Fixing my friend's Crimson Explorer

[mayfly]

A new repair video:

 

[Nightsprinter]

Subbed!

 

[Spud]

I think it would look even cooler sans wing. Eliminate it.

 

[NedRyerson]

An interesting design. I wonder if the intent of the designer was for the guitar to be slung super low in the first place (a la James Hetfield) which would've avoided a bunch of the right arm pressure that loosened that wing.

 

[Rick]

It was an attempt at weight relief. Original Construction in that area should have been more robust. Nice repair.

 

[mayfly]

It was an attempt at weight relief. Original Construction in that area should have been more robust. Nice repair.

Thanks man! It is a really cool instrument; nice and light but not neck heavy. don't like the pickups, but whatareyagonnado.

 

[bonesofwrath]

I think the explorer was an attempt to overcome Gibson's insistence on looking cool at the expense of functionality caused by their institutional failure to grasp the idea of strap button geometry by using sheer weight.

Granted they did succeed in looking cool I'll give em that. But dang they're some heavy guitars. Summary, I don't think you can substantially reduce the weight of an explorer without causing problems.

 

[Nightsprinter]

Ibanez Destroyer was superior imo. Dang shame they lost the license for the body style. I still have an early 2000s Korean destroyer I'll never get rid of. Not as heavy as it looks.

 

[NedRyerson]

The Jackson Kelly is my personal go-to for Explorer-style guitars. Plus...more pointy.

 

[Nightsprinter]

The Jackson Kelly is my personal go-to for Explorer-style guitars. Plus...more pointy.

Yep that one is on my "I'll have one someday" list!

 

[stratamania]

Dang shame they lost the license for the body style

They never had a licence and had ceased making them, probably to head off further lawsuits from Gibson, who had already sued them over other things such as open book headstocks.

 

[Nightsprinter]

They never had a licence and had ceased making them, probably to head off further lawsuits from Gibson, who had already sued them over other things such as open book headstocks.

Hmm. I'll take your word for it but I swore I remember reading there was a guy from Japan that patented the exact body style for Ibanez (aside from the whole Gibson thing) and he pulled the license in the early 2000s so Ibanez didn't have the rights to make it anymore. No idea where I read it, but I'm sure I did. Doesn't mean it's true, of course. Internet and all.

 

[bagman67]

Hmm. I'll take your word for it but I swore I remember reading there was a guy from Japan that patented the exact body style for Ibanez (aside from the whole Gibson thing) and he pulled the license in the early 2000s so Ibanez didn't have the rights to make it anymore. No idea where I read it, but I'm sure I did. Doesn't mean it's true, of course. Internet and all.

The fact is, Gibson has lost some big ones in court; but that doesn't mean Gibson has to stop harassing smaller businesses. It just means the smaller businesses, while probably within their legal rights, will usually find it more cost-effective to comply with a cease-and-desist letter than to fight it.