84 Alder Body Explorer

[uwe]

Most Gibson Explorers from the eighties that you see have an opaque finish in either red, black or white (or the stripey look a là EvH) under which lurks a mahogany body. They are regularly from 1985-87. This is an earliest one from 1984 that still has the original alder body with a natural fin. I knew these existed, but this is the first one I see save for a prototype Explorer they wanted a king's ransom for in Germany.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1984-Gibson-USA-Explorer-Bass-Guitar-Case_W0QQitemZ360083738089QQihZ023QQcategoryZ64402QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[drbassman]

Oh yeah, I'm watching that one as well as a red one.  Very nice looking bass!

[Barklessdog]

Nice nitro clear amber tint to it.

[TBird1958]

 Saw that one too, it's pretty!   

[gearHed289]

I assumed that was a re-fin. The wood is mis-matched and off center. Unless that's just how Gibson rolls.... 

[Dave W]

I agree. Gibson probably wouldn't have put a natural finish on that mismatched plank.

[EvilLordJuju]

Yeah, nice bass. Reminds me of the banana SBs

[godofthunder]

 A refin for sure you can see the remnants of the black finish in the serial #

[uwe]

I agree. Gibson probably wouldn't have put a natural finish on that mismatched plank.

Of course they would have! My 1977 natural RD and my natural 1973 Ripper are just as "mismatched". And know what? It never bothered me. I never saw "bookmatched" as a quality sign, two pieces of wood from two different trees look different, so what?  Lack of bookmatching - much like finish - does not affect sound I believe.  

[godofthunder]

 I like it a lot better than the standard red, black or white but 1K is silly for that bass.

[uwe]

Perhaps it's a refin, but natural ones like that with non-maho bodies were out there. Never saw a natural one with a maho body though. I wonder if the alder in combination with the Grabber pups sounds better than maho? On my alder body grabber, those pups sound fine, but on the mahogany-bodied Explorers and Q-80ies they are lame, they need a brighter sounding wood.

[Dave W]

Of course they would have! My 1977 natural RD and my natural 1973 Ripper are just as "mismatched". And know what? It never bothered me. I never saw "bookmatched" as a quality sign, two pieces of wood from two different trees look different, so what?  Lack of bookmatching - much like finish - does not affect sound I believe.  

I wasn't implying it should be bookmatched if it were original. I can't remember seeing a bookmatched alder Gibson. But none of the natural finish alder (or solid maple) Gibsons I've ever seen have been that badly mismatched.

And FWIW, bookmatched sold bodies are really slipmatched.

[gearHed289]

I might be interested in a maho Explorer, but not so much an alder one. I have a pair of black plastic TB+ pups sitting around that would sound good on there.