Gibson Explorer?
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  1. #1
    Big Bad Bill
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    Guys, I need some help.

    I'm selling an Explorer on Ebay for a friend without a computer.

    I'm getting all kinds of questions from people about it, however I'm no Explorer expert. I've done a bunch of Googling without much luck. I've determined by the Serial # that it's from '83 but not sure what model it is, or for sure what woods it is constructed from.

    Can anybody point the way to a site that might help?
    Anybody have a better idea of what it might be worth? I think he wants to much for it myself.

    Here's the guitar : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...4977&rd=1&rd=1

    Thanks guys!

  2. #2
    The Full Bug

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven B View Post
    Guys, I need some help.

    I'm selling an Explorer on Ebay for a friend without a computer.

    I'm getting all kinds of questions from people about it, however I'm no Explorer expert. I've done a bunch of Googling without much luck. I've determined by the Serial # that it's from '83 but not sure what model it is, or for sure what woods it is constructed from.

    Can anybody point the way to a site that might help?
    Anybody have a better idea of what it might be worth? I think he wants to much for it myself.

    Here's the guitar : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...4977&rd=1&rd=1

    Thanks guys!
    First, your going to need much better pictures then what you currently have if you want people to bid on the guitar with confedence.

    Second, a real Gibson Explorer was only produced until 1963 if im not mistaken. This would be a reissue at best. The Custom Shop Explorer listed on Gibson's website lists a Korina Reissue but no Kahler bridge and no ebony board, plus it was only produced in 1984. It also lists another Korina Explorer
    produced in 1983 only but again, no Kahler bridge and no ebony board.

    You might be mistaken about the ebony board, it could just be really dark and dense rosewood. I bet it's the board that's getting the most questions.

    You would do well to let this auction run out and get some better pictures. People are going to want to see the custom shop stamp on the back of the headstock and the actual Gibson decal on the front (it looks a lot like an Epiphone Reissue with an aftermarket Kahler bridge right now).

    I don't know much about Explorers, especially from this era. If it's a Gibson and with that bridge I can see it going for a little more then $1000.00. That could be way off on the low side, better pictures would help.

  3. #3
    Big Bad Bill
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    Thanks for the help, willy.

    This guitar is a bit of a mystery. There is no Custom shop stamp on the back of the headstock, just the Serial # and Made in USA. It is a Gibson Explorer. According to the serial number, it was made in '83. My friend claimed he heard it was from the Custom Shop, however, I think it was just "custom ordered" to include the Kahler Tremolo. It's the body wood that's geting the most questions. The guitar is quite heavy, for sure.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven B View Post
    Thanks for the help, willy.

    This guitar is a bit of a mystery. There is no Custom shop stamp on the back of the headstock, just the Serial # and Made in USA. It is a Gibson Explorer. According to the serial number, it was made in '83. My friend claimed he heard it was from the Custom Shop, however, I think it was just "custom ordered" to include the Kahler Tremolo. It's the body wood that's geting the most questions. The guitar is quite heavy, for sure.
    Yeah man, it is cool. I would bet that it is Korina, I think they only produced Korina, Mahagony, and some kind of 5 piece walnut monstrosity from 83-84. Gibson was a strange manufacturer back in the early 80's, I bet it's all factory but the current Gibson site doesn't account for the actual model. I even checked out all the Gibson forums I could find, some mentioned models that resembeled that guitar but they had some major differences as well. The Custom Shop stamp is strange as well, you might not even notice it (it's large but it's kinda pressed into the wood and painted over). The had a specific "Custom Shop" model that they produced in 1984, Gibson didn't mention anything about a Kahler trem but I bet that option was available. If somebody held a gun to my head I would have to say it's an early version of the 84' "Custom Shop" Korina Explorer, or maybe an early prototype of it. I bet theres a Gibson nut that would love to kick me in the balls right now because im so far off! It's not our fault that Gibson couldn't pull their head out of their ass back in the early 80's (but that guitar is hot).

    If I were you I would relist that guitar with some good photos and put a buy it now price of $1400 on it (and a reserve price around $1150) and call it an '83 Gibson Explorer. I don't think $2000.00 is going to work. I wanted to ask you before but I forgot, is that top flamed?! It looks like it in one of the pictures but I couldn't be sure. If it is I give up...
    Last edited by willy4pres; 11.24.06 at 09:11 AM.

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    You can probably find out a lot about the guitar in the user reviews section of Harmony central. I'd post a link but I'm having trouble accessing it right now. Check it out when you get a chance. Good luck.
    http://www.myspace.com/pennydreadfulnj

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    Big Bad Bill
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    Willy: The top is flamed, yes sirrie. I got an email from a guy who says it's an Explorer E2 model, but it doesn't have the E2 emblem on the nut cover like I've seen on others. You're probably right in your relisting assesment. Hopefully the guy I'm selling it for will agree. I'll show him this post. There's a ton of people who have put the auction on their watch list, though!


    Otis: Thanks, I'll check that site out.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven B View Post
    Otis: Thanks, I'll check that site out.
    Ton of good, free info there. Reviews on guitars, amps, etc. Everyone should take advantage of it.
    http://www.myspace.com/pennydreadfulnj

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  9. #9
    The Full Bug

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven B View Post
    Willy: The top is flamed, yes sirrie. I got an email from a guy who says it's an Explorer E2 model, but it doesn't have the E2 emblem on the nut cover like I've seen on others. You're probably right in your relisting assesment. Hopefully the guy I'm selling it for will agree. I'll show him this post. There's a ton of people who have put the auction on their watch list, though!


    Otis: Thanks, I'll check that site out.
    Wow, that is cool. Im sure it's solid Korina, I don't think it has a maple top. I have seen pictures of flamed Korina but never in person. I wonder how many of those they made in 1983, I bet it's not many.

    That one guy probably knows more about this then me but I just dont see how it's an E2. Yes, it has an ebony board but I seriously doubt it's made of Walnut/Maple. In the Blue Book Of Electric Guitars on the Gibson site it lists the E2 as having a 5 piece Walnut/Maple body. It's also supposed to have that weird looking bridge with the 6 micro tuner looking things. You can search Google for that one, it seems to be pretty common.

    You probably already found this but just in case check it out:

    http://www.gibson.com/Files/download...nElectrics.pdf

    That Explorer seems to be a mixture of a bunch that were made around 1983 and 1984.

  10. #10
    Big Bad Bill
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    Ah, thanks for the link. I had seen that and couldn't find it again.

    The guy says that the reason it doesn't have the E2 truss rod cover is due to the Kahler Locknut getting in the way. Who knows? He also thinks that the whole body is made of maple, but it's possible that it could be korina.

    The guitar remains a mystery.........

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    I guess it could be an E2 with a flamed maple top. You did say that it's bound correct. That probably just seperates the maple top from the walnut body. What a strange guitar, why use walnut as a body material and then cover it with maple?

  12. #12
    Big Bad Bill
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    Eh, it didn't sell. Only up to $910. 33 people watched it, over 1300 views.
    Oh well.

 

 

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