The Explorer Bass Club

[Haystack Greg]

Anyone with an original Gibson Explorer bass able to tell me -
Which are the correct control knobs: the "top hat" speed knobs or the "cylindical" speed knobs? And black or gold with a red finish model? Just got me an '85 with nasty non-original ones on
Cheers guys!

 

[Chowderboots]

I believe they came with the top hat style speed knobs on them. I don't own a Gibby Explorer, but I've seen a bunch of photos. I like the look of the reflector knobs more than either of those, but I believe the Explorer basses came with the top hats.

 

[Darkstrike]

Oh, my Explorer will be under the knife soon, gonna be a machine!

I have, on order,
Hipshot Ultralights,
Hipshot A Bridge in brass,
Three String Retainer,
push/pull pots,
On/On switches,
chrome mounting rings,
Rio Grande Pitbull pickup,

This is how it will be wired,

And I may reshape the headstock, to a tele bass shape, and paint it matching black.

For sure, and I forgot, I ordered a nickle nut, seeing as its like fret material, should give a good twang, and in case it fails, I put a brass one on order too.

EDIT: Oh, and abalone dots to replace the ugly grey plastic ones it has.

Oh, this got done the other day, barring the headstock, still debating wether to do that or just call it good.
The controls changed, its now on/off for each pickup, master volume(with a treble bleed), master tone, both pots are push/push, one being a coil tap for the Rio Grande, one being a bypass switch, hotwiring the bridge pickup to the output jack, turning the other pickups off, and skipping the controls.

Going for a pretty long jam/recording session tomorrow, baptisim of fire!

 

[Haystack Greg]

I believe they came with the top hat style speed knobs on them. I don't own a Gibby Explorer, but I've seen a bunch of photos. I like the look of the reflector knobs more than either of those, but I believe the Explorer basses came with the top hats.

Thanks Chowderboots, what I thought too (in black)

Got the full "reverse" family now: RD Artist and T-bird, but this - very unexpectedly - could be my fave

 

[bt99]

I just got a ESP/LTD Ex104 pics will be up soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon

 

[A_Warning]

What kind of pick up is that?

no name lipstick, wired in serial. I will put them in neck position and put a dual-jazz pickup in bridge position!

 

[A_Warning]

Abnourmet-31 (although, you deserve number 1 with that bass!)
A_warning-32. Did that start off as the new epi explorer bass?

Yes it did!

 

[Topperthecat]

I really like the body shape. I would go ahead and paint the neck Gloss Black to match that body. I think you could modify the shape as well to better match the nice curves of the body...

 

[DerHoggz]

OT: was that stock natural or a refin?

 

[Topperthecat]

Here is my offering to join the Explorer Bass Club. I constructed this from a Warmoth swamp ash body, shaped and modified to fit a 1988 Kramer neck.The Electronics are Delano’s 3-band Sonar EQ and SBC4 HE/S Pickups. I used a Kahler Bridge, Gotoh tuners, Graph-Tech Nut with Rotosound flatwound strings.I mixed color with flakes and applied many, many coats of clear lacquer. I love these old Kramer Necks and I think it is Killer Good Looking as well as sounding.

 

[Darkstrike]

Here is my offering to join the Explorer Bass Club. I constructed this from a Warmoth swamp ash body, shaped and modified to fit a 1988 Kramer neck.The Electronics are Delano’s 3-band Sonar EQ and SBC4 HE/S Pickups. I used a Kahler Bridge, Gotoh tuners, Graph-Tech Nut with Rotosound flatwound strings.I mixed color with flakes and applied many, many coats of clear lacquer. I love these old Kramer Necks and I think it is Killer Good Looking as well as sounding.

That is crazy awesome!

 

[Topperthecat]

Here is a little more info on my Purple Pounder. Stainless cap screws and a ¼ inch thick brass plate on the back for killer sustain. I gained some weight but I think poor quality neck joints give up a lot of available string energy. Only Socket Head Screws were used, no Phillips Head and none at all on the rear cover plates. It is fully Copper Shielded. Having 3 Pickups with 3 coil modes each and active electronics, you can shape a lot of sounds. I have Photobucket construction photos that show the shielding and joint details but so far I've not been able to attach the link...

 

[Chowderboots]

Oh, this got done the other day, barring the headstock, still debating wether to do that or just call it good.
The controls changed, its now on/off for each pickup, master volume(with a treble bleed), master tone, both pots are push/push, one being a coil tap for the Rio Grande, one being a bypass switch, hotwiring the bridge pickup to the output jack, turning the other pickups off, and skipping the controls.

Going for a pretty long jam/recording session tomorrow, baptisim of fire!

So sick, dude! I say paint the headstock black, too! That'd be perfect. It'll make it worth your time once you get the TOM routes filled and the body refinished 'cos it'll look so good.

Thanks Chowderboots, what I thought too (in black)

Got the full "reverse" family now: RD Artist and T-bird, but this - very unexpectedly - could be my fave

I just got a ESP/LTD Ex104 pics will be up soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon

Nice!

no name lipstick, wired in serial. I will put them in neck position and put a dual-jazz pickup in bridge position!

Cool. That thing will look rad.

OT: was that stock natural or a refin?

No clue. I know nothing about Warwicks. I just grabbed that pic off of Google images because I remembered seeing lipstick pickups on that model because of some thread on TB.

 

[Z -Bar]

Here is my Epiphone Explorer and my Jackson Kelly.
If you are still giving out number I would gladly take one - Thanks

 

[Chowderboots]

Here is my Epiphone Explorer and my Jackson Kelly.
If you are still giving out number I would gladly take one - Thanks

Bravo. I love Kellys.

 

[Pulse Generator]

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If anyone's interested - Here's an Explorer for 159.99

Never heard of the brand though

 

[Awesomenaut]

Hey, guys...


Anybody seen this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/HEMBRY-Diamond-...QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item439bba3109

Looks like a pretty exact copy of a Destroyer.

 

[Grissle]

I'm interested in those Rio Grande Pitbull pups, Do you know the dimensions of the pickup and pickup ring? I'm wondering if they might fit a Epi T-Bird?

Oh, my Explorer will be under the knife soon, gonna be a machine!

I have, on order,
Hipshot Ultralights,
Hipshot A Bridge in brass,
Three String Retainer,
push/pull pots,
On/On switches,
chrome mounting rings,
Rio Grande Pitbull pickup,

This is how it will be wired,

And I may reshape the headstock, to a tele bass shape, and paint it matching black.

 

[Darkstrike]

I'm interested in those Rio Grande Pitbull pups, Do you know the dimensions of the pickup and pickup ring? I'm wondering if they might fit a Epi T-Bird?

Standard guitar humbucker.

 

[12stringbassist]

Aria ZZB deluxe:
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