rogslayer Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I've never seen another one like it. from the serial number on the headstock it was made in 1984 on the 109th day and in Nashville. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about this guitar, like whys it so differant from all the other explorers I see. If you need more pics I can post some more of it. Thanks... and yes it's missing the tone knob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarJunkie Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 It's part of the "Designer series". They were a line of custom painted Explorers and Vs. Here's a small article... http://www.flyingvintage.com/gcmag/gibdesign.html There are 3 Explorers at the bottom right of this picture. Look at the one in the middle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogslayer Posted May 10, 2008 Author Share Posted May 10, 2008 idk those are still diff. from mine. 1.The knobs are in a stright line, where mine is in a V. 2. The selector switch on mine are next to the knobs. 3. I have a Diff bridge I was talking more on the lines of the hardware and how it was set up control wise, but that pic was helpful on the back ground history or what ever you'd call it or the series... but thanks it helped me some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veeman Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I bet yours is an 85. The 85's was the year of those triangle knob configuration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morten M Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 My '86 Exporer also have the triangle knob configuration. Made on the 265th day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Martin Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Who was the moron on the Gibson design team who thought it would be an awesome idea to adorn guitars with a bunch of random-*** lines and weird geometric patterns? They're utter nonsense! I can understand 80's design and over-the-top glam and neon colours, but this borderlines retarded. I swear, sometimes I think EVH's legacy did more harm than good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrktwn Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Who was the moron on the Gibson design team who thought it would be an awesome idea to adorn guitars with a bunch of random-*** lines and weird geometric patterns? They're utter nonsense! I can understand 80's design and over-the-top glam and neon colours' date=' but this borderlines retarded. I swear, sometimes I think EVH's legacy did more harm than good![/quote']Smart man. But these '80s Gibsons were TOTALLY of the time. Trust me, you didnt miss much. Maybe The Replacements... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Martin Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Smart man. But these '80s Gibsons were TOTALLY of the time. Trust me' date=' you didnt miss much. Maybe The Replacements...[/quote'] The only thing similar to those guitars that I've actually seen played by a legitimate musician was the dude from The Scorpions who had black stripes on his Explorer. But having a stripe on your guitar ala competition Mustang and have a bunch of garbage a toddler could of designed are two different things. Thank God everyone around here has grown and times have changed. Now everyone is like, "No, the flame on my R9 is prettier!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrktwn Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I think that Explorer that Matthias Jabs played was part of this series. At least you could get an Explorer with the same custom finish as his. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Martin Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I think that Explorer that Matthias Jabs played was part of this series. At least you could get an Explorer with the same custom finish as his. If that is so, it's the least obnoxious one in the series. I DO see those Union Jack Explorers on eBay once in a while though. Oh well, to each his own, I'm just an opinionated bastard. If the starter of this thread likes it, then far be it from me to bash it. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I am of no help on this subject but thanks Ian, I had a good laugh, you are right on the money... ...and because flame was not good enough for some they came up with quilt tops.... I think Mathias Jabs guitar was designed for him though, I think that was the first "90% of the size" explorer, or what we know now as the pro. Mathias is a great guitar player...and the stripes in his spandex pants matched his explorer...it was as if that guitar was an extension of him...almost peotical... He plays now a guitar that looks like an explorer but it was hand built for him, single pickup, single knob, 90% size body and 25.5" scale... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veeman Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Matthias Jabs first Explorer with the stripes is an original 79, he has several. In 87 he helped Gibson design the E90, with the 90% body size, released in 88. In 85/86 Gibson has the so-called Scorpions Explorer with the signature stripes, but it was never a part of the above Designer series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Martin Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 [...] but it was never a part of the above Designer series. I knew he wasn't that lame! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Yey!, I knew I was on the right track....Mathias rocks. My iPod will be singing to the Scorpions tunes this morning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hey rogslayer sorry for hijacking your thread, I hope you do find info on your guitar but it looks like a lot of those finishes were custom or better said random. You guitar does seem to have a nice tremolo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaisesdaddy Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I've got one of em too...mine is plain black(no graphics) with chrome hardware. You're right it's an '84. I got mine back in '86 after the original owner traded it in after owning it for less than 2 years. It was hanging right next to a guitar exactly like yours. I wasn't into the graphics so I chose the plain black. The most unique thing about the guitar is the trem. I lost the trem bar at a gig back in the late 80's. Since then, I've been to New York City, Los Angeles, and many other points in between trying to replace it with no luck. Most dealers and parts dealers had never seen one before I showed them mine. Nobody seems to know how many were made with that particular bridge. The consensus is that Gibson was being run very poorly in the early 80's. Proper records were not being kept and guitars were being thrown together with spare parts lying around. One dealer told me he thought the bridge was made by Schecter for Gibson. I've never been able to verify that though. At any rate, hang onto it. I've seen a few of the white ones with graphics but they all had a tuneomatic bridge instead of the trem. There are also quite a few of these with Kahlers. Mine is in storage right now while I'm having a new home built. When I get all my gear out of storage at the end of November, I'll take some pics of it and post em for all to see. Good to see another one after all this time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptc Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 There was a designer series V on ebay last week, I should have watched to see how much it sold for. Ah, 80's Gibsons...so hit and miss. I wonder though what we'll be saying about the Zakk Wylde V in 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogslayer Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 I've got one of em too...mine is plain black(no graphics) with chrome hardware. You're right it's an '84. I got mine back in '86 after the original owner traded it in after owning it for less than 2 years. It was hanging right next to a guitar exactly like yours. I wasn't into the graphics so I chose the plain black. The most unique thing about the guitar is the trem. I lost the trem bar at a gig back in the late 80's. Since then' date=' I've been to New York City, Los Angeles, and many other points in between trying to replace it with no luck. Most dealers and parts dealers had never seen one before I showed them mine. Nobody seems to know how many were made with that particular bridge. The consensus is that Gibson was being run very poorly in the early 80's. Proper records were not being kept and guitars were being thrown together with spare parts lying around. One dealer told me he thought the bridge was made by Schecter for Gibson. I've never been able to verify that though. At any rate, hang onto it. I've seen a few of the white ones with graphics but they all had a tuneomatic bridge instead of the trem. There are also quite a few of these with Kahlers. Mine is in storage right now while I'm having a new home built. When I get all my gear out of storage at the end of November, I'll take some pics of it and post em for all to see. Good to see another one after all this time![/quote'] I'm not to crazy about the graphics on it, I got it pretty cheap. I'd love to see yours though, I've never seen one like mine either. have never thought of getting rid of it, it plays too well. Thanks for the input everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 I just bought an '84 Gibson Invader which has this exact Tremolo... My Invader is also part of the designer series, but I believe it to be one of the one of a kind artist painted models...I have inquired to Gibson and people in the know, but I cant get crap for information.. The paint job on my guitar is painted in a marble look. Does anyone know who the artists where that supposedly did these one of a kind paint jobs? They are supposed to be initialed somewhere but I can get anyone to tell me where exactly that would be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Sorry here is a picture... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydra26 Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Man I hate those abstract graphics. I was more worried with learning how to count than playing an instrument back then, but I do rememebr some of the local shop honchos telling me in the 80's through the early 90's you could not GIVE away a guitar that wasn't painted at least a solid color. Natural finishes were so 70's I guess. Glad that's changed. On the Zakk Wylde graphics, I don't think my opinion will have changed 20 years from now. I've always thought that whole bullseye motif looked like @$$. Just personal (lack of) preference. Give me a good old fashioned burst or a natural finish. Color doesn't matter, just gotta be able to see the grain and know it's an honest to God instrument rather than something formed in a mold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 that tremolo is pretty weird. Kinda like a bigsby, but with a Schaller roller bridge in front of it. If i recall, Schaller was making the hardware for gibson for a while. Was this one of those eras? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e/2 Explorer Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Of the Designer Series Explorer's, the black one is the only one that appeals to me. I missed a couple on eBay over the last few years. I will get one eventually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 that tremolo is pretty weird. Kinda like a bigsby' date=' but with a Schaller roller bridge in front of it. If i recall, Schaller was making the hardware for gibson for a while. Was this one of those eras?[/quote'] I have contacted Kahler and Schaller...No one will claim responsibility for the tremolo Though Schaller told me Gibson was making there own tremolos also.... Whats weird is so far you only see that tremolo on the Designer series guitars. I wish I could really find more info on my guitar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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