the inconsistent coloration a cosmetic flaw.

We strongly encourage prospective buyers to examine all photographs carefully to determine whether this distinctive, nonuniform finish meets their personal expectations.

Original Tuners — Entry-Level Hardware

The guitar retains its original entry-level import tuning machines. These were cleaned, inspected, and verified to be functional during restoration.

They should not be expected to provide the same smoothness, precision, or consistency of adjustment as higher-quality aftermarket tuners.

In our experience, the guitar maintains acceptable tuning for a few songs or shorter practice sessions when the tremolo is not being used. More frequent tuning adjustments may be necessary during extended playing sessions or when using the tremolo.

Players expecting greater tuning precision or stability may wish to consider replacing the original tuning machines.

The headstock has approximately 10 mm tuner mounting holes, making it a potential candidate for aftermarket sealed or locking tuners. Certain Gotoh or Guyker models may be suitable, although exact dimensions, mounting arrangements, and compatibility should be verified before purchasing replacements.

Original Tremolo Bridge

The original entry-level import tremolo bridge has been retained and is functional. It has been configured for downward pitch movement only rather than a fully floating setup.

As with the original tuners, the bridge should not be expected to perform to the standards of more expensive aftermarket tremolo systems.

The existing saddle height adjustment screws show age and wear. Replacing these screws may make future saddle height adjustments easier if required.

Buyers considering a replacement tremolo should also understand that the existing body opening for the tremolo arm may not accommodate certain larger replacement systems. Depending on the selected bridge, additional routing or modification of the body may be necessary.

The current bridge is suitable for the guitar's intended purpose, but significant tremolo upgrades should be approached as a modification project rather than an assumed direct replacement.

Body, Neck, and Headstock Imperfections

Although the original finish received corrective polishing to improve its gloss and reduce minor surface scratches and scuffs, some cosmetic imperfections remain.

There are several small chips in the body finish, most noticeably on the back of the guitar and around the longer body horn near the strap button.

The neck and headstock also exhibit a few small dings and handling marks. Some of the impressions on the back of the neck can be felt by hand while playing, although they have not prevented comfortable playing or proper setup during our evaluation.

These imperfections are consistent with a previously owned and played instrument. They have not been concealed, filled, or represented as having been completely removed during restoration.

Please review the detailed photographs for a more complete understanding of the remaining cosmetic condition.

Future Upgrade Potential

Eleca guitars can provide an affordable starting platform for players who enjoy modifying and upgrading instruments.

This particular guitar already benefits from several improvements, including a hand-fitted bone nut, upgraded electronics, expanded pickup switching through the Gilmour modification, and refreshed fretwork.

Additional upgrades may be possible, including replacement tuners, pickups, or tremolo hardware. However, depending on the components selected, modification of the body cavities, bridge opening, or existing mounting arrangements may be necessary.

The guitar should not be considered universally compatible with aftermarket Strat-style replacement parts without verifying the required measurements.

Our Final Assessment

This Eleca Transparent Blue is not being offered as a premium instrument, nor are we suggesting that its original entry-level hardware performs like higher-priced components.

What it offers is an affordable, restored electric guitar with improved electronics, additional tonal combinations, a fitted bone nut, reconditioned fretwork, and an unusual transparent blue finish.

We believe it is particularly well suited for casual playing, home practice, garage or basement jam sessions, or as a platform for future upgrades.

The Gilmour switch provides additional pickup combinations beyond the standard five-way selector, while the bone nut is a worthwhile improvement over the original plastic component.

Its unusual finish may be viewed as a distinctive feature or a cosmetic shortcoming, depending entirely on the buyer's preferences.

Our goal is not to present this guitar as something it is not, but to provide a clear account of its improvements, limitations, and remaining imperfections.

For a player who appreciates its appearance, understands the limitations of its original hardware, and wants an affordable instrument with useful electronic upgrades, this Eleca deserves another opportunity to make music.