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76 explorer

latestarter

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Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,173
I play mine every week. Love it. It has mid 60’s Pat No decal p/ups and long PAF style magnets. I wouldn’t mind some original TarBacks to compare, but I cant imagine they would sound any better than it does now.

Ocf3rpU.jpg
 

nichd

New member
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Jun 30, 2018
Messages
10
I play mine every week. Love it. It has mid 60’s Pat No decal p/ups and long PAF style magnets. I wouldn’t mind some original TarBacks to compare, but I cant imagine they would sound any better than it does now.

Ocf3rpU.jpg

Never pulled the pups in mine... just assumed they were tarbacks, but the guitar sounds just amazing. For rock... I could own this and no other guitar. My 75 V has pat stickers... not sure what the history is on these, but guessing they were in a pickup bin, and what you got... you got.

The neck is massive... but for me, it plays like butter. I love the big neck and its shaped in a way that just feels right to me. For comparison (again) my 75 V has a big neck, but not like the explorer. The 75 V was more in line with a 68GT neck (used to have) but the explorer is in a 'never been there before' category.
 

latestarter

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,173
Never pulled the pups in mine... just assumed they were tarbacks, but the guitar sounds just amazing. For rock... I could own this and no other guitar. My 75 V has pat stickers... not sure what the history is on these, but guessing they were in a pickup bin, and what you got... you got.

The neck is massive... but for me, it plays like butter. I love the big neck and its shaped in a way that just feels right to me. For comparison (again) my 75 V has a big neck, but not like the explorer. The 75 V was more in line with a 68GT neck (used to have) but the explorer is in a 'never been there before' category.

Mine is not only super fat, it's wide too. Especially up around the 12th. Truly massive and makes an R8 feel like an R0!
 

nichd

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Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
10
Mine is not only super fat, it's wide too. Especially up around the 12th. Truly massive and makes an R8 feel like an R0!

Makes an R8 feel like an R0- that's a great way to describe these lol.

I remember a buddy (member here) calling me up and telling me I need to buy this thing because it's amazing. I had never paid any attention to these and knew nothing about them... I played it and thought to myself, I could sell all of my LPs and just have this... it played effortlessly and sounded just unbelievable... and I went home with it 5 minutes after first picking it up.
 

Anje

Active member
Joined
Jan 3, 2002
Messages
1,170
Nice guitar latesarter!
I can say I sold all my old LPs at some point after getting my 76LE, it's that good (even if it's not exactly the same tone & vibe).
 

Jes Abbott

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Joined
Sep 21, 2018
Messages
1
Hi

I've recently acquired a 1976 (I think) Explorer. Pots age to that anyway.

From the pickup cavities, I think the guitar was originally black, but there are also very minor signs of white residue around the dot markers on the side of the neck. The guitar has been stripped back to natural at some point in it's past.

It has a very chunky neck and the remaining visible serial numbers stamped on the end of the headstock are 67336. So from the list below I'm thinking this is one of the unusual/pre-production guitars. If the first number of the serial code was 9 it would fit perfectly in that batch.

Jes



It would be interesting to compare serial numbers of the LE and non LE '76s to see if there is any logic to these.

Added are neck thickness measurements at 1st fret / 7th fret / 12th fret

00229608 LE nat 60s med nk
00229622 LE full nk, nat 0.843 / 0.943 / 1.000, 7615/7621 pots
00229628 LE nat 0.830 / 0.925 / 1003
00229772 LE nat
002298XX LE nat Kahlerized restored
00230XX4 LE nat hs broken off
00230001 LE
00230010 LE? nat ex-The Edge
00230040 LE blk 7615/7621 pots
00230048 LE? nat stolen in Austin Tx
00230127 LE nat sold in Japan
00230163 LE nat
00230184 LE nat very thick baseball type of nk
00230203 LE nat
00230210 LE nat
00230214 LE nat large nk
00230224 LE nat original warranty registration card (filled out by Gibson) dated 11/6/1976
00230260 LE nat chunky nk
00230309 LE blk stripped to nat, hs broken off, body routed for Kahler
00230370 LE, nat, warranty reg. 4.4.77, 762X or 763X pot
00230417 LE nat chunky nk 7635 pots
00230419 ? nat Dave's guitar coll
00230517 LE nat hs break
0023054X LE nat stamped pat.no. T-Tops 0.840
00230543 LE nat kahlerized restored blk pg
00230556 LE blk rep hs break baseball bat nk
00230558 LE blk
00230634 LE nat chunky nk
00230691 LE blk
00230695 LE blk
00230696 LE nat
0023075X LE nat chunky nk
00230833 LE nat
00230965 LE blk
00231107 LE nat
00231118 nat stamped serial # (maybe not by Gibson), no LE indication/decal, maybe refin, 762X and 761X pots
00231131 LE nat
00231236 LE
00232218 LE nat 7615 pot
00232253 LE blk 8/13/77 pch date on warranty card
00232275 LE blk .812 / .954 / 1.017
002323XX LE broken hs stripped added nk inlays (prior to restoration)
00232348 LE nat
00232407 LE nat 7621 pot
00232413 LE nat
00232630 LE nat
0023264X LE huge nk
00232665 LE nat
00232685 LE nat
002327XX LE blk
002327XX LE 0.912, 755X pots
00232706 LE nat baseball bat nk
00232708 LE nat chunky nk
00232709 LE nat huge nk
00232726 LE nat fat and chunky nk 7615 7622 pots, K 2 stamped on hs
00232734 LE nat rep hs brk
00232760 LE nat chunky nk 76 pots
00232776 LE nat huge nk original warranty registration card (filled out by Gibson) dated 11/20/1976
00232778 LE nat 762X pots
00232789 LE nat
0023279X LE nat (refin blk) (James Hetfield), 7621 pots
00232828 LE nat big nk 7602 and 7615 pot
00232845 LE nat stamped 2nd 763X and 7624 pots
00232856 LE
00232884 LE nat
00232897 LE blk super fat nk
00232917 LE baseball nk
00232926 LE big nk nat
00232961 LE big chunky nk 7615 7621 pots K 2 stamp on hs
00232966 LE nat big nk
00232986 LE big nk
00233XXX LE nat huge nk SD 59 pups
00233XXX LE nat large nk 7542 pots
00233026 LE nat
00233048 LE nat chunky nk
00233055 LE nat
00233058 LE nat huge (now shaved) nk
00233064 LE nat 7615 and 7621 pots
00233075 NON LE large nk nat
00233079 LE blk full nk
00233082 LE nat
00233179 LE nat 7615 and 7621 pots
00233184 LE nat
00233124 LE nat chunky nk 7621 pots
00233191 LE nat 7615 pot
00233219 LE nat 7621 pot
00233233 LE nat 'fattest nk'
00233320 LE nat
0023333X LE nat (Luke Gibson), full nk - 0.911 / 0.974 / 1.017
00233345 LE nat big nk
00233362 LE nat big nk NO tarbacks
00233372 LE 7615/762X pots
00233373 LE nat big nk
00233379 LE nat really big nk
00233428 LE nat
0023348X LE nat, removed nk, nk cavity stamp in body 'July 1X 1976'
00233540 LE nat chunky nk
00233552 LE nat
00233601 LE nat huge nk
00233772 LE nat big nk
00233784 LE nat huge nk
00233813 LE nat very big nk
00233816 LE nat fat thick nk
00233818 LE nat huge nk .951/1.026/1.049
00233820 LE (could also be 00233920) nat big baseball bat nk
00233908 LE nat huge nk
002339XX LE 0.961, 761X pots
00233915 LE nat chunky nk 7615 7621 pots
00233918 LE nat thick nk
00233980 LE nat baseball bat nk
00233989 LE nat bought at NAMM (early example?) 7542 (2) and 755X pots
0023X081 LE nat
0023X621 LE nat fat nk
00234007 LE nat
00234031 LE nat
00234103 LE nat
00234115 LE nat, K stamped on hs (and 2)
00234124 LE nat chunky nk 7621 pots
00234161 LE nat

00239787 non LE see through wine RED, 'K' stamped on hs
00239793 non LE nat 7636 pots
00239866 non LE nat
00239880 non LE nat fat & meaty nk also stamped 96732X in hs
00239888 non LE nat
00239896 non LE nat
00239913 non LE blk fat nk
00239939 non LE nat
00239965 non LE nat
00239979 non LE
0023998X non LE nat
00239965 non LE nat
00239979 non LE nat
00240XXX non LE nat schallers
00240XXX non LE unplayed with tags 762X pot
00240015 non LE nat routed
00240052 non LE nat STAMPED serial no may be original
00240057 non LE nat
00240083 non LE blk, refin white
00240112 non LE nat
00240154 non LE nat
00240161 non LE nat 7636 pot slim 60s nk, 0.8 / 0.92 / 1.0
00240169 non LE nat 76XX pot
00240220 non LE nat
00240229 non LE nat narrow depth nk
00240246 non LE nat
00240248 non LE
00240267 non LE med nk 764X pot
00240282 non LE nat
00240293 non LE blk 7640 pot beefy nk
00240297 non LE nat
00240776 non LE wine RED see through big nk 'K' stamped on hs
00240777 non LE blk (refin, originally black), big & wide nk 760X pot
00240789 non LE nat
00240821 non LE nat lge nk 7636 pot
00240828 non LE nat
00240837 non LE nat
00240840 non LE nat
00240878 non LE nat
00240891 non LE big nk 0.787 / 0.945 / 0.984
00240897 non LE blk
00240909, non LE nat 7621 pots
00240923 non LE nat beefy nk
00240953 non LE nat med nk
0024X992 non LE nat replaced pups
00240993 non LE blk not fat nk
00240998 non LE stripped/refin
00241020 non LE nat very chunky nk
00241025 non LE nat added pg switches
00241036 non LE blk
00241038 non LE blk
00241054 non LE nat
00241067 non LE STAMPED serial no (no decal) looks original nat finish ex-38 Special
00241071 non LE nat kahler route filled
00241099 non LE nat modded
002411XX non LE nat med size nk (SGLP63) 0.805 / 0.909 / 1.005
00241179 non LE nat blk refin body
00241284 non LE blk super flat nk
00241304 non LE nat
00241307 non LE nat 60s nk
00241340 non LE nat Kahler
00241358 non LE blk floyd
00241364 non LE blk
00241371 non LE blk
00241407 non LE nat not too skinny nk
00241502 non LE nat, 7636 pot
00241517 non LE nat
00241562 non LE wine RED see through, 'K' stamped on headstock
00241563 non LE wine RED see through, 'K' stamped on headstock
00241566 non LE nat full/thick nk
00241585 non LE black 7636 pot
00241591 non LE black full nk
00241815 non LE nat
00241XXX non LE stamped 2

First impression is that all LE's have the big necks, and (at least) some of the non LE's as well. Plus LE's are not limited to natural finished guitars.

There are also a few Explorers known that according to the pot codes would date to 1975-1977, with six digit stamped headstock numbers:

627091 nat also w 06 247092 decal
627093 white 7548 pot
627271 white
627404 white 764X pot codes
627463 white
627881 white 7552 pot codes, stamped DEMO under the pg
967310 white 7636 pot
96732X nat also w decal 00239880 (see above)
967357 white Heritage auctions
967368 white 75 and 76 pots, stamped SECOND
967370 white chunky medium nk
967392 white 7640 pot codes
967395 white 7640 pot codes
967406 white not big nk
967453 white factory 2nd bought in March 1977

(Firebird, white 75 pots stamped 627673, with a '00' decal under the finish)

The 1977s - see my next post in this thread:

06 247041 (nat)
06 247052 (nat)
06 247069 nat, stamped BGN
06 247082 (blk)
06 247092 (nat) also with 627091 stamped hs number
06 247109 (refin, ex Black Oak Arkansas)
06 247116 (nat)
06 247118 (nat) hs brk
06 2471XX (nat)
06 247133 (nat)
06 247167 (blk)
06 2472XX (blk)
06 247XXX (nat)
06 2521XX (blk) 7650 pot
06 252157 (red)
06 252189 (red) kahler
06 252190 (red)
06 2521XX (blk)
06 252197 (blk)
06 252211 (red)
06 25222X (red)
06 252271 (nat)

1981 Explorer: 0.812 / 0.935 / 1.000

Shipping totals according to Gibson's ledgers (which contain inaccuracies):

1975: White 2 (total 2)
1976: Ebony 104, Natural 1835, White 67 (total 2006)
1977: Ebony 203, Natural 760, White 124 (total 1087) - at least a batch of red Explorers was made as well
1978: Ebony 65, Natural 149, White 60 (total 274)
1979: Ebony 133, Natural 94, White 60, Explorer II (E2) 586 (total 873)

"If" the serial numbers on the '76 LE Explorers were applied in chronological sequence, the known pot codes would indicate that Gibson did not start shipping the run of Explorers until around June (my #00229622 has one 7621 pot). I wrote to Gibson for the shipping dates of my guitar and that of a non-LE guitar with 7621 pots, but was informed that there are no ledgers for this period available. If this is correct, it will be very hard to verify when these guitars actually were manufactured and/or shipped.

When checking the serial ## and pots of other 1976 Gibsons though, it seems that the serial number decals that were applied in the factory may NOT have been used in chronological order, but were applied at random within specific pre-assigned number ranges. Certain ranges of serial numbers were apparently assigned to specific models, with archtops in the low 100,000s, followed by the 3X5 guitars up to the 110,000s, the Les Paul range (110,000s-140,000s, with the Standards and Artisans - which were (re)introduced later in 1976 - in the 230,000s range), then the SG/L6s, S1/Marauders, basses and acoustics (140,000s-up to the 220,000s), with the Firebirds, Tbirds and Explorers occupying the 230,000s-240,000s range. Exceptions do apply...

Pot dates were all over the place, but that may not mean a whole lot. Some examples:

LPC #00120544 7613 pots
LPC 00123976 7653 (!!!) pots
SG Cst 00145326 754X pots
SG Std 00149664 751X and 752X pots
FB 00233531 7552 pots
Tbird 00243036 7636 pots

A number of 1976 guitars also have stamped manufacturing dates in the control cavity. The data derived from these also adds to the conclusion that the serial numbers within the pre-assigned ranges may have been applied randomly.

If this is correct, then it would not be possible to determine if the general neck dimensions of the LE's and non LE's gradually changed during their production runs (from big to huge, as has been suggested in other threads), since the serial numbers on these guitars were not used in strict chronological sequence. YMMV...
 
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Dave P

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2001
Messages
976
My brother has this LE '76 Explorer he bought in 1983 for $175. I don't know the serial # offhand.
garbage76.jpg
 

jocce

New member
Joined
Oct 23, 2015
Messages
7
I haven't been posting for a few years, but found this thread when trying to date an Explorer that the seller says is a 76.

However, the serial on the back of the headstock is 8 115011, and that makes me crazy. I can't find any Gibson serial number with seven digits. It's also impressed into the wood, and not on a decal or inked. No "Made in USA" underneath it. The pots are marked 137762X and 1377615, indicating they are from 76.

Pickups are Tarbacks, tuners are gold six on a plate as they should be, ABR bridge, black three or five ply pickguard, natural finish. A previous owner has installed an extra toggle just below the bridge, and also routed some under the pickguard to make room for it.

The current owner says he's an old music dealer, and not a guitarist, and he's owned the guitar since 83, just as a fun thing to have. I trust him on that. However, something is not right when it comes to the serial, even though pot codes indicate it's all fine.

Can someone help me date this thing? He's asking around three grand for it, and I think that sounds fair if all is right considering that the pickguard might be replaced, and that routing's been made to fit the extra toggle.
 

Atomicmod

New member
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Messages
27
What a way to reinvigorate it with panache.... What a killer example, color and aging!
Thanks so much! This particular 76 was Pelham Blue from the factory… there’s a bit of history involved and the guitar has been to hell and back, for sure…





 
Last edited:

jb_abides

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,274
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 76 lefty - surely they exist?

I am fine with new builds and this may serve as a template so to speak, in the future...

Does a 76 exists? I dunno.

@Elliot Easton had a Custom 'Korina' made in 83, and I think sold an 83 USA, but my memory doesn't recall or I am not aware of any from the '70s vintage'.
 

Jack Burns

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Joined
Sep 27, 2018
Messages
4
This is an old thread so I hope you guys don't mind another post. Like Atomicmod I came across a hammered explorer that seems to be one of the 65 ebony black made in '78 based on Keef's post back in 2010. The neck at the first fret is .077 and it is a Nashville/Schaller version. Probably one of the first from what I can tell. The serial numbers are gone due to a neck repair but overall it looks great and I couldn't pass it up! The spray paint was removed without damaging the original lacquer so hopefully it will turn out. I am also hunting for 500K pots from '78 so if anyone has a stash or perhaps knows of someone that might be willing to sell please let me know. 70-020 is what I am after.
 

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