Customizing an '08 Explorer

[Skoomacat]

I just got a new Explorer and love it. I want to use it throughout the years as my weapon of choice. I'm sure you all feel a bond with your favorite guitar. I want to make it more unique to make it even more special to me. Here are some of the modifications I want to make:

 

1. Pickups. Probably EMG's. Can anyone recommend a model that would be good for playing Punk, Alternative, Metal, and the occasional Blues?

 

2. Tremolo/Floating Bridge. One thing I dislike about the Factory Explorers is no tremolo! Can anyone recommend one that would look good on the instrument, have good functionality, and wouldn't mess up the setup?

 

3. Strap Locks

 

4. Cream Pickguard and Nut: I like the look of the Cream on Black color scheme. I'm in the process of getting the pickguard, but can anyone tell me where I can get a matching nut? Also, the truss rod cover has a thin white line around it. Is there any reason I shouldn't just color it carefully with a matching marker?

 

5. Last but not least, the most important feature for playability, the Action. I want to get it as low as possible without any buzz. It's already pretty low, but an old vet told me there are ways to get strings extremely close to the frets. Any information or recommendations on doing this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks for the help!

[dem00n]

1. Dimarzio and Duncans....i like the X2N. I hate EMG's, no unique sound to a guitar and if you dont have a amazing amp its not that great.

 

2. No answer

 

3. Schaller...you might have to drill a whole into your baby...but its worth it!

 

4. A matching nut? A bone nut?

 

5. No answer.

[Skoomacat]

How would a bone nut effect the tone?

[Dub-T-123]

Dont get EMGs!

[lowb5str]

1) Check out Duncan Blackouts it you like EMG tones.

 

2) There are no-drill Bigsby-type vibrato arms, if you like that sort of thing. Did you want a vibrola like early SG's? Go to stew-mac or AllParts for possibilities.

 

3) Schaller.

 

4) Earvana are best if you can hear the diff.

 

5) go to your FLGS and get a pro setup. Might cost $100. Worth EVERY penny. YMMV.

[dem00n]

How would a bone nut effect the tone?

It would make the tone better. :)

I dont know how to explain it but sometimes the only mod people do to a guitar is a bone nut.

[Piro]

From experience: The EMG's will make the guitar very sterile. Try to find a good passive set up. Lots of good choices out there. You will be happy with the EMG's until you play a Squire that has the same pups, and sounds the same.

[MojoRedFoot]

I just got a new Explorer and love it. I want to use it throughout the years as my weapon of choice. I'm sure you all feel a bond with your favorite guitar. I want to make it more unique to make it even more special to me. Here are some of the modifications I want to make:

 

1. Pickups. Probably EMG's. Can anyone recommend a model that would be good for playing Punk' date=' Alternative, Metal, and the occasional Blues?

 

2. Tremolo/Floating Bridge. One thing I dislike about the Factory Explorers is no tremolo! Can anyone recommend one that would look good on the instrument, have good functionality, and wouldn't mess up the setup?

 

3. Strap Locks

 

4. Cream Pickguard and Nut: I like the look of the Cream on Black color scheme. I'm in the process of getting the pickguard, but can anyone tell me where I can get a matching nut? Also, the truss rod cover has a thin white line around it. Is there any reason I shouldn't just color it carefully with a matching marker?

 

5. Last but not least, the most important feature for playability, the Action. I want to get it as low as possible without any buzz. It's already pretty low, but an old vet told me there are ways to get strings extremely close to the frets. Any information or recommendations on doing this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks for the help![/quote']

 

1. As usual, I am the only one to say I like EMGs. I only like the 81/60 combo. 81 in the neck position is not as warm as the 60. The 85 seems to lack the clarity of the 60. That's just me.

 

2. I would never dream of doing this.

 

3. I put Schallers on mine. I moved the one button from the back neck joint to the top sid next to the neck.

 

4. yeah, bone nut. I'm sure you can use a black marker on the white lines.

 

5. take it to a pro.

[Explorer]

1. I personally wouldn't go EMG's in my opinion I would go with Seymour Duncans. Custom Custom at the bridge and Jazz at the neck is one of the best combinations.

 

2. Get a tremolo system that mounts to your existing studs. I forget the company that makes these but they are a direct rectro fit to the stop tail studs.

 

3. Schaller's you may have to drill new holes but strap locks are always worth the investment.

 

4. Leave the stock Gibson nut in their. Don't touch it! Gibson glues these in prior to painting so there is a good chance you can knick the finish taking it out. Just have a tech look at it, because Gibson doesn't always do the best job cutting the slots.

 

5. Have your tech lower the action to where you feel comfortable playing it. No reason in dropping it as low as possible because your neck is going to shift with the seasons and in a few months or few string changes later there is a good chance its going to be fretting out. A good tech will be able to lower it enough that you will like it.

[V-man]

I have a lot of guitars with SDs and some factory Gibsons, but I do appreciate EMGs in the explorer (though there may/may not be better choices depending on your style). I would pass on SD Active if you want a jack-of-all trades guitar. They are more suitable for hi-gain metal. For EMGs, the old standard was 85N/81B, though some like switching the order. I had that on a Jackson Rhoads but now I say if you're considering an 85, you're a fool if you don't go 89 because it has a coil tap option for more tone versatility. You can also throw a PA-2 for a little more oomph on the 81 (that is the setup on my ESP 89N/81B/PA-2 & coil tap mini toggles).

 

Another interesting choice for maximum versatility is the P-rail from SD. You get fairly hot (passive) Humbucker sound, p-90 sounds, single coil sounds, and a "wired in parallel" feature. That's 4 sounds in one pickup. I did a '67' reissue Flying V project with a single pickup and this did the trick nicely, though you can use 2 P-rails or mix with something else.

 

As for the tremolo, etc I would offer you some advice... there is a certain line where you ought to call it a day. Sometimes one is better off in the long run selling X for what he really wants (Y), or even keeping X stock and saving for Y, rather than spending a ton to make X into an awkward version of Y. You can buy an aftermarket Kahler which slaps on neatly, but most tremolo guys I know wouldn't waste time or money on those. The other option is Floyd rose, which is the preferred trem. The easiest and coolest way to do it is to pay a metric *** ton of money and get the super rare standalone FR that was made in the 80s. It was big & bulky but required no routing. Again, they're hard to find and not cheap. The other option is get a proper FR and have your guitar routed but that's going to cost you too, and you really had better be married to the guitar, because it will trash resale.

 

EDIT: the other problem (ESPECIALLY WITH EXPLORERS) is if you get a tremolo you have to get a locking nut to go with or the thing slips out of tune like nothing. The shred explorer was a dismal failure putting all the stability on locking tuners. Some guy on you tube shows how the guitar slips right out of tune after two dives of the whammy.

 

You also may want to give it a year or two stock to see what you truly (dis) like about the guitar. Things you prefer changed now, may be things you'd prefer to keep later as your style changes. You may even find you don't like this guitar, or you love it for X but prefer another guitar set up differently for Y.

[e/2 Explorer]

1) In my old trans-purple CMT e/2, I used an EMG 60 in the neck and an 89 in the bridge. On a maple topped guitar, they actually sounded excellent and I am not an EMG fan at all. That combination excelled in any form of metal as well as blues and instrumental stuff. That would be my recommedation, the 81/85 set is not that versatile. Blackouts would be an option also, I have heard good things about them but have yet to try a pair

 

2) Trem, BUY SOME OTHER BRAND GUITAR AND MODIFY IT, if it's your intent though ... , I would go with a Kahler and a Dean Z instead of ruining an Explorer and destroying it's future value. The ONLY Explorer's I would even consider trems in would be a black or a white. Their a dime a dozen and never will really appreciate in value like a natural or burst finish will

 

3) Schaller's, Dunlop's, Planet Waves etc... whatever, they all work. I am using several brands on my straps (I have a strap specific to each one). Just make sure they are the same color as your hardware

 

4) Nuts can be had anywhere on the net. Get a bone one. Personally, I prefer brass for the insane sustain. I hate white pickguards on an Explorer

 

5) Keep adjusting the truss rod and bridge accordingly until you reach the lowest before buzzing point. You also need to lower your pickups accordingly!!! You can pony up a couple hundred and get it pleked for the best possible action period. I set my own up, you literally can't slide a butter knife under the strings

 

Best of luck AND DON'T PUT A TREM ON IT

 

Now drool biatch... [biggrin] [biggrin]

 

 

 

Would you hack a hole in these?

[dem00n]

No but somebody did put EMG's :)

[Kyle W]

There's a used Gibson Explorer, black w/ EMG's, on Guitarcenter.com's site right now for $499, it's got some wear and dings it looks like, but still not a bad deal. The guitar is in the Madison Wisconsin store.

[Hydra26]

e/2, I didn't realize that one you had was purple, I thought it was wine red or something. Looks totally different in that pic. Very nice!

[yoda]

 

 

Cool name, I'm guessing you played a lot of the Elder Scrolls games.

[Rabbitt]

Cool name, I'm guessing you played a lot of the Elder Scrolls games.

[Rabbitt]

Hey skoomacat my 09 explorer had emg's in it when I bought it sounds awesome!!!