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Warmoth vs Gibson Explorer shape

Update.  Just ordered the neck from Warmoth!  Woo-hoo !

Jamie at that guitar plans unlimited site just finished up the Explorer Pro/90/Studio plans.  (All of those are 90% the size of a "normal" Explorer.)  That guy is really easy to work with.  I think in the end, he did 4 or 5 revisions until we got something we both were happy with.  I ended up sending him 4 pictures of the smaller body so he could do the best drawing he could.

Also, most of y'all probably know that Mathias Jabs plays an Explorer, but his is a custom job by a company in Germany, and it's *not* the same as a real Explorer.  His is also 90% the size of a "regular" Explorer, but look at the upper left horn, much bigger and more prominant than Gibson's.

The red one and the left one are the best photos I found of the Pro.
 
one thing I forgot to ask was if an explorer is going to fit on a standard Warmoth body blank? Second, if it does you'll want to have Warmoth rout out the neck pocket , pickups, rear control cavity, bridge and wiring chanels.

Brian
 
dang you know that looks cool....

I think I should make a Lefty Explorer and route the controls on the opposite side...

hmm... has anybody else done that?

I think it would look cooooool...
 
bpmorton777 said:
one thing I forgot to ask was if an explorer is going to fit on a standard Warmoth body blank? Second, if it does you'll want to have Warmoth rout out the neck pocket , pickups, rear control cavity, bridge and wiring chanels.

Brian
Click to expand...

I assume that since they have their own Explorer, a "real" one won't be a problem.  It is a custom job though.  Won't know how much it costs until after they get the plans.  Jamie did the complete plans.  HSS config, strings through the body, neck pocket, and custom controls for how *I* want it.  :headbang:  But what I'll tell Warmoth, is to look at the way he did things, but they are the experts, and keeping in mind what I want, make any changes they might see necessary. 

If you look earlier in the thread where I put up the picture of Gibson's Shred X model, my controls are the same, but I move the toggle over to the far left, and the three knobs become the volume knobs for the 3 pickups, no tone.  Here's where it gets interesting.  I will have push pull pots for the bridge and middle pickups.  The bridge pickup is for a single coil tap.  The middle is a "reverser".  With the middle pickup chosen with the toggle (std 3 position toggle like Gibson's), that push pull pot reverses the output from only the middle pickup, to the bridge plus neck.  Pull the bridge's push pull pot, and that's now a single coil.  A buddy of mine says that combo sounds like a Telecaster in his G&L.  So I have the std grungy Strat tone with the neck alone, Les Paul with the bridge humbucker, and a Tele with the bridge tapped plus the neck.  (I have a Strat, and I never use the 2 combos I can't get this way: the neck/middle, or the middle/bridge.)

 
Might be a problem using a Warmoth body blank; on the Explorer body page it states:

"Extreme body width(9" to centerline) and length makes laminate tops a problem. Sometimes flame and quilt maple may be available though costs will be higher."

If you look at the dimensions on the body blank page:

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/bodies/bodyblanks.cfm

the general dimensions are 19" x 14"; and eyeballing it, it doesn't look like it's going to fit in those dimensions.

You probably need to call Warmoth and see if you can order an Explorer body blank custom.

 
If you look at their customer service page, I've been in constant contact with Dan this whole time.  He knows exactly what I'm going to do, and he says everything's doable.  I did forget to add this, but someone earlier mentioned that they might decline do a more perfect copy of a real Explorer (vs their own), but he said, no problem.  Also, I'm not doing a laminated top.  Alder body.  (Les Paul/Strat hybrid shredder ... with the body of an Explorer.  Mahogany neck, ebony fretboard.)

Also, I mentioned to them that wow, their body seemed very similar to the '80's Charvel Explorer.  They said, yup, we made a few bodies back then for them!   :hello2:
 
My word of advice.... If you don't like it, don't get it and shut the **** up.
:rock-on:

People are too freakin picky nowadays.

 
Eh?

Dude, the whole point to a custom made guitar is to get it exactly the way you want.  Too picky?  Exactly !!  :headbang1:
 
I had no idea that the Warmoth Explorer's were different dimensions than a Gibson Explorer.  Of course I know the difference was bolt-on versus set neck, but otherwise I thought they were the same.  This has been a helpful thread!

I'd still like to make a Seafoam Green Warmoth Explorer!!!  And, I still want a white Gibson Explorer!
 
I've always thought the Warmoth Explorer looked a little peculiar.  I attributed it to being a bolt-on neck.  Seeing the fender style neck pocket made the cutaway portion seem tighter, and the lower front bout pointier.

I don't know if the ESP Explorer was ever liscensed, but it was dropped by ESP at Gibson's request or cease and desist order;  Gibson was the reason.  Apparently during the ESP-Hetfeld run, the Gibson Explorer sales dropped off.  Gibson attributed it to the Hetfeld-ESP.  I've seen recent pics of Hetfeld playing ESP Explorers.  I don't know if they are newer ones that ESP is making specifically for him, or if they are his older ones. 
 
you'd think that Gibson would have a problem with Dean and Hamer as well.

http://www.hamerguitars.com/?fa=series&sid=196

Brian
 
R n R Dr said:
Eh?

Dude, the whole point to a custom made guitar is to get it exactly the way you want.  Too picky?  Exactly !!   :headbang1:
Click to expand...


But Warmoth doesn't make custom guitars.....  :icon_thumright:
 
bpmorton777 said:
you'd think that Gibson would have a problem with Dean and Hamer as well.

http://www.hamerguitars.com/?fa=series&sid=196

Brian
Click to expand...

Jackson did get sued for the Kelly.
 
I found this topic when I searched on the warmoth explorer shape being different. I just ordered an explorer body and neck from warmoth but having owned 5 or so Gibson Explorers I was a bit concerned about the different body shape. I called spike to ask about using one of the templates listed in this thread and paying extra to have a body blank cut to the 58 explorer shape. Spike explained that their body blanks are not wide enough for the 58 explorer shape. Truth is the more I look at the warmoth shape the more it grows on me and I can't wait to get mine:

Mahagony body with flame maple top AND back - which warmoth were reluctant to do since it is hard enough finding a nice flame top for a en explorer sized guitar, let alone trying to match 2. I made it clear I was not expecting perfect matches and nobody would see both front and back at same time any way so that solved that.

Purple Dye on the flame top and back, trasnparent purple for the mahagony body that really only the sides will be visible.

Double bound in pearloid.

No routing as this will house the electronics from a new JTV variax 59 plus 2 duncan p rails, hopefully in pearloid from the custom shop.

Explorer neck in flame maple with brazilian rosewood and pearloid diamond inlays.

I have a double bound flame maple tele from warmoth and wanted and explorer and someday a LP to match.
 
toasterdude said:
I found this topic when I searched on the warmoth explorer shape being different. I just ordered an explorer body and neck from warmoth but having owned 5 or so Gibson Explorers I was a bit concerned about the different body shape. I called spike to ask about using one of the templates listed in this thread and paying extra to have a body blank cut to the 58 explorer shape. Spike explained that their body blanks are not wide enough for the 58 explorer shape. Truth is the more I look at the warmoth shape the more it grows on me and I can't wait to get mine:

Mahagony body with flame maple top AND back - which warmoth were reluctant to do since it is hard enough finding a nice flame top for a en explorer sized guitar, let alone trying to match 2. I made it clear I was not expecting perfect matches and nobody would see both front and back at same time any way so that solved that.

Purple Dye on the flame top and back, trasnparent purple for the mahagony body that really only the sides will be visible.

Double bound in pearloid.

No routing as this will house the electronics from a new JTV variax 59 plus 2 duncan p rails, hopefully in pearloid from the custom shop.

Explorer neck in flame maple with brazilian rosewood and pearloid diamond inlays.

I have a double bound flame maple tele from warmoth and wanted and explorer and someday a LP to match.
Click to expand...

Toaster, I had no idea that the Turtle would do a feont and back laminate!  THat's way cool.  Tell me, are they gonna plane down the mahogany core to make the guitar the standard 1 3/4" thickness?  Or is it going to be 1 7/8" thick when it's done?

On the note of the body shape, I am guessing that this shape is a carryover from the days when Warmoth made bodies for Charvel..... and I don't think they are gonna change their shape any time soon.  Maybe, I mean they are starting to do the 'vintage tele' shape. 
 
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