Marty F/ EXPLORER?

[Firebird V]

I WAS JUST ON GILAGUITARS.

Marty F. Explorer or so claims to be. I think not though. Marty's guitar has a large Jackson logo on it.

The guitar claimed to be has a smaller jackson logo on it. Look where the JA starts on each guitar. Clear as day tha MF guitar uses a larger Jackson logo.

I believe the guitar is legit Jackson... Just not the same guitar. What are your thoughts.

Not looking to start a shit storm...

see pics below. Marty's guitar with larger logo first...

http://www.gilaguitars.com/guitargallery/explorer9.jpg

http://www.gilaguitars.com/guitargallery/explorer4.jpg

The J on Marty's is clearly larger and also starts closer to the Low E tuning peg... The guitar in question shows the Ja starting inbetween the 2ndand 3rd tuningpeg and smaller. Even the other pics show of marty playing the guitar on the tour in '95 (though very blurry) also shows the larger Jackson logo and the placement is closer to the 1/2 peg... whatcha think?

[RJF]

I'm lost, what are you talking about?

[Newc]

I dunno, I can see what you're saying about the logo, but Brett's always been a standup guy AFAIK. Maybe MF had 2 of them? Maybe both were made for Marty but he took the one with the big logo?

[Firebird V]

I think I remember a while back him not knowing but I am not sure, maybe he just assumed it or maybe you are right Matt... But the logo is absolutely not the same....

[shreddermon]

I can see how you might think that from the pics, but I believe they're the same guitar. I suspect the pic w/Marty is somewhat distorted and/or disproportional due to the use of a funky camera lense and angle of shot. Same guitar, same logo, IMHO.

[agmaldonado]

That picture of Marty is shot with a wide angle lens, so there is distortion around the edges.

[neilli]

I don't recall how Brett got that guitar, but I've never had reason to doubt it was Marty's.

I think the logo issue is down to camera angles, but yeah I can see that the logo does appear different, as does the spacing from the trussrod cover. Of course, it's not impossible that the head could have been refinished...
I tried to compare the quilt pattern on the body, but the Marty pic doesn't show it well enough. There is a spot on the front horn that isn't visible on the Marty pic, but that could have occured later I guess.

[Kisonen]

There is some material on youtube that shows Marty's explorer for few seconds. I cant't make out which logo it has.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myPWLiQEi6M&feature=related

[Firebird V]

I have Jacksons with both logos and the one Marty is playing in the pics are the larger logo style imo. Might be a refin but the logo is absolutely a smaller Jackson logo. I dont think it is a camera angle. It would not change the size or position of the logo but who knows maybe the headstock was knocked off it and it was refinned or maybe it is not the same guitar... I have done deals with Brett before and they all have went smooth as silk. This isn't a bash Brett thread or anything... Nobody has said that but I just wanted everyone's opinion on the guitar... I really don't know if Brett ever proved it to be MF's guitar or not... I just dont think the logo is the same on both guitars is all...

[Newc]

Yeah, but that's what I was sayin' - maybe it was made for Marty, but never owned by Marty. Say he places an order and then there's some fuzziness on the logo - maybe he wants the small logo and they're trying to tell him the big logo works better (advertising and all that). So they build 2 and he pops by, sees the wimpy logo and says "Jeez, what's up with the giant head?" and takes the bigger logo.

Or maybe they have different neck profiles and he wasn't sure which one he wanted till he tried both?


Custom Shops are almost always made for someone, which means their name is on the work order. Whether they take it or not is another mater entirely, but if it's "made for Marty" according to the work order, then it's Marty Friedman's guitar.

Then again, maybe he did take both but sold it later when Dave was selling all his shit.

[Dred]

Here's my input on the lens issue.

The second pic is of a different logo. I assure you of that. It's definitely not a short focal length that's causing the confusion. The logo with Marty in the pic is quite close to the top of the edge of the headstock. As well as that, it begins between the first two pegs. The 'J' and 'k' are well closer to the edge in the first pic than in the second. There's no chance a wide angle will be able to reposition a logo further to the right like that. A wide angle of any description would make things further apart, increasing the gaps between the edge and the letters, and in that pic they're quite close together.

Could be a refinish, a different guitar, and by no means was Marty restricted only to having one of these, but I am quite certain that the lens used is by no means the cause of confusion.

[Burt Reynolds]

It's funny to see a thread about this, because I've agonized over these pictures for longer than anyone should, and basically reached the same conclusion. different guitars.

[Firebird V]

Here's my input on the lens issue.

The second pic is of a different logo. I assure you of that. It's definitely not a short focal length that's causing the confusion. The logo with Marty in the pic is quite close to the top of the edge of the headstock. As well as that, it begins between the first two pegs. The 'J' and 'k' are well closer to the edge in the first pic than in the second. There's no chance a wide angle will be able to reposition a logo further to the right like that. A wide angle of any description would make things further apart, increasing the gaps between the edge and the letters, and in that pic they're quite close together.

Could be a refinish, a different guitar, and by no means was Marty restricted only to having one of these, but I am quite certain that the lens used is by no means the cause of confusion.

Exactly!

[Firebird V]

Yeah, but that's what I was sayin' - maybe it was made for Marty, but never owned by Marty. Say he places an order and then there's some fuzziness on the logo - maybe he wants the small logo and they're trying to tell him the big logo works better (advertising and all that). So they build 2 and he pops by, sees the wimpy logo and says "Jeez, what's up with the giant head?" and takes the bigger logo.

Or maybe they have different neck profiles and he wasn't sure which one he wanted till he tried both?


Custom Shops are almost always made for someone, which means their name is on the work order. Whether they take it or not is another mater entirely, but if it's "made for Marty" according to the work order, then it's Marty Friedman's guitar.

Then again, maybe he did take both but sold it later when Dave was selling all his shit.

True and a very good point Matt...

[beachjammer]

I've had a few dealings with Brett and he's usually spot on as to the history of his guitars. If there's a work order to be had on that guitar then he's got it. I'd trust what he says about it from the experiences I've had with him.

My opinion is that this is a different guitar than the one Marty is pictured with but still made for Marty.