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Why Explorer '76?


Riffster

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So I know the history of Explorers, 1958, a few built, conflicting production numbers,some say 22 some 100? a few more built a few years later from spare parts, again conflicting production numbers, discontinued and resurrected in 1976 due to Hamer's Standard, the 1976 was made in mahogany the only Korina re-issue was 1983 only 100 made blah blah.....

 

The current natural explorers are supposed to be a '76 re-issue yet the tuners are different, the pickguard is slightly different as well. The knobs are different also right? did they come with these pickups in 1976? is the "1976 styling" they refer to the uncovered pickups?

 

looking at a 1958 explorer the differences are obvious, 1958 PAFs with covers, wider pickgurd in the lower bout, straight pickgurd under (next) to the bridge, knobs, tulip tuners, korina wood, smaller bridge, etc.

 

So what does '76 styling mean? today's explorer in natural is the same as 1976 except different...

 

Oh yea, it seems everybody names their guitars after girls and that's cool, I baptized mine Cap'n Crunch, gotta love that bridge pickup and its well crunch...hence the avatar...

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Means theyr'e trying to capitalize on the vintage market :D

 

I really only hear the naturals referred to as 76's in any kind of common print. The balck, white and cherry one's i usually see referred to as explorers or x-plorers.

 

probably more of a reference to the color scheme (mahogany/gold) than anything else.

 

i brought my vintage burst pro out to a gig and some guy walked up after the show and was thinking it was really old, hehe. asked me what year it was and i told him it was an '07. Hell, I just really like the color and the binding.

 

you know anywhere that sells the tulip style 6IL tuners?

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I see, I like my explorer the way it is I was just wondering why they call it '76 styling, they do make it a point..

 

I saw a set of nickel tulip tuners in line on e-bay recently, each tuner said Gibson and they were new looking but they were missing the bushings and nuts, easy to replace. Then in closer inspection they were left handed, I asked the seller if by any chance the picture was inverted but given that I could read "Gibson" it was a silly question...

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