"Quote from: from Gibson Explorer page
Tired of guitarists getting all the hip alternative axes while bassists seem stuck in the middle of the 20th century? Grab onto the Explorer Bass from Gibson USA, and ram the low end right into the 21st century
Henry really needs to fire his copywriters..."
I guess, internally here, Mark would have something to observe about ramming or rimming or reaming low ends right into anything, no? Other than that I liked the jab at the Fender shape "bassists seem stuck in the middle of the 20th century", it made me smile, never mind how the Explorer shape is from 1959 and therfore a child of that tail fin ridden era (as is clearly evident by the design of the bass) too. But few people know that, so it was alright for the marketing people to insinuate that tail fins are somehow something modern. Say what you will, but playing a Gibson Explorer bass will have nobody thinking you are a Fender player. +1 for corporate identity. If I had been Gibson's marketing department, I would have launched Explorer and Flying V bass together as "Return of the Modernists - Back to the Future". With a pic of Ted McCarthy
and the comment "Not everything in the McCarthy Era was bad ... and these two axes may even be used for traditionally American activities ".
For the benefit of our younger readers, watch this from 6.15 onwards ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDfdzcLD1s4&feature=relatedThis guy here is Joseph and not Ted McCarthy!
I fear Joseph would have thought the V and Explorer "un-American" too!
Uwe