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1976 Explorer (Vintage not Reissue)

bluesjuke

Active member
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
7,007
I had one and miss it about the most I've ever missed a Gibson.
One of the best I agree.
 

FlatRacer

New member
Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
79
I was 15 in 1976 and wanted one bad - not even close on the money situtation. At age 17 I ended up with the next best thing - the last new Ibanez Destroyer in the NE - Drove close to 300 miles for it, and 30 years later still have it.

Picked up an 06 Gibson RI a little while back, but still looking for a 76er. Some day.

In 1979 I took my HS graduation money and headed to 48th street to buy either an SG or an Explorer. I played every Explorer on the street and came home with the Ibanez. Still one of the best guitars I've ever played, and boy have I played the sh*t out of it!
My girlfriend saved up for months to buy me the white B.C. Rich Mockingbird I wanted. It wasn't until I got it home that I realized that once I strapped it on and stood up with it, it was too neck heavy to play comfortably! After we broke up I headed right back to 48th street with it to trade it for my 2nd Ibanez Destroyer.
I still have both Destroyers and will never ever part with them!

Eric
 

phat A

Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2005
Messages
163
One of the best guitars I ever had was a '76 LE. I didn't list it in another thread about guitars I should not have sold, but I should have. It was fantastic, and its neck wasn't as big as others I've seen. Really comfortable.

I currently have a '76 project. It is not the LE, has a Kahler routing that needs to be filled, was originally black but now it is stripped (the serial # decal is intact on a little "patch" that was left on the back of the headstock), and only had one original pickup and almost no original parts.

Sigh........I sure miss my old one. Someday I'll take this on and make it right though!
 

Kar120c

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2004
Messages
131
I had a '76 LE that i got around 2002 for around $1350 or so, if i rememeber correctly. It had a TP-6 tailpiece and two mini-toggles in between the knobs to coil tap the Dimarzio pickup. I plugged the wholes, found an aged tailpiece & dropped a set of Fralin's in. Couldn't get used to the Fralin's, so I put the original pickups back in and sold it.
Long story short, I loved the balance and the feel of the guitar overall, but I ended up getting rid of it because the neck was too big for me. I know a lot of people around here like those huge necks, but I could never get used it, and i never even thought about shaving it down (probably for the best) Do i regret selling it? Kind of. It was a great feeling guitar, but try as i might, the neck just gave me hand cramps.

Great guitars though.
 

Robin B

Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2003
Messages
111
I still have my 76 LE I traded a75 hardtail strat and a 69 goldtop deluxe for it. I didnt like them.I still have the explorer.
 

Boogie Bill

New member
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
334
I think it was around '78-79 I had a chance to buy one a used one for about $350. Didn't have a dime to my name at the time. That's one guitar that STILL haunts me.

Bill
 
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