yeah I like goofy shaped basses

[targa911S]

I'm looking for one of these: Epiphone Explorer bass



No black or white ones please. I want the natural korina wood one. If any of you see one, gimme a heads up.

[id10t]

Just a dumb question if I may...

With an electric, you aren't depending on the body to provide any tone, amplification, etc - just hold the pickups in proper place in relation to the strings, or are you?

If that is the purpose of the body, could you not get creative and go goofy with a stock blank ? Maybe something with wood from a nice old double or something....

Or are you just after that particular bass for musical reasons?

[drl911]

The tone is most definitely a by-product of the body structure, material type and weight, as it provides the anchor for one end of the strings and contributes to its resonance.

[targa911S]

Gibson commissioned auto designer Raymond H. Dietrich and others to make some guitar designs for them in the 50's and 60's to show their commitment to the future. They came up with the Thunderbird, the Explorer, and the Futura, and the Flying V. All in very space age / modern looking shapes. John Entwhistle and others like Bootsy Collins have had their share of custom made goofy shaped guitars. So yes the wood it is made of and things like mass are good, and having the neck through the body are important to tone. On electrics shape has little to do with tone. Kinda like wings on 50's cars didn't really make them faster, just look cooler.
I have two thunderbirds, I've owned a V and it's ridiculous to try and play. I have had an Explorer, a black one, and I liked it a lot but sold it to finance my move when I retired. I will say the Epi explorer is a better bass than the Gibson version for a lot of reasons. So I would like to have a natural korina Explorer to add to my staff of players. I will some day own all the goofy shaped basses from that era so I will again own a V, but it won't be a player. Dean is making a futura and calling it a spider bass in the Entwhistle collection.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by id10t

Just a dumb question if I may...

With an electric, you aren't depending on the body to provide any tone, amplification, etc - just hold the pickups in proper place in relation to the strings, or are you?

If that is the purpose of the body, could you not get creative and go goofy with a stock blank ? Maybe something with wood from a nice old double or something....

Or are you just after that particular bass for musical reasons?

No. Shape, density, materials, and pickups themselves will all have an impact on the final tone of the guitar/bass. It is possible to completely isolate a pickup from the guitar, such as by holding pickup over the strings and connected to a cord.
If you were correct, the same model pickup would sound the same in all guitars. And as a pickup maker, I know this not to be true.

A pickup will take all factors and work with it, either by amplifying good or bad aspects of the guitar.

[slodave]

There was an interesting YT vid I found last year while researching for my LP project. The guy is playing on a "guitar", but you can only see the neck. Sounds good, can't tell what type of guitar it is by the neck. The guy behind the camera slowly pans out midway through and it's a neck attached to a piece of wood from a pallet. Low grade pine or whatever they use. Throw a bunch effects and almost anything can sound good.

But as Wolfe and Dave are correct as well. The wood really does make a difference. The sound of a guitar also changes over the years.

[Rick Lee]

Korina wood Gibsons are something special. I've never seen an Explorer bass up close and I don't really have the ear to appreciate different basses. But on guitars I can tell the difference. And when I'm playing them, I can feel it in my gut and teeth, even unplugged.

[VINMAN]

I know its not a bass, but I always thought this was one of the coolest guitars ive seen.

One of Rick Neilsen's

[Mericet]

I do not care how you like your bass guitars, but you are getting a traditional looking stock on the Stevens!

[Tobra]

My brother has a fairly rare Ibanez that turned out to be a knockoff of a Gibson Moderne, which they apparently never produced. That did not prevent them from suing Ibanez to cease and desist, hence a fairly rare item. It is pretty heavy, he attributes its excellent sustain to it being some sort of super dense wood, very pretty with clear finish over the wood.

He traded a Coral electric sitar in when he got it as partial payment. Turns out that Coral sitar was every bit and maybe more rare than that Ibanez, DOH.

[scottmandue]

I really want a explorer, either six or four string.

Strange shape? I have an old Hondo Dan Electra longhorn copy... beat that!

Actually the double deep cutaway makes for great fretboard access! And has Dimarzio (sp) P bass pickups so it sounds good too.

[targa911S]

Originally Posted by Mericet

I do not care how you like your bass guitars, but you are getting a traditional looking stock on the Stevens!

That's good. Some things need to be traditional. Thanks, see you soon!

[targa911S]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Korina wood Gibsons are something special. I've never seen an Explorer bass up close and I don't really have the ear to appreciate different basses. But on guitars I can tell the difference. And when I'm playing them, I can feel it in my gut and teeth, even unplugged.

They sound like a T-Bird. That's a big reason why I want one. I can keep "my sound" and use a different styled bass.

[Mericet]

Originally Posted by targa911S

That's good. Some things need to be traditional. Thanks, see you soon!

Having said that (and sorry for the hijack but are still talking about wood, right), I am trying to think of a way to do a schnabel without messing up the lines of the forend.

[Heel n Toe]

More: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.142769469087602.17322.130940250270524&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/basstheworldcom

[targa911S]

Originally Posted by Mericet

Having said that (and sorry for the hijack but are still talking about wood, right), I am trying to think of a way to do a schnabel without messing up the lines of the forend.

don't do it then. The lines are important.

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

More: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.142769469087602.17322.130940250270524&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/basstheworldcom

I'll bet it is exhausting to play that thing.
I actually like that on a serous WTF level

[azasadny]

Cool basses!!