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How are the new Explorers?

guitargod69

New member
Joined
Jul 17, 2001
Messages
75
I have a 76 re Explorer and I love it. Neck is nice and fat not to thick not just right. Also it sounds mean. Here is a pic!
exguitar2.jpg


Yes I only use Emg pickups! So that is what she has in her. 89 neck and 81 bridge!
 

rockandroller

New member
Joined
Apr 1, 2002
Messages
703
I havent tried a 'new' explorer lately, but if the "modern re-re-issue" ( the re-issue of the original 1976 '58 re-issues) is close to the 1976 ones, it should be a pretty nice guitar. I used to own a white 1976 (I sold it to the Scorpions guitar tech when they were in town recording an album) and while it was in my possession it was my favorite guitar, due to its nice fat neck, and "chunky" tone.


rider of time : Steelknuckle's explorer happens to be in my living room at the moment, so I will jump in here and tell you that he has it wired V,V,V and master tone. It was supposed to have 4 pull-pots (the volume controls switch the pickups on/off, and tone control flips the phase of the middle pickup) but when his guitar was completed, the completing guys discovered that they didnt have any "lefty-taper pull-pots". So just regular CTS pots in there at the moment (no switching)

BUT recently I managed to find him some, (nicer 'push-push' pots, actually) so he should be getting his guitar re-wired very soon (the new pots should be here in a week...)

Magnum: I just checked on the Shamray online calculator, and an exact replica of Steelknuckle's guitar would currently cost $2470 including case :bug
 

Magnum

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Joined
Dec 5, 2003
Messages
1,514
That sure is one sweet guitar steelknuckle has. Too pricey for me though. I didn't realize you could get used Hamer's so cheap. I was comparing list price. My bad.
 

Brownsound

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,322
Magnum said:
That sure is one sweet guitar steelknuckle has. Too pricey for me though. I didn't realize you could get used Hamer's so cheap. I was comparing list price. My bad.

I remember back in the late 80s eay 9s I finally had enough disposable income to get that Explorer that I always wanted. I was a big Scorpions fan and I wanted the same type guitar Mathias Jabs plays. I tried a number of exploreres and I just couldnt pull the trigger. Either the frets stuck out of the sided of the neck and hurt my hands or the neck had some sort of issues. They just plain sucked. I eventually found a Hamer Standard Custom for a great price and bought it. This thing has the tone of a Les Paul and the quality of a custom guitar. I just dont think they make a better Explorer copy. Its also the first guitar style that Hamer produced I believe.
 

bluesjuke

Active member
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
7,007
Had a '76 reissue that I loved. No issues whatsoever. Quality control was on their toes at least that day. I have played many of the new reissues in stores many times & have yet to play one that I would have payed over $500. for. There may be some good current ones out there but they must be hiding..............maybe at your house????
 

siggy14

New member
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
304
i just picked up a black 1991 explorer for $567 shipped, i did not get it in yet, i will chime in when i do.

Todd
 

serial

New member
Joined
Jun 18, 2004
Messages
326
Good eye Lespaulcustom78 Those are all original four digit Hamers (they made about 400-450 of those from December '75 to some point in '85). The headstocks that they did when they reintroduced the Standard in '95 were stubby like the 80s Blitzes and Chaparrals. The new headstocks are a bit sleeker, but still aren't as cool as the original ones. I've got an '02 that I custom ordered and the headstock looks better than the 90s ones.

As for the Gibson Explorers, I've played some FANTASTIC 70's models, but have not yet found a "'76 RI" that I'd give a piss for. The shape is all wrong and not at all the same as the '76-'78s. Would be more accurate for an '80s reissue.
 

Brownsound

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
1,322
serial said:
Good eye Lespaulcustom78 Those are all original four digit Hamers (they made about 400-450 of those from December '75 to some point in '85). The headstocks that they did when they reintroduced the Standard in '95 were stubby like the 80s Blitzes and Chaparrals. The new headstocks are a bit sleeker, but still aren't as cool as the original ones. I've got an '02 that I custom ordered and the headstock looks better than the 90s ones.

As for the Gibson Explorers, I've played some FANTASTIC 70's models, but have not yet found a "'76 RI" that I'd give a piss for. The shape is all wrong and not at all the same as the '76-'78s. Would be more accurate for an '80s reissue.

I have a 97 Standard Custom and the headstock appears to be nearly identical to an Explorer I just recently saw.
 

serial

New member
Joined
Jun 18, 2004
Messages
326
I think that they slightly (for the better) changed the shape when they moved to CT in '97. The headstocks on the 95s are definitely different than the one on my '02.
 

serial

New member
Joined
Jun 18, 2004
Messages
326
Wow. Martin Barre's original Hamer Standard (serial #0002 and the one from all of the old original ads) is on eBay as we speak. Other than one of Rick Nielsen's (#0000 or #0004), I'd think that this would be a true "Holy Grail" axe. Price is actually pretty damned scary reasonable at the moment. Downer is that it is in the UK. With four digits routinely selling in the $3-4k range (haven't seen more than one under #0100) in years offered up), this one could be a bargain, particularly if it has the 50s PAFs in it that it originally shipped with. Hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like one pu might have been changed out as IIRC, one was a double black the other a double cream. This is the second Hamer Standard guitar made. Wow. (Did I already say that?).

Edited to add that I have NOTHING to do with the sale of this, don't know the present owner, etc. I did speak to Martin about this guitar at length a couple years back during an interview.
 
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