Explorer fans...Gibson may be granting your wish.

[cardinal]

Hopefully they go with the actual specs this time instead of the typical rosewood on all mahogany, it's supposed to be an alder body with maple neck and sometimes ebony fretboard. Otherwise why bother?

I dunno. It might be one of those things where expectations don't match reality. An ebony board I think is a good choice, but I think most would prefer mahogany construction?

Though honestly I'll take whatever construction eliminates neck dive on an Explorer.

 

[xzyryabx]

They should turn the tables on ESP and copy the MX-2 specs

 

[Nightside]

I dunno. It might be one of those things where expectations don't match reality. An ebony board I think is a good choice, but I think most would prefer mahogany construction?

Though honestly I'll take whatever construction eliminates neck dive on an Explorer.

The abnormal wood choice is literally what makes these special and stand out from the typical explorers. If it's going to be another all mahogany with a rosewood fretboard, you may as well buy any other ordinary explorer.

 

[OmegaSlayer]

I'm more interested in the Purple V.
That one with a mirror or engraved pickguard and truss cover and block inlays would be rad.

 

[cardinal]

The abnormal wood choice is literally what makes these special and stand out from the typical explorers. If it's going to be another all mahogany with a rosewood fretboard, you may as well buy any other ordinary explorer.

Well, they would have no pickguard and the pickup selector in a sane position.

 

[budda]

I dunno. It might be one of those things where expectations don't match reality. An ebony board I think is a good choice, but I think most would prefer mahogany construction?

Though honestly I'll take whatever construction eliminates neck dive on an Explorer.

They could tell people its mahogany when really its alder, because its a solid finish and you wouldnt know til you ding it real good.

Agreed that if its not alder just buy a reg explorer.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

Mahogany please!!

They're not "supposed" to be alder, they used both.

 

[tedtan]

Well, they would have no pickguard and the pickup selector in a sane position.

This is the biggest “improvement” for me.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

Yeah the whole point is they look like Hetfield guitars and not some lame U2 guitar, no?

 

[Nightside]

Then buy the Epiphone 84?

 

[Dr. Caligari]

No thanks...

 

[dspellman]

Wait...so I watched the first video, but not sure I understand what part of the video is meant to make Explorer fans salivate. I'm not super familiar with Explorers, so I feel like I'm missing a piece of the puzzle.

Yeah, that was a yawner for me, too, but I think you have to be a real Exploder fan (and in particular, a *Gibson* Exploder fan) to develop the whole salivation bit. I briefly wanted a similar style guitar (but with better upper fret access) and so I picked up a mid/late 80's Carvin V220. Smooth neck heel, 24 accessible frets, ebony fretboard, real MOP inlays, pearl white and (wait for it...) a Kahler. Like the one played by Craig Chaquico in the Starship "We built this city" era.

 

[dspellman]

I dunno. It might be one of those things where expectations don't match reality. An ebony board I think is a good choice, but I think most would prefer mahogany construction?

Though honestly I'll take whatever construction eliminates neck dive on an Explorer.

Flipping the body would do it.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Yeah, that was a yawner for me, too, but I think you have to be a real Exploder fan (and in particular, a *Gibson* Exploder fan) to develop the whole salivation bit.

Well that's what the thread says, so... yeah? A lot of people really want a '84-spec Explorer. I mean not just because of the Hetfield connection, but because of the slightly different specs (alder body, control placement, lack of pickguard, etc).

 

[dspellman]

Well that's what the thread says, so... yeah? A lot of people really want a '84-spec Explorer. I mean not just because of the Hetfield connection, but because of the slightly different specs (alder body, control placement, lack of pickguard, etc).

Gibson has a history of offering "reissues" that miss the mark on the things that customers really seem to want most.

 

[uni777]

The weird thing with the originals is that the alder body maple neck is not always true.
A friend of mine restored a badly refinished one a few years ago. His was a full mahogany body and neck with a rosewood board. The previous owner did a terrible black rattlecan finish. We assumed the guy wanted it to kinda look like a later black Hetfield ESP.
He completely stripped it and refinished it in a beautifull sparkle orange. And was quite surprised to see mahogany.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

The weird thing with the originals is that the alder body maple neck is not always true.
A friend of mine restored a badly refinished one a few years ago. His was a full mahogany body and neck with a rosewood board. The previous owner did a terrible black rattlecan finish. We assumed the guy wanted it to kinda look like a later black Hetfield ESP.
He completely stripped it and refinished it in a beautifull sparkle orange. And was quite surprised to see mahogany.

TBH I'm not surprised, given it was still Norlin-era Gibson. I still think a reissue should have alder/maple construction, though, just to differentiate it from the pack while still remaining in-line with "original" specs.

...Also make it a good excuse to reissue the oiriginal Dirty Fingers, but I imagine they'll just go with a 500T/496R set.

 

[Dr. Caligari]

They used different woods, I think just to make things easier they took what they had on hand.

So they varied between alder and hog bodies, maple and hog necks and I think ebony and rosewood boards also?

I just prefer mahogany, and it's the more classic explorer wood (Hetfield's ESPs for example!). And yeah DF pickups please, 500t would be stupid even though I like that pickup.

 

[uni777]

...Also make it a good excuse to reissue the oiriginal Dirty Fingers, but I imagine they'll just go with a 500T/496R set.

What is the difference between the original DF and the ones they currently sell?
I Have a DF in my 2006 Gibson inspired by Sykes LPC and i bought a couple of DF reissues for my Burny and Ironbird and compared to a original out of a explorer E2 i cannot hear that much difference. If any at all.

 

[RevelGTR]

If it’s Gibson USA there is a 0% chance of it having an alder body. Gibson’s current 70’s deluxe LP is barely more than the 50’s P90 LP with minihums thrown in. If it’s not CS, Gibson goes more for general vibe with their reissues.