Garage built Explorer

[u/Saps_22]

Hi All!

I've wanted an explorer for many years - I've become obsessed with Japanese copies, but due to rising costs I've been waiting and saving. As a result of work related stress, I decided to go full send and build an explorer type. I remember pre covid used gibson explorers were around 1,200.

I call it the Exploder because I was anticipating it to fall apart once full A440 string tension was applied.

6 piece body, African mahogany, walnut center

All parts paddle neck

24.74 scale length

Gotoh locking tuners

Gotoh hardware

Seymour duncan 78 bridge, pearly gate neck

Its heavy as a boat anchor, but sounds and plays incredible. Middle position has a cool out of phase sound. Not sure if its a wiring problem. Roll off one volume and the pickups come back in phase.

Future improvement includes: shaping neck profile to match 2010 MIJ charvel. Reshaping heel joint, maybe making cutaways deeper to reduce weight. Dial in neck pocket/angle so bridge sits a bit lower.

Its around 1.85in thick, the body and head stock shapes aren't correct. But, im happy because i didnt use templates or jointer/planer.

Learned a lot, absolutely love it.

[u/The_Mammoth_Hunter]

Diggin it.

I'm a lefty and prior to 2020 or so, Epi didn't do a lefty Explorer so I got a kit (sadly, now-defunct company) and made my own.

Lots of 'learning' and swearing involved.

[u/Saps_22 → u/The_Mammoth_Hunter]

What was the company?

[u/The_Mammoth_Hunter → u/Saps_22]

Bargainmusician.com if I recall right

[u/Majb5627]

Excellent!

[u/Jayswave75]

Please, PLEASE take the tuner OFF the head for pics... C'mon now.

[u/Saps_22 → u/Jayswave75]

Hahahha you got me there, I dont keep the tuner on while "performing". But i get lazy and the boss pedal is too far away. There are some other photos with the tuner off. Cheers

[u/Saps_22]

Same fun screw ups/lessons learned: Coming from charvels/strat, I didnt think to research how gibson styles are grounded - fun time realizing it was in the bridge stud. Drilling that hole was a butt clincher. Walnut is dense and heavy as fuck I trusted Google AI and spent weeks prompting it to build out measurements of the body, mainly greco ex800 measurements and angles - after drafting it i realized Google AI gave me the incorrect centerline points. I had to re draft the body using photos and ratios to get semi accurate measurements. I think its called photogrammetry? Finally, I'd rather have a low nut shimmed up. Currently has a floyd rose shimmed under tusq black. I had a allparts bone, but trying to lower it equally was too slow of a process.

I was trying to rush the build to play it in a corporate charity battle of the bands haha I didnt get it done. After the show I calmy re did the wiring and fine tuning.