1979 Gibson Explorer

Description: The Gibson Explorer is one of the most recognizable and iconic guitars of all time. The Edge, Ace Frehley, BOTH James Hetfield AND Kirk Hammett and so many more have used Explorers to create some the greatest rock music of our time. Though they are now beloved legends of the guitar world, they weren’t always so popular ... DEPARATE TIMES: The story of the Explorer begins in the early fifties, years before they were put into production. In 1951, Leo Fender introduced the Telecaster, the guitar that changed the face of music. Realizing that Fender could take over the market, Gibson (til then focused on acoustic and hollow body electric guitars) responded in 1952 with the now iconic Les Paul. Though that guitar was a great success, Fender counter-punched in 1954 with their new Stratocaster. With a unique look and space-age name, the Stratocaster was a modern guitar for a modern America which captured the public consciousness in a way that Gibson’s more traditional instruments couldn’t. DESPARATE MEASURES: In response, Gibson once again went to the drawing board creating a special team in 1957 to develop new “modernistic” guitars. From that came the radically futuristic prototype guitar call the "Futura". Prior to production, the Futura was renamed the Explorer (likely after the first U.S. satellite, the Explorer I). In 1958, company PR would describe the guitar as "The Forward Look" adding “it's impressive appearance would be a real asset to the combo musician with a flair or showmanship." Gibson's 1958 pricelist included the new Explorer at a then princely sum of $247.50. (Mind you, in 1958, the price of the average new car was just over $2,000). Apparently however, this unusual shapes was TOO radical as the initial run of production Explorers was hugely unsuccessful with less than 40 total guitars produced in two years! (If you can find one, today an original '58 or '59 Explorer is among the most valuable guitars in the world). Another 30 or so were built in 1963 from leftover parts. The Explorer was put on the shelf for over a decade until the the rise in popularity of hard rock AND the success that other manufacturers were having selling knock-offs encouraged Gibson to resurrect the guitar in 1976. The design was largely similar to the original '50s models and it sold well enough for Gibson to keep the Explorer in production through the end of the '70s (when it was replaced by the laminate-body Explorer II) though some versions of the original design would still leak out of the factory into the early '80s. SERIAL #73039017:Explorer #73039017 was built at Gibson's facility in Nashville, Tennessee on the morning of Tuesday, October 30th, 1979. It features a body and neck made of solid mahogany. The guitar’s overall condition is Very Good. The neck is straight. The condition of the frets is remarkably good. The guitar wears its original Schaller tuners. Its Natural finish appears to be original. The hardware shows some tarnish but also appears to be all original. The pots were replaced in the 90's. No signs of any prior repairs. The guitar weighs 8.4 lbs. Comes with an (Epiphone) Explorer case in very good cosmetic and structural condition. These original early Explorers are getting harder to come by. As a result, it seems safe to assume that they will, over time, continue to appreciate in value. Best of all, this specific guitar plays and sounds fantastic! Come see/play for yourself and unleash your inner Ace Frehley.

Price: 4950 USD

Location: Redwood City, California

End Time: 2024-12-26T20:36:06.000Z

Shipping Cost: 149 USD