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EXPLORER 'ELITE' FRET-BOARD


Wild Bill 212

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HELLO PLAYERS, today I got myself a 2018 GIBSON USA EXPLORER 'ELITE'. A li'l different than the regular EXPLORER, the 'ELITE' has Gold hardware, Pick-Up covers and that seems to be about it.

The Guitar is pretty AWESOME, I must say...WOW, the Burstbucker 2 & 3 are really bright and I find myself turning the tone knob way down. The Guitar was perfectly set-up when I got it (ICB I do not need to do a set-up on it right away !). Guitar plays like a DREAM. I am sorry I waited so long to get one, but I have been an 'SG' player for so long that almost no other Guitars existed. I had planned on getting a FIREBIRD but the Mini-Humbucker's turned me away from it.

The Fret-Board is 'BAKED GRANADILLO' while the regular EXPLORER is "TORRIFIED GRANADILLO', is there a difference ? If so ,what is it ?

 

On new Guitars I usually hit the fret-board with Lin-Seed Oil, and wipe it right off. But with this BAKED GRANADILLO Fret-Board, a first for me, I am reluctant to put anything on it and figure I would ask the Bro's on GIBSON Forums what they would or would not put on a spanking new BAKED GRANADILLO Fret-Board ? I did put 'VIRTUOSO' Premium Polish on the body and the back of the neck , as I always do with a new axe. 'VIRTUOSO' is made for Nitro-Cellulose Laquers and it always makes my axe's SHINE and feel real smooth with never an issue of fading/spotting/discoloring, nothin. Just a really smooth shine.. But the Granadillo Fret-Board, IDK about putting anything on it.

I have seen players claiming they put DR. Something or other on a Granadillo fret-board to get it DARKER and away from the Orange hue that GRANADILLO has a slight bit of, IDK. I do not mind the colour of the Fret-Board at all and like I said, the Guitar is a DREAM TO PLAY and is a ROCKIN' AXE, I'm really happy with the purchase thus far and this EXPLORER 'ELITE' just may be my new #1 ....

Thank you in advance for any comments/advice you may offer.......

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these links might help....

 

 

2011 article..... "Gibson Auditions Torrefied Maple for Fretboards"

 

2015 Gibson article ..... "Building a Better Fingerboard" ...Richlite...

2016 Gibson article...."Know Your Fingerboards"....

 

 

 

 

 

THANKS, I did see one of those articles. I did not go for the 'Lzzy Hale' Signature model, not because of the price(+550) but because of the 'Richlite'....I just could not wrap my head, or hands, around a Guitar that is not WOOD. But seeing how the Pro's outweigh the Cons in 'Richlites' case........it should be a NO-BRAINER ! But I still can not bring myself to buy a Guitar with a 'Richlite' Fret-Board. The over-all tone of my EXPLORER is pretty BRIGHT. From what I have read the Burstbucker 2 & 3 are geared towards Metal, Which is OK by me. I was chunking 'Monkey Man' on it and it was up to the task, NAILIN' IT, really ROCKIN' when it needed to be and Bright as in the very opening riff. I'm really liking this guitar, everything about it....the one I got is pretty perfect !

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Hey, terrified is a fancy word for baked, so it's the same thing...

msp_laugh.gif

 

As in "I saw a horror film last night and I was baked out of my wits!"...?...

 

Spellcheque to the resqueue, I suspect?

 

eusa_think.gif

 

Pip.

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Hey, torrified is a fancy word for baked, so it's the same thing.

 

When someone posts pics or it didn't happen, they are asking you for a picture of the guitar.

 

I did not know that, it seemed like an insult of some vague sort. IDK if you have noticed but postings pics on this web-site is just not happening for me...I've tried..

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/42327422@N07/41238394440/in/dateposted-public/

 

 

and this is the best I can do, I think if you click on the link, it will get you to the picture of the EXPLORER I got yesterday, and my 'SG' standard.

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Really, you're making us witness your CAPS CRAP again but don't care posting PICTURES? Well... *signs out*

 

IDK about anyone else, but I am not making you do anything. This web-site sucks as far as adding pictures goes.

 

A link is the best I could do...

 

 

IMG_0659

 

 

 

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I have a LP Custom with richlite fretboard, and I have absolutely no issues with it. It looks good and I don't know how a wooden would provide anything more to the guitar than cosmetics... I have heard all the arguments on the tone of a fretboard and such, but FWIW, the richlite on my LP Custom is definitely not doing any injustice. Either way, to each and to their own. I had no issues paying Gibson cash for this guitar, because once I plugged it in and played it, I knew I had to have it!

 

I have yet to even play on a Richlite board and this was an on-line purchase. This Granadillo Fret-Board is a first for me as well.I figured I couldn't miss with the Granadillo, as it is wood. I hear some people do not like Granadillo as it has an Orange hue. IDK, seems light brown to me.If you'd like to take a look at it, a link is below.

 

 

IMG_0659

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Wild Bill 212, because this site only allows 500k of image storage so its servers don't get overloaded, image hosting sites have to be used for high res shots of your guitars... Image files tend to be very large...

 

***** replaced the zzounds image with yours ... didn't see your image link.. earlier... Johnny 6 String got it for you and provided good instructions in the next post.....

 

 

41238394440_2e3d1862c2.jpg

I have a custom built African mahogany Explorer with p-90's and a Duesenberg Les Trem II. Explorers are great to play, very well balanced and look like a work of art. Only negative is that their hard case is huge...

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I did not know that, it seemed like an insult of some vague sort. IDK if you have noticed but postings pics on this web-site is just not happening for me...I've tried..

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/42327422@N07/41238394440/in/dateposted-public/

 

 

and this is the best I can do, I think if you click on the link, it will get you to the picture of the EXPLORER I got yesterday, and my 'SG' standard.

 

 

 

41238394440_2e3d1862c2_z.jpg

 

 

click on your own pic on Flickr, bottom right hand corner 4 little icons will pop up, click on the one that looks like a curved arrow (share), a pop up with 3 tabs will appear, one is labeled BBcode, click on that tab, copy the info and paste into your post. once pasted go back and delete everything before at the start and everything after at the end

 

tada pics in your post

 

 

Johnny

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Wild Bill 212, because this site only allows 500k of image storage so its servers don't get overloaded, image hosting sites have to be used for high res shots of your guitars... Image files tend to be very large...

 

***** replaced the zzounds image with yours ... didn't see your image link.. earlier... Johnny 6 String got it for you and provided good instructions in the next post.....

 

 

41238394440_2e3d1862c2.jpg

I have a custom built African mahogany Explorer with p-90's and a Duesenberg Les Trem II. Explorers are great to play, very well balanced and look like a work of art. Only negative is that their hard case is huge...

 

WOW, your 'EXPLORER' sounds like its BAD-A$$, I don't think I've seen one with P-90's before. As you may have noticed I put a 'Les Trem II' on my 'SG' Standard,just last week, they are Cool l'il gadgets. I have never played a Guitar w/P-90's as I will not touch someone else's Guitar so I only play Guitar's I buy or if I am in a store, the one or two that I might take off the wall, which is not very often at all. The Burstbucker 2 & 3 that are on my 'EXPLORER' are really quite bright sounding Pick-up's. I am getting used to lowering the Treble and Gain on my Amps and Pedals to get the Tone I want,and I thought "Maybe lowering the P-Up's will do it...", u know? HA, but now I am finding that I have to adjust the spring bracket underneath the P-Up Ring as the Neck P-Up will not lower. I am sure I'll get it sorted out and this is the only issue with the Guitar out-of-the-box, everything else is perfect...U R correct about these Guitar's and I could not have said it better myself.

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WOW, your 'EXPLORER' sounds like its BAD-A$$, I don't think I've seen one with P-90's before. As you may have noticed I put a 'Les Trem II' on my 'SG' Standard,just last week, they are Cool l'il gadgets. I have never played a Guitar w/P-90's as I will not touch someone else's Guitar so I only play Guitar's I buy or if I am in a store, the one or two that I might take off the wall, which is not very often at all. The Burstbucker 2 & 3 that are on my 'EXPLORER' are really quite bright sounding Pick-up's. I am getting used to lowering the Treble and Gain on my Amps and Pedals to get the Tone I want,and I thought "Maybe lowering the P-Up's will do it...", u know? HA, but now I am finding that I have to adjust the spring bracket underneath the P-Up Ring as the Neck P-Up will not lower. I am sure I'll get it sorted out and this is the only issue with the Guitar out-of-the-box, everything else is perfect...U R correct about these Guitar's and I could not have said it better myself.

Nice.

 

Tony Iommi did not need a tremolo.

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WOW, your 'EXPLORER' sounds like its BAD-A$, I don't think I've seen one with P-90's before. As you may have noticed I put a 'Les Trem II' on my 'SG' Standard,just last week, they are Cool l'il gadgets. I have never played a Guitar w/P-90's as I will not touch someone else's Guitar so I only play Guitar's I buy or if I am in a store, the one or two that I might take off the wall, which is not very often at all. The Burstbucker 2 & 3 that are on my 'EXPLORER' are really quite bright sounding Pick-up's. I am getting used to lowering the Treble and Gain on my Amps and Pedals to get the Tone I want,and I thought "Maybe lowering the P-Up's will do it...", u know? HA, but now I am finding that I have to adjust the spring bracket underneath the P-Up Ring as the Neck P-Up will not lower. I am sure I'll get it sorted out and this is the only issue with the Guitar out-of-the-box, everything else is perfect...U R correct about these Guitar's and I could not have said it better myself.

I built my Explorer from a kit because I couldn't find one setup the way I wanted. The kit body was already cut out for humbuckers so I installed Humbucker sized P-90's and I wanted a left hand Tremolo on a right hand guitar, Stevie Ray style. When I installed the LH tremolo in the stop bar position the spring was in the way of the bridge a bit, but worked. I installed 2 additional mounting studs farther down and used the stop bar to create better angle for the strings on the bridge. Looking at roller bars to take the stop bars place. Everything works quite well.

 

Note: I would not necessarily Recommend a LH Tremolo on a RH Guitar, but it puts the Tremolo Arm hovering very close to the bridge.

 

My original post on my Explorer started before I installed the Les Trem II..

 

WIA0zQr.jpg

 

 

 

 

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Calm down. I was making a joke. In fact I'm Jimmy Page.

Ahhhh.... Hey wait I thought I was Jimmy Page, oh well I guess I could be Beck or Clapton..... I guess I'm lucky to have survived living the 60's with a few brain cells intact..[crying]

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I built my Explorer from a kit because I couldn't find one setup the way I wanted. The kit body was already cut out for humbuckers so I installed Humbucker sized P-90's and I wanted a left hand Tremolo on a right hand guitar, Stevie Ray style. When I installed the LH tremolo in the stop bar position the spring was in the way of the bridge a bit, but worked. I installed 2 additional mounting studs farther down and used the stop bar to create better angle for the strings on the bridge. Looking at roller bars to take the stop bars place. Everything works quite well.

 

My original post on my Explorer started before I installed the Les Trem II..

 

WIA0zQr.jpg

 

 

 

Interesting, really interesting, what kind of bridge is that ? I Can't tell if its a Roller. I've only tried one brand Roller-Bridge, the 'Golden-Eagle'... and while it is a functional piece of hardware I found it did nothing to keep either a Les Paul Studio or 'SG' Special tuned after using the B7 Bigsby, so took 'em both off, still have one of 'em.The 'Les Trem II' I have is on an 'SG' but I think it is also capable of going on the EXPLORER and it just may end up there. The 'Les Trem II' doesn't throw my 'SG' out of tune the way the Bigsby B7 does. The BB3 on my EXPLORER is in the Bridge position, may have to be changed I do not like it at all. I lowered the BB2 in the Neck Position and it cleaned up, it made a big difference just by lowering it.

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