Explorer Finish Issue (dang, Epiphone)

MUSHROOMSeAcOw · #1 08-29-2010, 04:07 PM

So i'm thinking about getting an Epi Explorer Korina Bass. I tried one out at the GC the other day, and I dug alot of things about it. The look is awesome, and the tone is grumbly but nice (I think it just might be the best bass for metal

). The one thing I could not get past was the terrible finish. The neck has a really sticky, greasy polyurethane finish that feels like crap, especially next to my sexy CV Pbass. If I really have to resand the neck I probably won't let that stop me, but I wanna know if it was specific to the ebony model I played. Does the natural finish have the same gloss? I get the feeling finishes are pretty similar across the Epi lines, so any experience with the Explorer guitar or other Epis would be appreciated.

Sorry that this thread seem like a whole lot of ado about nothing, but thank in advance.

HUnt49 · #2 08-29-2010, 04:15 PM

I haven't played a Korina, but i played an ebony. I would hazard a guess that the clear poly finish is going to be the same stuff.

The ebony felt a lot like the neck on my T-bird, which I don't mind -- but my hands are always dry, so poly necks don't drag for me.

You could always steel-wool it down.

Another solution is to do a Warmoth build - cost a bit more, but you'd have your selection of necks.

By the way, I think the Explorer made the best possible use of those Epi pickups -- they located one farther forward than the T-bird. Those pickups do respond best to a pick, but consider swapping them out. And by the time you do that... Warmoth.

MUSHROOMSeAcOw · #3 08-29-2010, 07:14 PM

Thanks for the info. I really don't want to spend any more than just the bass, but steel-wooling the neck is doable. I really just wanna keep this at the rehearsal space for punky pick stuff anyways. Thanks!

T-Bird · #4 08-29-2010, 10:40 PM

Hi.

I suspect also that the the finish is the same across the Epi range.

That said, neither my -03 T-Bird or the -09 LTD Korina Explorer I have, feel sticky in my hands.

Regards
Sam

DynaFlow · #5 08-30-2010, 07:13 PM

Not to hijack the thread, but how is the balance/weight on these Epi Explorers? I've been thinking off and on of getting one for a while, or maybe the V. Is the tone basically in the T-Bird neck of the woods?

MUSHROOMSeAcOw · #6 08-31-2010, 04:23 AM

I tried one out at the GC last weekend, and the balance seemed okay. It's better than an EB-3 or a Thunderbird. The tone is similar, but the neck is placed differently so it get a little more twangy and defined, which is nice.

SP_EB4L · #7 08-31-2010, 04:41 AM

Why don't you just put some baby powder in your hand, I was doing this in the past when my Gibson was new and with times the neck was no more sticky without altering the finish.

MUSHROOMSeAcOw · #8 08-31-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SP_EB4L

Why don't you just put some baby powder in your hand, I was doing this in the past when my Gibson was new and with times the neck was no more sticky without altering the finish.

Because that is probably the quickest way ever conceived to destroy your strings. Steel wooling is alot better and permanent. Thank for the input though.