Thank you once again, Marc. Paying tribute to our iconic past, the Original Collection brings back the classic guitars that shaped sound across all generations and genres of music. The control cavity cover is made of  the same cocoa-brown plastic found on those guitars. I'll pass it on to Dan Schear. Unlike the original Explorer which used a Korina body, later Explorers used Mahogany. Heritage Guitar employee Jack French remembers being shown the remaining Flying V and Explorer bodies (with necks glued on) stacked in the “40” racks as a young Gibson employee in 1960. He briefly opened a shop in Erlanger, KY in the mid 1960's. About that time they were just coming out with the Thunderbird bass and they asked me what I thought of it. ... Gibson Brands, Inc. respects your right to privacy. Since this bass was made from an Explorer guitar body, the original Korina guitar neck with inked-on serial number was removed. It's imperative for an investment like the Explorer. Sadly, almost sixty years after their manufacture, many of the people who could answer questions about these rare instruments no longer can or have passed away. The bass appeared, caseless, at Glenn Hughes Music in Cincinnati, Ohio in late 1960 or early 1961. Who ordered this bass? Of that Memphis Man”. According to A.R. The Gibson Explorer is an electric guitar characterised by its radical reverse body shape.Unlike most offset guitars, the Explorer's treble horn is longer than that on the bass side for more comfortable playing and easier access to the top registers of the fretboard. Other changes from the original design include altered control knobs and tuning machines. The Explorer is the ultimate eye-catching guitar packing punchy tone in the bucketloads. Gibson Explorer Bass. He walked it into Glenn Hughes Music in Norwood and traded it in for a sunburst Precision bass. Wayne accompanied Lonnie to the Gibson factory in early 1964. The following year, Wayne used the Explorer on Lonnie’s first album on the, Fraternity label, “The Wham! He still plays his Hammond B-3 to this day. Rusty York worked on the Uncle Al show along with another guy named Seymour Duncan, who played in a band back then called Serdy Greebus. I recall being 13 years old and taking guitar lessons at one of the upstairs rooms at Dodd's Music. I've lost track of him since around 2001. Lawrence carefully restored the logo and repainted the face of the headstock and refinished the body back to a stock “natural” finish. Claim #2: Cincinnati bassist “Hap” Arnold ordered the instrument in 1959. They brought an “elderly, well-dressed gentleman” in from the production line and told Wayne that he was the man who had built that bass. Available information suggests that Gibson may have produced three. Explorer Custom w/ Ebony Fingerboard Gloss The Explorer bass had been hanging in Glenn’s store for at least a year by then. The third new design, the Moderne, apparently existed only as a line draw-, ing on the patent application. Cincinnati singer-bassist, Roger “Jellyroll” Troy first relayed this story to guitar historian Robb Lawrence. Gibson Explorer 4-String to 12-String Conversion. The Explorer bass we are looking at had the serial number 001. £379. Disclaimer. Wayne Bullock left Lonnie Mack for a stint in the Coast Guard in 1965. Bullock began as a saxophonist in Lonnie’s band and then inherited the bass chair from Troy Seals. The Gibson Limited Run Explorer Electric Bass Guitar responds to requests from bassists around the globe who desire two things from a bass”massive sustain and distinctive looks. Explorer bass, finished in sunburst. Gibson made less than 50 Explorer guitars during the run, which lasted until 1963. Already unique due to its status as the only Gibson Korina bass, it has recorded history from the seminal recordings "Wham!" I count Dick Westerndorf as an old friend. It's a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at eBay.com. I always liked this guitar, and this one just made fall in love with it even deeper. The band’s organist, Marv Schuck, and saxophonist Marvin Lieberman, were both injured in the crash. This is my second Gibson Explorer. Product Registration Customer Service Repair and Restoration Report Counterfeits Serial Number FAQ Gibson Guitar Specs (2015-2019) Our Brands. The, Explorer bass had been hanging in Glenn’s store for at least a year by, then. The Golden Era returns with the Original Collection. Fast & Free shipping on many items! His, accepted as gospel about the instrument for many, claimed to have ordered it from Gibson, after being inspired by Lonnie. Ted McCarty,the innovative and progressive president of Gibson, originally con-, ceived the radically shaped trio to compete with Leo Fender’s popular Telecasters and, Stratocasters. The solid mahogany bass takes its body shape from the original Explorer guitar, first introduced in 1958, and comes in a Silverburst finish. Does the other Explorer bass exist or has it been destroyed? Your photos bring back old memories too. I found a 1986 Explorer bass at a pawn shop. While the existence of a second Explorer bass remains to be proven, this one-of-a-kind existing example is real and has had a rich and colorful history. The following year, Wayne used the Explorer on Lonnie’s first album on the Fraternity label, “The Wham! 1986 GIBSON EXPLORER BASS CASE - made in USA : * tolex is worn, has a lot of rips * blue interior has wear & some yellow-ish stains * 2 new handles were added * middle latch is missing the hinge * … Great deals on Gibson Explorer. In classic Gibson style, the neck of the bass is made of mahogany sandwiching maple at the neck joint. Hello all- this is my first post here. Lonnie and Wayne were returning from a long road trip backing Seals when they heard "Memphis" playing on the Caddie's radio. When he got out, he rejoined the band, now as an organist! “That Explorer bass was the only bass that I’d let into the studio that wasn’t a Fender,” Edmonson remembered recently. Lawrence carefully restored the logo and repainted the face of the headstock. It had apparently been ordered but never claimed by Richard McKinley, a bassist with Otis Williams and the Charms. 19 year-. Gibson Explorer Guitars If you're looking to stand out from the crowd, you're in the right place. I do not recall Biddle's Music. Check out the website dedicated to this storied bass:http://www.explorerbass.com/, Surfgreenprecision - thank you for your reply and the wonderful webpage you put up. Moore told me that at one time the bass hung in Biddle’s window beside a matching Explorer guitar. 1986 GIBSON EXPLORER BASS CASE - made in USA : * tolex is worn, has a lot of rips * blue interior has wear & some yellow-ish stains * 2 new handles were added * middle latch is missing the hinge * … and "Memphis" to playing with New York City's poet laureate of rock, Lou Reed. Compare prices & save money on Guitar / Bass. Hap was slated to tour with guitarist Rusty York, who had a regional hit with “Sugaree”. Gtrs" were (Modernistic) Explorers. Leon claims to have found the Explorer bass at Biddle’s Music in Reading, Ohio. I just saw this appearance on "Top of the Pops" of John Miles & his band with "Slow Down" from June 1977 on YouTube, and it looks like the band's bass player (I think it's Robert "Bob" Marshall?) Gibson Guitars and Basses For over a century, Gibson stringed instruments have set the standard for excellence. Robb subsequently purchased it from Bullock and found that at some point the "Gibson" logo had been removed from the headstock. Bass guitar models manufactured by Gibson Brands Inc. Gibson electric bass guitars are sought after by both professional and amateur musicians. We believe the instruments he owned, we're all given away (brace yourself) to Goodwill. The Gibson Explorer Bass has a full 34″ scale and features a glued-in, quarter-sawn maple neck with a Preciosa fingerboard. Duchossoir, in his book Gibson Electrics, Gibson claimed that there were 38 original Explorer guitars when they re-issued the model in 1976. Only the Flying V made it into the Gibson catalogue, in 1958, a watershed year for Gibson that saw the introduction of the new ES-335 thin-, line classic, the matching EB-2 bass and the new cherry sunburst Les Paul Standards. Steve played the bass on Lou Reed's "Street Hassle"  (1978) on the song "Leave Me Alone". Derringer, an Explorer aficionado, convinced Robb to sell the bass to his manager, Steve Paul, who later gave it to Randy Jo Hobbs. Jellyroll was my pop. When he returned to Cincinnati, Hughes Music. “I’d seen the Explorer guitar and when I found out there was no bass like it, I custom-ordered one through Glenn. “But it was expensive, close to $300 and I didn’t particularly care for the way it felt.” Finally, on the eve of a road trip with Lonnie, Hughes offered the bass to Bullock for $150. Theoretically 22 of them remained at the plant in Kalamazoo. A previous owner saw fit to install (poorly) two switches and a couple lights near the the controls. Today, Gibson continues to manufacture new versions of the Explorer, and this selection provides you with plenty of variations. This is a stock Gibson image of the guitar shape that started it all. The Explorer Bass employs a set-neck design rather than the bolted-neck construction used in the Epiphone version of the Gibson Thunderbird. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed in 1957 but not released until 1982.The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design that, years later, Gibson marketed under the name Futura. Additionally, the stop-tailpiece screw fittings for an ABR-1 bridge remain under the pickguard. 897 likes. Is there or has there ever been an Explorer Bass? I haven't a great amount of detail, as it was so very long ago, but, I have heard it rumored that Jellyroll was in possession of a Sunburst at the time of his death...and his mother having survived him took care of his affairs. A few years later, when, this finish began to come off on his clothes, Bullock had the bass repainted metal. Explore Original. Does this mean that at least 16 Explorer bodies remained in the factory after 1959? The body obviously started out as an Explorer guitar, as it is routed for two humbucking pickups (filled at the factory) and a selector switch in the horn. His sister Carol, a female drummer, was a bit of a rarity for the time. The only known Explorer bass was apparently manufactured from one of those Explorer bodies and shipped in  1960. These guitars had patent number pickups, nickel-plated tuners and bridges with plastic parts, metal-topped control knobs and black cases with yellow interiors. This incredible guitar features a mahogany body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, tune-o-matic bridge, 22-low wide frets and chrome hardware throughout. 1986 GIBSON EXPLORER BASS CASE - made in USA COLOGNE, GERMANY. Gibson has added a new Explorer Bass model for their USA line. If you want your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend to come crawling back to you on their knees (even if they're dating somebody else now) you must watch this videoright away...(VIDEO) Have your ex CRAWLING back to you...? The Gibson production logs cryptically indicate that 19 “Korina (Mod. Hobbs was the original bassist in the McCoys, Johnny Winter And and Edgar Winter's White Trash. The lacquer finish was, falling off of it in large flakes. The Flying V and Explorer guitar prototypes were built in1957 and ap-, peared at the1958 NAMM show. Mack’s Explorer guitar. batches of 40 Flying Vs in 1958. Download He wrapped the blue Explorer bass in a blanket and relegated it to a closet. Dan's story is really good. My friend Dan Schear knew your father well and speaks highly of him. I said that I was just as happy with my Explorer.”  When the Gibson reps realized that Bullock had the Explorer bass in Lonnie’s Cadillac, they asked him to bring it in. main. It’s volume and tone potentiometer dates read 50th, and 43rd weeks of 1959, respectively. Each instrument celebrates Gibson’s legacy through accuracy, authenticity and attention to detail. The, Explorer was listed with the Flying V in the July 1, 1958 price list (as "Modernistic" guitars), for $247.50. Gibson Explorer Guitar. ($21.99 - $3,499.00) Find great deals on the latest styles of Gibson explorer bass. This page contains information, pictures, videos, user generated reviews, automatically generated review and videos about Gibson Explorer Bass but we do not warrant the quality, accuracy … Steve played the bass on Lou Reed's "Street Hassle"  (1978) on the song ", While the existence of a second Explorer bass remains to be proven, this one-of-a-kind existing example is real and has had a rich and colorful history. old Wayne Bullock, a fishing buddy of Lonnie’s, now enters the picture.