GraceToo

Yes, I’m aware. 🙂 Lots of finishes and styles to choose from if you want an LP or an SG. Hopefully it bodes well for future Explorers, Vs, and Firebirds.

Hopefully it won’t be too long until we see more variety… I will never buy an ebony Explorer with a rosewood fretboard (I’d make an exception for an ebony body plus ebony fretboard combo, or a custom with binding and gold hardware, but that’s it). Natural and white are both classic body colours for the Explorer and the V, and it would be awesome to see those variations added to the inspired by Gibson line. It would also be great to see a standard production Epiphone Explorer modelled after the ‘70s design, rather than the rounder ‘58 design. Most of the artist Epiphone Explorers are done in the more angular ‘70s style, but I can’t think of any regular production Epi Explorers produced in the past couple decades based on that design. I know the LP is a more popular and therefore more marketable guitar overall, but it just seems a little unfortunate to me that we’re severely limited by what we can buy in the designer series, when we can buy Epiphone LPs in most of the classic Gibson finishes with period-specific variations and custom models. I might just have to wait for a new artist model Explorer.

Dryer sheets usually work for static on plastic pickguards. They frequently don't work for static on the finish on the back of the guitar body/neck (and if they do work for that problem, they don't work for long).

As the new owner of a 2020 Epiphone Les Paul, I just have to say that I am really impressed with the step up in Epiphone's quality over the past few years. I'd love to get one of the new Explorers as well, but there's just one problem: I loathe ebony finishes when they're combined with rosewood fretboards. More finish options would be much appreciated! An Epiphone Explorer in an aged natural or walnut finish would be an instant purchase for me, as would one in white. I know there may be another artist run or limited edition run at some point, but I think there would definitely be a market for greater variety in the standard production finishes in the designer series. The V and Firebird both only have one finish to choose from as well.

I bought a new Epiphone LP gold top last week, and it is phenomenal. It is currently being serviced for a possible high fret, but honestly, one high fret is a small price to pay for an otherwise excellent guitar. It sounds so much better than my older Epi gold top (which had alnico classics), and it looks more like a gold top is supposed to look. I had originally intended to go home with a Gibson LP Studio, but the Studio had bad static crackle on the back of the guitar. The other Gibsons I tried in the store had static crackle too. More importantly: they didn't feel or sound any better than the Epiphone. Epiphone have really knocked it out the park with this latest run. Now, if they could only release some more finish options for the Explorer, I'd be golden. 🙂

Well, when people are calling Gibson about this problem and Gibson are telling them directly that it’s because of the electrostatic finish application… I guess it’s safe to assume that it’s really how the finish is applied. It obviously doesn’t affect all of the guitars that go through the electrostat line, but there are enough complaints out there about static Gibsons to suggest Gibson needs to examine the issue closer. This has never happened before on any other guitar I’ve ever owned in over twenty years of playing, and I’ve owned a lot. Since no Gibson representatives read their official forum (I wasn’t aware), I guess I’ll stop responding, even though problem was not truly “resolved.” I wouldn’t really call having to give up the dream guitar you’ve wanted for years a “resolution.” I’d call it a disappointment. For the next person who inevitably ends up with this problem and stumbles across this thread while looking for solutions: I hope you’re able to get your money back easily, and I hope you manage to get a suitable, non-crackling replacement without hassle.

What on earth are you going on about? I’m not trying to convince anyone to sell their Gibsons, particularly if they DON’T have static problems related to the finishing process. What I would like to see is Gibson making an effort to ensure that expensive guitars are not leaving their factory with this problem. People keep responding to the thread, which is the only reason why I myself keep responding. LPRich, if it’s not a problem, why did you respond to this thread four weeks after the last post to say your new LP has this “dreaded” static issue? Why did you say you considered returning the guitar because of it? Clearly it IS at least somewhat of a problem for you, because why say anything weeks later after the original discussion ended, why say you considered returning it, if it wasn’t a problem? Maybe Gibson would do right by their customers and finally fix this issue if more people held them accountable. If some guitars are leaving the factory with crackling finishes secondary to the finishing process, then that’s a QC issue that needs to be addressed.

A brand new 50's LP sets you back a cool $3,200 in Canada before tax. Having to rub dryer sheets on a brand new $3,200 guitar for an indeterminate amount of time would be a fairly major deal breaker for me. It was certainly a deal breaker for me on a $1,300 used guitar that was first purchased 2.5-3 years ago, back in 2018. 🙂 How long does a person have to wait, exactly, for a Gibson guitar affected by this issue to stop being a crackling mess? How many years of gumming up the finish with dryer sheets, how many years of having to re-record takes thanks to annoying finish-related crackles if you just so happen to move the guitar slightly against your body? Not sure why they continue to insist on applying an electrostatic charge to their guitars when they know it causes this problem... P.S. I spent the money I got back for the Explorer on a brand new American Performer Telecaster. No static problems whatsoever, not even from the pickguard. Killer guitar, and I don't have to re-record perfect takes multiple times due to annoying crackling while sliding my hand up the neck.

Annoying ain't what I expect from an expensive instrument, which is why I won't buy a new Gibson unless the store has an ironclad return policy. 😊 Who wants a guitar that crackles and pops when you make a chord change? Not me! I don't care how aesthetically pleasing it is, or how rare the wood is; if I can't record with it, it's useless.

I doubt it’s the nitro itself, but rather the fact that Gibson literally applies an electrostatic charge to the guitar during the finish application process to reduce waste.

It’s pretty sad that this is considered “normal” by Gibson, and it guarantees that I won’t be purchasing a new Gibson any time soon. Why spend multiple thousands on a guitar that you can’t even record with? Seems like it’s just the luck of the draw as to whether or not you get one with static problems… I’d be curious to know when they started using this electrostatic finishing process — if only to ensure that any used Gibson I purchase was manufactured BEFORE its implementation.

I hope you never encounter the issue! It’s really frustrating, and really surprising to see just how many people have encountered it over the past several years. I hope I do find a good one at some point. I’m in no hurry to keep looking, though. This experience certainly has eliminated some of that Gibson GAS for me. It blows my mind a little that getting a “good” Gibson these days is a gamble…

I guess it depends on what you’re doing with the instrument. If I was jamming along to some backing tracks for my own enjoyment or playing in a bar band, I probably wouldn’t care about a bit of static. When I’m recording, though, those fizzles and pops get picked up very easily, and it’s frustrating to either re-do a part that was played perfectly the first time or try to edit it out. It’s totally unacceptable for recording purposes, IMO.

To be fair, though, I’ve never experienced static electricity problems on any other guitar I’ve ever played (including cheap, unshielded copies). The only other type of guitar that seems prone to the issue is Telecasters, and only with regards to the pickguard. Modern Gibsons are literally the only brand of guitar I’ve ever heard of that can develop problems with static on the neck and on the back of the guitar. Pickguards are understandable, because they’re plastic and plastic is prone to generating static. The actual BODY of the guitar, though? That should NEVER happen. Shielding the guitar might just be putting a bandaid over the real issue: an electrically charged finish that takes WAY too long to lose its charge, all in the interests of saving some money on paint.

Yep. I used to be dazzled by the headstock and the legacy. Actually owning a Gibson has cured that for me. Maybe getting an acoustic is in fact the way to go, haha. I know they’ve always used nitro. I’m talking more so about the electrostatic charge they apply to get the finish to adhere to the guitar with less waste. Skip to 3:20.

I don’t doubt that shielding can help or even completely eliminate the problem: my point is that this really shouldn’t be necessary with an expensive, premium instrument. If it happened to the guitar a year or two after I bought it, I would certainly be willing to spend time, money, and effort fixing the problem. I just bought it, though. This guitar was used, yes, but I’m willing to bet it had this problem from day one, and that’s why the original owner sold it. It’s puzzling that you hardly ever hear of other (often WAY cheaper) guitars from other companies having this issue. Did Gibson always apply an electrostatic finish to their guitars in the factory, or is this just a recent change? If it’s recent, that might explain why most of the guitars experiencing this problem were produced within the last decade.

Perhaps Gibson needs to rethink applying an electrostatic charge to their guitars during the finishing process — or, at the very least, improve their quality control if this process is responsible for the static issues some Gibson customers end up experiencing. You shouldn’t have to wait months or even years for this problem to go away when you’re spending a large chunk of change on a supposedly premium instrument. Believe me, it wasn’t the control cavity cover. I tried taking it off. No improvement. Even though I returned the guitar, I still welcome your suggestions and recommendations, so that the next poor schmuck who spends their hard-earned on a crackling Gibson has some options to try before getting their money back.

Really unfortunate. It felt amazing, it looked amazing, and it generally sounded amazing (you know, when it wasn't crackling and popping with the slightest amount of movement). A really bad first-time experience that has honestly soured me a little on the idea of owning a Gibson. I'll buy one again eventually, but I just feel so disappointed right now.

Honestly guys, it's just not good enough. Humidity is not an issue. The guitar was originally purchased in 2018, so the finish should have hopefully cured by this point. Why spend so much money on a guitar that you can barely record with because you're getting electrostatic crackling and popping 95% of the time when you slide up the neck for a solo or some harmonics, or because your freaking leg happens to brush lightly against the back of the guitar? I shouldn't have to rub dryer sheets on a guitar that retails for CAD $2150 and wait months or even years for it to stop picking up huge amounts of static that are audible in recordings -- especially not when no other guitar I've ever played since 1999 has had this problem. I shouldn't have to be "patient" with something that is marketed as a superior, premium instrument. I ended up returning the guitar this afternoon and got my money back. Salesperson at the store said another customer returned a new SG not too long ago for the exact same issue. Maybe I'll buy another Gibson guitar if/when Gibson figures out how to apply nitro finish without rendering a certain percentage of their guitars unusable for recording purposes.

Thanks for the reply. Today is my last day to return the guitar, and I’m so close to doing that… You’re saying that I can shield the guitar and fix this problem with no soldering whatsoever? I don’t have to ground the shielding material? I have zero experience working with guitar electronics, but if this is something I can do on my own without any soldering, I’m willing to give it a go. I just don’t understand why this doesn’t happen to any of my other guitars, which also are not shielded.

I am seriously bummed out right now. 😔 Last week, I bought my first Gibson (used) from a local, reputable music store that sells gently used gear in addition to brand new gear. The guitar basically looks brand new, with the exception of a few little dings here and there in the finish. The salesperson told me the previous owner barely played the thing, was more a "collector" who had lots of guitars up on his walls. And I believe that -- it's in great condition. The price was right and it played great in the store, so I bought it. I was ecstatic. Took it home and the following day, noticed something I haven't encountered once during over 20 years of playing multiple guitar brands of varying quality: a distinctive sound of static electricity crackling and popping when running my hand lightly up and down the neck, when my clothing rubs against the back of the guitar, when I rub my hand behind the control cavity, and when I rub my hand behind the switch cavity. I think the reason why I didn't notice it in the store was (1) because I only played it for about ten minutes, and (2) I was playing it sitting down and wasn't moving much. Lots and lots of research seems to suggest that a build up of electrostatic charge on the neck and on other parts of the body occurs quite frequently with new Gibsons, and is potentially related to the finish. Threads get started, people offer suggestions based on what they think might be happening, and there's hardly ever any clear resolution. The OP disappears, and we never find out if they fixed their static problem. Some suggest rubbing the guitar with dryer sheets. Some suggest stuffing dryer sheets in the guitar's cavities. Some suggest shielding the cavities with copper tape or shielding paint. Some suggest re-doing the wiring entirely. Some suggest waiting it out, because it's "normal on Gibsons" (???) and "goes away with time." I just want to know three things: (1) what the heck causes this problem, (2) why is it happening to a guitar worth over $2000, and (3) what definitively fixes this problem? I've already tried rubbing the guitar with dryer sheets, and that's a no go. Opened up the cavities, and everything looks appropriately soldered, including the bridge ground. Do I seriously need to spend money on getting a tech to shield and re-wire this thing? I love this guitar. It's my dream guitar, the guitar I've wanted since I was a kid. I don't want to have to return it over STATIC ELECTRICITY, of all things. I haven't had to return any guitar at any point in my life due to major manufacturing flaws, and it's blowing my mind a little that the first time I'm considering it is on an instrument that's more than twice as expensive as the most expensive US-produced guitar I've owned up until now.