Gibson Explorer
| Gibson Explorer | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General | |
| Type | Electric guitar |
| Manufacturer | Gibson ; United States |
| production | 1958–1959, since 1976 |
| Construction and materials | |
| Scale length | 24.75 inches (628 mm) |
| Body | Solid body made of Korina or mahogany |
| neck | Set-in neck made of korina or mahogany |
| Fingerboard | Rosewood or ebony , 22 frets |
| Mechanics | 6 × left; capsuled |
| Footbridge / bridge | Two-piece Tune-O-Matic / Stop-Tailpiece metal bridge with individual saddles |
| Pickups and Electronics | |
| Pickups |
2 × humbuckers |
| Tone control | passive
|
The Gibson Explorer is an electric guitar model that was first brought to market in 1958 by the American company Gibson Guitar Corporation .
History and construction
The president of the Gibson Guitar Corporation , Ted McCarty , decided in the mid-1950s to add some new guitar models with modern standards to the company's range. The result was the Flying V , the Modern and the Explorer .
All three models have a solid wood body ( solid body ) from Korina wood (a tropical mahogany -type) and were equipped with two humbuckers - pickups . The eye-catching instruments were primarily intended for the jazz guitarists considered progressive, but met with largely rejection and were a commercial failure. Therefore, the Explorer was initially only manufactured from 1958 to 1959, and unfinished guitars that remained in the factory were completed and delivered in the early 1960s.These models differ from those delivered in the 1950s only in that they have partially different hardware and pickups.
In Gibson's delivery lists under the entries for the Flying V there is a column for "Korina (Mod. Gtr.)", Which lists nineteen instruments for 1958 and three for 1959. It is assumed that these are the production figures of the Explorer , as no verifiably original Gibson Modern has appeared to this day (there was an attempt to interpret that "Mod. Gtr." Was the modern ) and it was during the Production time gave different names within the factory for this model.
It wasn't until the advent of hard rock in the early 1970s that the Explorer became a popular and sought-after model and inspired numerous instrument manufacturers for hard rock / heavy metal clientele to create their own variations of the Explorer theme, such as the company Jackson Guitars , ESP , Ibanez , BC Rich and others. Gibson therefore reintroduced the Explorer in 1976, initially as a "Limited Edition", but now with a body made of mahogany. The guitar is also made in different versions, but mostly only for a limited period of time or in limited numbers. For example, as "Pro" with a slightly reduced body, as "Reversed" in which the body shape is mirrored and a different headstock shape is available, as "Holy" in which geometrical openings are milled into the body or as "Shark Fin" which are clearly visible removed from the original shape. Original instruments from the first production series with Korina bodies are among the rarest, most sought after and most expensive solid body electric guitar models due to the very small number of pieces produced.
literature
- AR Duchsossoir: Gibson Electrics - The Classic Years . Hal Leonard, 1994, ISBN 0-7935-9210-0
- Gil Hembree: Gibson Guitars - Ted McCarty's Golden Era . Hal Leonard, 2007, ISBN 1-4234-1813-1
- Zachary R. Fjestad / Larry Meiners: Gibson Flying V . 2nd edition. Blue Book Publications, 2007, ISBN 1-886768-72-2
- Tom Wheeler: American Guitars (revised and expanded). Harper Perennial, 1992, ISBN 0-06-273154-8
- Tony Bacon, Dave Hunter: Totally Guitar - The definitive guide . Backbeat Books, London 2004, ISBN 3-86150-732-3 (English)
- George Gruhn, Walter Carter: Electric Guitars & Basses - The History of Electric Guitars and Basses. PPV, Bergkirchen 1999, ISBN 3-932275-04-7
- Guitar & bass. Gibson special edition. Various authors. Musik Media, Ulm 2002, ISSN 0934-7674