The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Chris P. on March 16, 2009, 02:59:10 PM
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Yesterday I won a 80s Fernandes Explorer on a Belgian auction site. Only 300 euros with case and lots of mojo. It has a bolt-on neck. See: Other Bass Brands.
Todat Berth gave me this link:
http://www.thomann.de/nl/epiphone_korina_explorer_bass_na_ltd.htm
An LTD. It seems it's back for a while. This one's nice too, but I think I like the 80s Fernandes better. But if I knew this before, this could have been nice too! Without starting the discussion again: I don't like the black pick ups...:)
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And the Flying V and Ripper are back too....nice...
V http://www.thomann.de/nl/epiphone_korina_flying_v_bass_na_ltd.htm
Rip. http://www.thomann.de/nl/epiphone_the_ripper_bass.htm
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I like the Epi better. I don't have that "metal association" that I have with the pointy headstock Fernandes
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I like the 60s looks of the Epi, but the gold hardware and black pick ups are just bad... I like the V too!
The Fernandes isn't that much pointier than the Epi.
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I couldn't find any news about them on the net, only on Thomann's site, does anybody know when/if they produce them?
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A former Gibson rep once told me that you can order anything at Epiphone as long as you order 25 or 50 pieces or so... Like Rob with his BaCH I once thought (and directly forgot) about 25 Union Jack Rivolis...
So I think Thomann (maybe with some other big German players) just order those, just like the faded SG Reissue with gigbag (see other post) which isn't on the website and the Gibson Melodymakers which weren't on the website with white and black finishes.
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I would love to know if these "New" Explorers are being made in the Korean Un Sung factory like mine was. Playing it is kind of like having a big powerful classy truck sitting in the corner that you can go and drive whenever you need a truck as opposed to your normal Mercedes saloon car that you usually drive. Interesting they say the neck is Mahogany. Mine is definitely Rosewood on Maple.
I like the black on white design myself, mostly because the white pickguard gives more of a traditional look to it rather than the metal look. And the T-bird plus style Hummers are my preference for sound. Just my opinion.
Not sure I could play a V bass though. Looks pretty uncomfortable to play.
Congrats on the Fernandes Chris.
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I'd like to know if the V really has a 34" scale as they say or if it's a 30" like the old one..
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I doubt this stuff is new, I think they are clearing out old M & T stuff. The pics are those of old models, i.e. that is an old short scale Flying V pictured with Thomann too. M & T was Gibson's decade-long distributor in Germany, they even had an own Epi bass site with recorded sounds etc. The product line they offered was never quite in synch with the official Epi product line at the time. They still had the Flying V and Explorer long after Epi had deleted them and they didn't offer the Epi EB-3L or the Allen Woody in Germany until two years ago or so. Last year, M & T and Gibson clashed badly and Gibson now self-distributes in Germany. I guess M & T are under obligation to clear out whatever they have now and they had loads of Epis stored away which Thomann has now probably bought. And "Ltd Ed" sounds better than "deleted model".
Had the Flying V and the Explorer really been resurrected, then they would have given them at least a new look like they did with the resurrected Epi Ripper.
Uwe
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Uwe could be right. They're talking about a Ltd. Ed. stamp, but that could be put on afterwards.
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I'm sure the Explorer will see a proper reintroduction by Epi sometime in the future - considering the outlandish shape, it was a consistent seller in Germany at least, especially with younger generation (and smaller budget) heavy metal players -, but I would then expect something goth with active pups and, yes, black state-of-the-art hardware. That current ltd ed model is an outdated design 10 years old as regards hardware and pups.
Still a better Explorer than the eighties Gibson models though. Recommended if you want to pimp a little.
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Thomann tells me to just order it and wait if I want it. (Maybe Epi makes another batch of these once they have enough orders?)
Most reviews I read on the Epi tell it has a wide neck. I dont like wide necks, so thats a no go for me. Any first hand opinions on this from this board?
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It does have a wide neck but in a nice way. My main squeeze is a Jazz neck so I know what you mean but the Explorer is like driving a nice big Mercedes truck. As opposed to the 2 door BMW you may be used to. Bloody fantastic feeling of power and mass.
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I'm getting nervous... I'm starting to like the look of this lady... :o
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It does have a wide neck but in a nice way. My main squeeze is a Jazz neck so I know what you mean but the Explorer is like driving a nice big Mercedes truck. As opposed to the 2 door BMW you may be used to. Bloody fantastic feeling of power and mass.
My 4 door BMW also gives a fantastic feeling of power and mass. And it's fast.
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Any of you guys bought or tried the Epi Flying V?
Epiphone claims it's Korina body and set Mahogany neck (short scale)
And they're quite cheap (298 euro)
http://www.thomann.de/nl/epiphone_korina_flyingv_bass_aw_ltd.htm (http://www.thomann.de/nl/epiphone_korina_flyingv_bass_aw_ltd.htm)
The soundsamples aren't half bad.
(http://images1.thomann.de/pics/prod/223996.jpg)
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I would be surprised if it's solid korina at that price. From what I've read, earlier Epis said to have korina bodies really only had a korina cap.
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I assume it is the same light, soft wood that I have on my rotten wood Exsporer to which my luthier said, it's not classic korina, but some related species to it, not bad acoustically at all, just very ding-prone. The veneer on the outside is actually also protection for the soft wood which looks non-descript. But it has a very warm and fuzzy tone even when played unplugged. You can try mine when you are here, Rob. The mock-korina is too soft for a neck structure though, hence the (again not classic, but similar) "maho" neck.
In my book, the Epi Explorer even in unpimped form beats the crap out of the eighties Gibson Explorer (either alder/maple or maho/maple) for the superior wood construction alone. I see no reason why that should not be the case with the Epi Flying V as the original Gibson Flying V was a sorry affair made of alder and maple (I know it works fine with a Fender, but it didn't with the Flying V). One of our brethren here has an Epi Flying V and likes it. I forgot who though. Some old geezer, but aren't we all?
Both Epi Flying V and Explorer were consistent sellers in Germany, probably the most prevalent Epi basses after the TBird. I remember that exactly around the time they were deleted they even had a glowing review (as somewhat "different" budget models) in one of the magazines and I thought "what horrendous timing, have those basses featured favorably and deleted at the same time, only Gibson/Epi can blunder like that". The German distributor must have had a heart attack, but he couldn't do much about it as Gibson replaced him with a subsidiary around the same time (prices got cheaper that way, but service a lot worse!, there is no free lunch). With the buying power of Thomann, I think they simply decided to take things in their own hands and resurrect the buggers.
I'm not above getting one of those someday and maybe transform it into a rotten wood pimp brother of my Explorer!
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With the buying power of Thomann, I think they simply decided to take things in their own hands and resurrect the buggers.
It's not just Thomann, the Korina V is available as a limited edition from Musicians Friend/Guitar Center and their related companies for $399.