Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

[2Loud2Old]

Lookie what I found. A 1985 Gibson Explorer. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I think Newc has one of these. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

I havn't touched this guitar in over 10 years.

I bought it new in '85 for the princely sum of $1100.00 Canadian.. (See, they were overpriced back then)

Had it re-finished in 86, had the pickguard made as it never had one. Gibson purists hated this model. It was a VERY unpopular version at the time, the control arrangement and no pickguard was ALL WRONG [img]graemlins/nono.gif[/img]

I of course liked it immediately. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Notice *I* was into the brass pickguard way before ol Jamesy-boy. It's tarnished after sitting for 18 years.

I still have to put a logo back on, but I strung her up, and she still sounds like a gibby, those low, fat frets feel good.

[Budman68]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

Wow, wish I had a closet in my house like that! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]


Dave->

[charvelguy]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

I believe Chris Olsen was interested in a Explorer like this if you ever plan on selling it.

[chrisolson]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

Originally posted by charvelguy:
I believe Chris Olsen was interested in a Explorer like this if you ever plan on selling it.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah! - thanks for looking out for me CG! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Possible trade for a Gunslinger if I don't sell it? [img]graemlins/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Another month should tell if any of my BC Rich's are still around. Hopefully they'll all move.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

Man, why'd you ruin it with a pickguard...that is my favorite Explorer design, I wish they'd make them like that again.

[2Loud2Old]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

Originally posted by Boxcar Willie 84:
Man, why'd you ruin it with a pickguard...that is my favorite Explorer design, I wish they'd make them like that again.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Y'know.. sometimes I asked myself the same thing..

I HAD to have a pickguard at the time and I was just a stupid kid with money in my pocket, so... voila!

I could go either way at this point, it's a simple matter to fix as the screw holes are VERY VERY small.. 6 of them.

If I decided to sell it and the buyer had a decent offer but wanted the guard removed, I'd fix it right.

Personally I think it's classy. I don't think I ruined it at all, it's a nice guitar.. but hardly collectable..

[ September 02, 2003, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: 2Loud2Old ]

[Manyaxes]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

What else is in that closet of yours? Can I help you look? [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[kremit]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

My best friends house....back when I was 16, we went through the attic. There was a guitar case up there and when we opened it my jaw hit the ground. I knew it was old, but a local music store dated it back to (can't remember exact year) 2nd year production Gibson SG --->I'm not a Gibby fan in the least, so I really don't know the significance of that - nor could I prove that<---. Thing was dead mint. His parents had absolutely no clue what it was and how it got there. It looked like it had been opened, played once and put right back in the case. The strings and such were a little corroded to say the least, but I cleaned her up and had one of the best hours of playing in my life. If I was the sneaky low life type, I could have walked right out there that day with that guitar. They had no clue what it was worth, and were just going to give it to me. I let them in on my suspicions, though, and for a few years after only got an occasional strum on it. I wonder if they still have that..... [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Jim Shine]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

Even 4 years ago I was passing them by at $300. Any demand for them at all has been generated in recent times. I still would like to get a nice white non-graphic one someday.

[jr73]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

i dont like pickguards, i always hated that if u took the pickguard off an explorer U had the route from the pickup to the switch, sucked. too bad so many of those had kahlers or graphics or both.

[charvelguy]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

Originally posted by kremit:
My best friends house....back when I was 16, we went through the attic. There was a guitar case up there and when we opened it my jaw hit the ground. I knew it was old, but a local music store dated it back to (can't remember exact year) 2nd year production Gibson SG --->I'm not a Gibby fan in the least, so I really don't know the significance of that - nor could I prove that<---. Thing was dead mint. His parents had absolutely no clue what it was and how it got there. It looked like it had been opened, played once and put right back in the case. The strings and such were a little corroded to say the least, but I cleaned her up and had one of the best hours of playing in my life. If I was the sneaky low life type, I could have walked right out there that day with that guitar. They had no clue what it was worth, and were just going to give it to me. I let them in on my suspicions, though, and for a few years after only got an occasional strum on it. I wonder if they still have that..... [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Man, that if that was a standard with humbuckers.. that would make it a Les Paul SG. I believe '61 was the first year of the standard.

[2Loud2Old]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

Originally posted by jamie:
i dont like pickguards, i always hated that if u took the pickguard off an explorer U had the route from the pickup to the switch, sucked. too bad so many of those had kahlers or graphics or both.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I agree the Kahler looked like crap, this guitar had the graphics as well, which I grew to dislike, thats why I refinished it.

I'm lucky in the sense that there's no route, just 6 very shallow, tiny screw holes to fix up. If I sell it, I may do that, then offer the pickguard on the side for those that are interested.

[Newc]

Re: Ya never know whats buried in your closet - a Gibby Ex!

Yeah mine's like that, 'cept it had a Kahler. When I sent it to Ken to be refinished I had him patch the Kahler hole and make it tunamatic/stopbar like it's supposed to be [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

And there's no way in hell I'd put a pickguard on it - those things detract from the look, especially if you have a graphic.

When I got mine, the previous owner had stripped it down to the wood, so I don't know what graphic/paint it had originally. The cavities are black, so I assumed it was either flat black or that purpleburst like the one on Ebay.

I'm thinking of having it refretted with jumbos or something a little taller than the "fretless wonder" frets. At first they were ok, but after playing Jacksons for a coupla years I've gotten used to NOT feeling the fretboard as much under the srings, and the Explorer slows me down in that respect.

Newc