Explorer fans...Gibson may be granting your wish.

[Nightside]

Yeah even James' original mx220 came with passives. He didn't use EMGs until after justice was recorded and they were touring.

 

[Guitarded81401]

https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Electric-Guitar/80s-Explorer-Exclusive/Classic-White

No date but it’s at least announced. On the wait list…

 

[Fenriswolf]

Do the cavities in these models even fit a 9V?

I had a battery box installed in mine (a 2012 model) because it was an uncomfortably tight fit and I wouldn't trust a lot of people with a procedure like that.

Back in the day I had one of the '84 Epiphone Explorers that came with EMGS, and if I remember right they had a battery cavity on them too.

 

[DarkstarII]

Trogly’s says these are supposed to be Gibson exclusives, so Sweetwater et. al. may not ever get any, which is a huge disappointment. Get your poop in a group Gibson!

 

[Guitarded81401]

Trogly’s says these are supposed to be Gibson exclusives, so Sweetwater et. al. may not ever get any, which is a huge disappointment. Get your poop in a group Gib

My Sweetwater rep said it's not in their system at all and that made them all think it won't be sold outside Gibson, said he was calling the Gibson rep and would get back to me.

 

[LCW]

Problem is (at least for me - too much OCD triggering...) it's not an accurate replica. Body shape is wrong. Knob and switch placement is wrong. Wrong wood. Wrong pickups. Either Gibson is doing it on purpose (likely) in order to due a Custom Shop version, maybe even a Het sig, or they are truly incapable of accurate repros until they're at at for like 20 years like on R9s...

body shape


controls

 

[Dekay82]

Some asshole is selling one on Reverb marked up to $4,500. “I think this may be rare”
Fuck you, you scalping piece of shit, you know exactly what you’re doing.

 

[complex-barb.0t]

I suspect like Fender, Gibson is planning over the next few years to cut out their dealers and sell mostly direct. Selling exclusives like this may just be a beta test for the future.

Honestly the white 80s exp is not worth it. At my local guitar store a black one has been sitting collecting dust for months.

 

[narad]

I guess they would need to borrow one from James to copy.

All this is is their regular explorer without the pickguard and a different control layout. Like their "70s V" which is just their standard 67 reissue (which itself is as close to a 67 as this Explorer is to the 84 explorer) with pickup rings and for some reason neck binding.

If they put half as much effort into the designer series as they do LPs I'd be happy but I gave up on Gibson getting any of this shit right ages ago.

Can you imagine being so close to an easily profitable explorer lineup and then investing a huge amount of resources into the Firebird X?

 

[Nightside]

they are truly incapable of accurate repros until they're at at for like 20 years like on R9s...

This. The Hammett V is much closer but isn't a faithful replica either.

 

[DarkstarII]

The current Gibson Ex shape is more akin to the ESP MX250 shape, I admit… but most 80s explorers were ‘hog body/neck w/ rosewood fretboards. Most…

 

[DarkstarII]

Also, fyi to anyone thinking of buying a Gibson soon — folks on Reddit are seeing price increases being posted online. For example, this simple white basic explorer is supposed to go up to $2,799… yay…

 

[l1ll1]

Also, fyi to anyone thinking of buying a Gibson soon — folks on Reddit are seeing price increases being posted online. For example, this simple white basic explorer is supposed to go up to $2,799… yay…

And all the stock Explorers that are already in stock at dealers will follow along. Saw it on the '76 I've been eyeing for 1,5 year, just got more and more expensive while it was hanging in my local...

 

[Nightside]

And all the stock Explorers that are already in stock at dealers will follow along. Saw it on the '76 I've been eyeing for 1,5 year, just got more and more expensive while it was hanging in my local...

Yeah I think the brick and mortar mom and pop's have caught on. If it's not selling in the store don't lower the price and lose money, raise the price and sell it online.

 

[l1ll1]

Yeah I think the brick and mortar mom and pop's have caught on. If it's not selling in the store don't lower the price and lose money, raise the price and sell it online.

I mean I get it for the struggling shops, inflation is real etc.
This specific store is more of a "selling custom shop gits to swiss lawyers + doctors" and seeing the same serial '76 go from 2200 CHF to 2650 CHF in 18 months is kinda annoying. Even though the store is great and treated me really well in the past.

 

[l1ll1]

So it begins: just walked into the biggest dealer in austria and they raised the price of an in stock natural 76 by 200€ from last week.

 

[DarkstarII]

THERE IS HOPE! https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-gibson-explorer-80s-white.366102/#post-5622361