The Explorer Bass Club

[Fealach]

Fealach, I guess you are are number 2, although you deserve number one. Isn't that last one an Aria?

I have to admit I don't have that one any more. Aria ZZB or somesuch. I forget the model, but mine had 24 frets, which the other model did not. Mine also had 5 strings on a 4 string neck. The little shiny bit you see hanging off the bridge is an extra tuner. That string anchored at the string tree. I kept the bridge, returned the bass to 4 when I bought into a sob story about the stepson of an acquaintance who wanted to learn bass but only had $75 to spend on one. I found out a couple of months later he sold it for crack money. Kids these days.

 

[Spleenface92]

Wow. That's a shame. What an idiot kid.

 

[Fealach]

Wait...its a 12 stringer? Thats super cool

Once I got it playable it became super cool. The genius who owned it before me did some damage to it by insisting on using guitar strings for 8 of the 12 strings, and tuning them to pitch. The tension was insane, and the string/tuner arrangement was so messed up it took an hour to tune. The neck was bowed insanely, and the fretboard was pulling up so much it looked like a mountain range above the 12th fret.

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I had to run my finger along a string to trace it to the corresponding tuner. For each string, every time I player it.

I was able to get the neck back to something playable, but I had to do some ugly redneck repairs to get the fretboard back down flat. Restrung with the correct strings, it plays decently and sounds awesome.

 

[Fealach]

Wow. That's a shame. What an idiot kid.

Seriously. If I'd have known he was that desperate for crack, I would have traded him some of mine for the bass and his sister.

 

[Spleenface92]

And, it's a red explorer with the added bonus of saying Gibson on the headstock. (As opposed to mine...which only says Epiphone).

 

[Fealach]

And, it's a red explorer with the added bonus of saying Gibson on the headstock. (As opposed to mine...which only says Epiphone).

It adds some name value, but really the name doesn't matter. For a while I made too much money and decided to spend it on basses instead of football games or "gentlemen's clubs." I like shorter scale basses so the Epi Explorers feel awkward to me; they look pretty cool though. With the 12 string, the 32 inch scale makes it much easier to play than a normal 34 inch scale bass.

 

[Spleenface92]

I just like the way the gibson logo looks. The epi explorer is pretty huge, neck wise. It seems really long. (insert obvious "thats what she said" here).

 

[pjmuck]

This just arrived a couple of days ago. It's a Gaskell X-Bass, obviously inspired by "that other company", with the main stipulation being that that other company is too arrogant and pretentious to ever offer a lefty. Gaskell Guitars is based in Australia and specializes strictly in knockoff left hand guitars and now basses. It's a 34" scale too and very comfortable to play.

I'll be putting up a full review next week, but for those of us who don't have other options, these basses are well made (better than Epi, at least), and very affordable.

 

[Spleenface92]

Hey...don't knock the epi explorer. I own one. I love it just as much as my Fender Jaguar Bass.

 

[Spleenface92]

pjmuck you are #6. Nice bass!

 

[James Hart]

Pointy bass Rule!!

 

[Spleenface92]

James Hart, your chromy Destroyer earns you lucky number 7. As well as the time you posted it.

 

[Thunder_Fingers]

 

[Spleenface92]

Thunderfingers, you are #8. What kind of bass is that? I really like it!

 

[Thunder_Fingers]

Listerud Custom Explorer (Norwegian Luthier), Kinda made as an "Entwistle Tribute" bass.

 

[Spleenface92]

I figured, with a name like Thunder Fingers, you might like entwistle. Me personally, I'd go for an alembic exploiter (with the "A" headstock), but yours sure does look purty niice!

 

[Thunder_Fingers]

Well, This one costed me 1/20th of the price of an Exploiter with matching specs from Alembic, hehe.

 

[Spleenface92]

Can't argue with that. Although, my epi explorer was only $400. And it probably has no matching specs with alembic other than the number of strings! I love my bass, though. Someday, I'll have an exploiter. Someday.

 

[Spleenface92]

I can't believe there isn't an official club already. I mean, explorer basses have been around for a while.

 

[Mudfuzz]

I can't believe there isn't an official club already. I mean, explorer basses have been around for a while.

Yes and also misunderstood...