Explorer model

[Mikst]

Hello,

Many years ago I bought a second hand Explorer, EXP83. The owner had painted turning keys, bridge, saddle and the whole guitar black. Thus, it was a bargain.

Original, I guess, pickup at the neck, dirty fingers, and an EMG 81 at the bridge.

Is it possible to find out the original spec from the serial number, 81305561?

What I understand there could be different setups of pickups and material used for neck and body.

Do you think it could be possible to remove the spray paint from the turning keys?

[Sgt. Pepper]

14 hours ago, Mikst said:

Hello,

Many years ago I bought a second hand Explorer, EXP83. The owner had painted turning keys, bridge, saddle and the whole guitar black. Thus, it was a bargain.

Original, I guess, pickup at the neck, dirty fingers, and an EMG 81 at the bridge.

Is it possible to find out the original spec from the serial number, 81305561?

What I understand there could be different setups of pickups and material used for neck and body.

Do you think it could be possible to remove the spray paint from the turning keys?

Your serial number is a number and not the spec sheet of the guitar. To many get wrapped up and think a guitars serial number tells a story of the guitar. It’s a number that differentiates it from the one that was built before and after it. Does your cars VIN tell you about your car. Nope.

[Eracer_Team]

Actually car vins tell you a lot about the car.

Color tone, engine size, options code etc

Guitar serials not so much, that's the hand written code under the pickups in the pickup cavety 

[SteveFord]

I would think if you took the tuners off and used something mild (brake fluid, for instance) that should do the trick.

I'd blast them with contact cleaner before getting them near the guitar.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

7 hours ago, Eracer_Team said:

Actually car vins tell you a lot about the car.

Color tone, engine size, options code etc

Guitar serials not so much, that's the hand written code under the pickups in the pickup cavety 

To me a VIN is a bunch of numbers in the lower front of my windshield. It may indeed do that but that would require looking something up I know . If I don't know what options my car has and what color its, I'm an idiot.

[Mikst]

If you want an identical copy of your car you can use the VIN number. 

 

My bad that that was not the case with a serial number on a guitar.

 Nothing visible in the pickup cavities, if not under the paint. Only the number on the head.

My guess; mahogany body and neck, ebony fingerboard. 

Thanks for your support.

Edited April 2, 2021 by Mikst

[Mikst]

2,5 hour, Acetone, a rag and a toothbrush.

Good enough for new pickups.

Edited April 2, 2021 by Mikst

[01GT eibach]

7 hours ago, Mikst said:

If you want an identical copy of your car you can use the VIN number. 

That really is not true.  A VIN is a 17 digit number.  Generally the last six numbers are used for the serializing of their builds usually no intelligence built in.  The rest of the VIN can indicate make, plant, and possibly engine, but little else.  When you put your VIN into a VIN decoder and see every little detail about the car, that comes from the information released by the automaker on  the vehicle. and not from within the VIN itself.  The makers release this VIN information openly due to the need for info on cars for a myriad of reasons (e.g., insurance, the re-sale market, etc.).

[merciful-evans]

8 hours ago, Mikst said:

2,5 hour, Acetone, a rag and a toothbrush.

Good enough for new pickups.

Good job. I'm sure that's a vast improvement.

[Mikst]

Thanks.

I understand now that my question wasn't interpreted as intended.

I was hoping there existed  an official database of cross-references between serial and actual build spec.

 

 

 

[merciful-evans]

5 hours ago, Mikst said:

Thanks.

I understand now that my question wasn't interpreted as intended.

I was hoping there existed  an official database of cross-references between serial and actual build spec.

 

 

 

That would be nice wouldn't it? Gibson just don't appear that organized. If they were, we wouldn't need the plethora of books and online resources about the guitars.

Its also why experts here (not me) need pix and details all the time.

 

Are you keeping the Explorer black?

[Wmachine]

13 hours ago, Mikst said:

Thanks.

I understand now that my question wasn't interpreted as intended.

I was hoping there existed  an official database of cross-references between serial and actual build spec.

 

 

 

 

7 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

That would be nice wouldn't it? Gibson just don't appear that organized. If they were, we wouldn't need the plethora of books and online resources about the guitars.

Its also why experts here (not me) need pix and details all the time.

 

Are you keeping the Explorer black?

That is a half answer at best.  In most cases, you can contact Gibson with the serial number and get the model and specs.  So in the big picture, the serial number CAN get you the specs.  Far too much hashing the little points here and making bad analogies that keeps the OP from getting what actually can be had.