Flying V Vs Explorer poll

[Chris P.]

Explorers and metal... I also think of The Edge and Entwistle.

[Wilbur88]

The scale length would be the deciding factor for me. I bought a Fireburst SG Bass (GOTM) based on looks alone and when it arrived - it was quite beautiful in person. Unfortunately the short scale and small body made it feel like a toy compared to my T-birds, and I knew I wouldn't be able to use it for gigging. Sounded great, and would look awesome hanging on a wall - but I needed somethign that could pay for itself.  I've been contemplating the new Gibbies as well - and even though I like the look of the V, I think I would go with the Explorer or a Gold Top Les Paul.

I bought one of those too - the Fireburst SG Supreme I think it was called.  Looked hot but I just couldn't get along with it.

[Dave W]

Problem with explorers are they have the metal curse laid upon them, where V's reek of the cool factor

My feelings too. OTOH the short scale of the V would be a negative for me.

[Highlander]

I'd throw this thought in your direction...
You presently have Explorer style instruments so that's a proven in your life but how often do you gig with shorties...?
V's are without-a-doubt the greatest instrument in the world for the flashier (read poseur) player, but I so link you with NR's...

Go for what you think you would use the most... either that or hold fire for something special...

[Barklessdog]

I also think of The Edge

Not helping the cause. Might need a pair of "Sexy Boots" for the Explorer.


I guess the other fact is you know neither is going to be your "go to bass", so what will fit with your use will be better. The shortscale is a big consideration though.

[uwe]

It's funny that the Explorer has the heavy metal tag, while the Flying V has not (as much). Perhaps because there were more players of the Flying V in the late fifties, even bluesmen played them, and sixties (Hendrix) than there were Explorer players though they both appeared at the same time in the late fifties. But I cannot remember a pic of someone playing an Explorer shape guitar or bass that is older than the mid-seventies, though I'm sure there must be.

In contrast, the Flying V was omnipresent from a certain point in time onwards with hard and heavy rock bands: Scorpions, UFO, Judas Priest. But someone more in the songwriter vein like Tom Petty could still play it too (it's after all a rhythm gitar that never ever gets in the way). Or Andy Powell with Wishbone Ash.

Speaking of which: I first took note of the Explorer shape when Martin Turner began playing his Hamer Explorer with Wishbone Ash in the mid-seventies.



Now Wishbone Ash were hardly a heavy rock or metal band, but, let's put it this way, they found grace with most hard rock fans because of the dominance of their twin lead guitar work which so many harder playing bands copied, you could look mean and still play sweet thirds. I might also have seen one with Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd who played it a lot just like Rick Medlocke does with Lynyrd Skynyrd today.

But the Explorer really only became prevalent in the eighties when heavy metal/hard rock hit another one of its commercial peaks. Matthias Jabs of the Scorpions played one often, Rick Savage of the Def Leps and ex-SAHB Chris Glen with MSG did so in the bass department. That said, there were a lot more TBird basses to be seen with hard rock bands at any given time than there were ever Explorer basses, certainly in part because hardly anybody produced Explorer basses as a long-lasting series model, Gibson, who invented the shape, only did so for two or three years in the mid eighties and not again until today.

[TBird1958]

I like the looks of both and would agree with the "metal" image too. I'd love a V but the short scale thing kills it for me - My '80 medium scale Explorer didn't even last on my roster very long, the new is a very respectable bass and so for the sake of Scott's question I say get the Explorer.

[Barklessdog]

It's funny that the Explorer has the heavy metal tag, while the Flying V has not (as much).

That's why the RD appeals to me so much, looks like a melted Explorer. The rd softened the hard & pointy image of the explorer.

[Dave W]

It's funny that the Explorer has the heavy metal tag, while the Flying V has not (as much). Perhaps because there were more players of the Flying V in the late fifties, even bluesmen played them, and sixties (Hendrix) than there were Explorer players though they both appeared at the same time in the late fifties. But I cannot remember a pic of someone playing an Explorer shape guitar or bass that is older than the mid-seventies, though I'm sure there must be.

Did anyone actually play Vs in the 50s? I thought most of them sat unsold in stores. First time I ever saw one was when I bought Lonnie Mack's The Wham Of That Memphis Man in 1963 and then saw more pics of him with it. Even then I thought it was some custom order. Never saw one in person for years.

[Chris P.]

Maybe not in the fifties, but I guess Dave Davies was one of the first? This pic is from a site all about V's.



I love the way he put his right arm between the V to play it. So wrong, but in a sixties kinda way so cool:)

[Basvarken]

It's funny that the Explorer has the heavy metal tag, while the Flying V has not (as much). Perhaps because there were more players of the Flying V in the late fifties, even bluesmen played them, and sixties (Hendrix) than there were Explorer players though they both appeared at the same time in the late fifties. But I cannot remember a pic of someone playing an Explorer shape guitar or bass that is older than the mid-seventies, though I'm sure there must be.

I can't think of any pics of Explorer players older than the seventies either.
From the early eighties until now James Hetfield has had a huge influence on the popularity of both the Explorer and the Flying V with the Heavy Metal kids.

[Bionic-Joe]

My Buddy Jon told me. that Martin Turner sold that Hamer Standard bass because the truss rod went bad for $10,000 to some collector guy in Europe!!!!!! I Love those early Hamer Standard basses!!!!

[uwe]

Yes, Turner's Hamer was unplayable due to a frozen truss rod, but I heard it went to a rock museum in England.

Albert King played a right-handed and right-strung FLying V from 1959 onwards (you can tell that it is an original model in the pics below via the string-thru-body bridge which fell away with the late 60ies versions). Being lefthanded, he probably liked the symetry of the guitar and in 1959 a Flying V didn't look any weirder upside down than right side up!  





He stuck with the shape for his career until his death 1992. His signature song "I love Lucy"



is not about a woman, but his Flying V! For convenience, and much like men who remarry often, he called all his Flying Vs "Lucy".   Interestingly, he eventually had a lefthanded Flying V with a Les Paul headstock (and a maple top) for some time too,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4rfw1hNkc4&feature=related

but you still see him much later on with regular headstock righthand-models again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7tvCB3JYts&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNsLyQGSqIg&feature=related

Eventually, the poor man even had a lefthand model - strung righty of course!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtZwdHajGhE&feature=related


But if the Flying V was a rare sight, then the Explorer/Futura/Moderne (sometimes, even Gibson referred to Explorers as "Modernes" thought that name was initially intended for the third modernistic guitar that never really got built in series - discuss!   ) was impossibly rare. From 1958 to the early sixties about a 120 Flying Vs were built by Gibson and the model was reintroduced (now in maho rather than korina) as early as 1967. The Explorer otoh was only built from 1958-59 in the first run, less than 30 (20 more like) crept out and its reintroduction came as late as 1976 (which must have been when Gary Rossington got his with Lynyrd Skynyrd). So it is small wonder none of us have seen fifties or sixties pics of the Explorer.

[Barklessdog]

Yes, Turner's Hamer was unplayable due to a frozen truss rod, but I heard it went to a rock museum in England.

Albert King played a right-handed and right-strung FLying V from 1959 onwards (you can tell that it is an original model in the pics below via the string-thru-body bridge which fell away with the late 60ies versions). Being lefthanded, he probably liked the symetry of the guitar and in 1959 a Flying V didn't look any weirder upside down than right side up!  





He stuck with the shape for his career until his death 1992. His signature song "I love Lucy"



is not about a woman, but his Flying V! For convenience, and much like men who remarry often, he called all his Flying Vs "Lucy".   Interestingly, he eventually had a lefthanded Flying V with a Les Paul headstock (and a maple top) for some time too,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4rfw1hNkc4&feature=related

but you still see him much later on with regular headstock righthand-models again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7tvCB3JYts&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNsLyQGSqIg&feature=related

Eventually, the poor man even had a lefthand model - strung righty of course!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtZwdHajGhE&feature=related


But if the Flying V was a rare sight, then the Explorer/Futura/Moderne (sometimes, even Gibson referred to Explorers as "Modernes" thought that name was initially intended for the third modernistic guitar that never really got built in series - discuss!   ) was impossibly rare. From 1958 to the early sixties about a 120 Flying Vs were built by Gibson and the model was reintroduced (now in maho rather than korina) as early as 1967. The Explorer otoh was only built from 1958-59 in the first run, less than 30 (20 more like) crept out and its reintroduction came as late as 1976 (which must have been when Gary Rossington got his with Lynyrd Skynyrd). So it is small wonder none of us have seen fifties or sixties pics of the Explorer.

All those pictures & clips cement why I favor the V over the Explorer. It can be Cool & Classy.They all look good playing one

[uwe]

But John, it's always the same guy, Albert King!!!  Not all black men look that much alike. (Fot the avoidance of doubt: This is satire, having lived in Africa I know how vastly different they all look.)

Explorers can be very cool and very classy too: