My Epi Explorer has arrived

[Freuds_Cat]

Bass is here in its custom built super case (which I will be modifying into a fold in half card table). I have managed to track down the last Epi Explorer case in Oz which has been ordered. Aus$200 (about EUR120) delivered.


Epiphone Explorer bass
#: U02053181

Unsung Plant, Korea
May 2002
Production Number: 3181

Body is 4 piece. Looks like either basswood or Poplar. With a veneer of what I guess is the traditional Korina on the front and back.
Fitted Maple neck, spliced below the nut.
Bow in the neck which I will adjust in the morning. Balances pretty good, neck feels nice. Wide but good. Build quality is about the same as my Epi Allen Woody bass which is also from the Unsung factory. I would give it about 8 out of ten.

Bridge has a 1.5 mm gap under the back only. quite bizzare to see to be honest. I will take some pics before I sort this one out.
Bridge is a Gotoh 201.


Need sleep, I will post pics and more if anyone is interested  as soon as I get time.

[Dave W]

That's really odd about the bridge.

I'm not surprised to hear that it's a korina veneer and not solid korina.

[uwe]

Soft as the wood is, I would imagine it to be poplar rather than basswood. In any case it sounds warm and fuzzy. Mine is supposed to have a maho neck but I can't really tell as the fin is too thick on it.

Uwe

PS: "Bridge has a 1.5 mm gap under the back only. Quite bizzare to see to be honest." Bizarre yes, unusual no. Mine has that too. Live with it just like the Ricsters live with it on their holy 4001/4003 bridge.  Bass has plenty of sustain nontheless.

[Dave W]

Soft as the wood is, I would imagine it to be poplar rather than basswood. In any case it sounds warm and fuzzy.

Poplar is not near as soft as basswood. It's about the same hardness as alder and IMO not at all fuzzy sounding.

[doombass]

I thought Poplar was about the same as Basswood but different names (misinformed I guess)

[Freuds_Cat]

Either way it has very little grain when you look side on  and looks quite plain. So I guess the idea was to use a tone wood that would make the bass light while using the Korina veneer to give it some looks and some sort of traditional connection back to the original explorer guitars.

I have read somewhere that the bridges were supposed to be Schaller on these Epi's (or is that on  the Gibsons?)
This one is definitely a Gotoh 201

[doombass]

The Gibson Explorer has a bridge that I'm pretty certain is a Schaller since it is almost the same (a bit more saddle travel range I think) as the current 3-D4. The Victory models also used this bridge.

[Dave W]

If it has very little grain, it's more likely basswood.

Basswood and poplar are not the same. FWIW, the poplar used in guitarmaking is the same type sold by most hardwood dealers, and it's not a true poplar. It's called yellow poplar (or in some places tulip poplar) but it's a different family from the true poplars.

[SKATE RAT]

Dave's got wood. ha ha ha

[Dave W]

Dave's got wood. ha ha ha

We've just been talking about surface hardness here. Maybe we should talk about stiffness too. Gotta guard against backbow and forward bow. 

[Freuds_Cat]

This thing is BIG!   I mean BIG!       

OK well I've had a bit of time now to do some neck and bridge adjustments. No problems getting the neck set beautifully. So the truss rod is all good. The maple neck itself doesn't seem to to have any movement or twists going on. It a wide neck . 43mm nut (1" 11/16th....OMG that was hard to convert  )  I've set the Saddle heights rather low but the action is very good without being too low.  No buzz at all anywhere. Well except the back pickup needs to be lowered a little.

Its currently got 105 - 45 RS 66 Rotosounds on it. I guess the guy who had it was an Entwistle fan.

Great feel and is more comfortable than I expected. Minimal neck dive and the little there is, is offset by the fact that my forearm rests on the big section of the body at the back like a counterweight.

I definitely will need to get some strap locks for this baby.

What a great bass for the price.

Soundwise its sounds good at low volume. Still need to make some pup adjustments so will wait until thats all done before offering an opinion.

The only new Epi Explorer case in Australia is now on its way to me for  Aus$200  ( 122.308 Euro) (190.794 US Dollars)
I emailed over 40 shops in a bulk email and asked the question. 

[godofthunder]

  Congrats on  a nice bass! I have always found the Explorer shape very well balanced and comfortable to play. I have a '76 Ibanez Destroyer that I love and have had several other Explorer shaped basses over the years.  My latest is a Explorerbird built by RS Guitarworks. 

[Freuds_Cat]

Thanks GoT, The Badass 1 you have on that Exie is one of my favourite bridges. I have them on my Early 70's Jazz bass and my Custom Fretless. Sustain like nothing else IMHO.

Also gotta say the T-bird ridging down the body of your destroyer looks really nice. makes me wonder why Gibophone never went there.

[uwe]

Poplar is not near as soft as basswood. It's about the same hardness as alder and IMO not at all fuzzy sounding.

Duh. I meant it the other way around then!  On my Epi Explorer the wood is almost white underneath the fin, no grain, almost like a composite and very dent prone. But whatever it is it has a very nice sound, just the right mix between blurriness and clarity.

And the Schaller wedge bridge was only on the Gibson Explorers (plus the Victories and Q-80 basses).

[Freuds_Cat]

The Gotoh style bridge is probably either a copy of the Gotoh 201 or a cheaper OEM version on closer inspection as there are 5 screw holes in a line on the new 201's. The bridge on the Explorer has 4 at different corners. Apart from that it looks almost identical.

Gotoh 201


This bass definitely needs strap locks!

Man its got some bottom end but I guess you guys with Birds are used to having this kinda range.  The E string is a little dry (hollows out a bit after being struck) compared to the rest but I'm betting its more to do with the pickup setup and/or the strings than any other less fixable problem.

I'm trialing it this weekend through my SVP-PRO.  Waiting on new EL84's for my SWR IOD before I get to crank up some drive with it.