Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by Pacafeliz » Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:45 pm

Wow this thread develops nicely ;D

I wouldn't count Firebirds in, though, as they do seem less metal associated, and more kinda classic. I must say I think my old Ibanez one is one of my sexiest guitars.

One thing I realized about Vs is that I seem to like the ones with the 3 knobs arranged in a "triangle" form, but hate the ones with the controls in one line. Get it?
Somehow it takes the "classic" look off and makes it more metal-y.
The ones with the old look and the extra input jack plate in the front are NICE
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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by JSett » Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:49 pm

I've wanted one of the Ibanez ones forever because of this chap:

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Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by sal paradise » Thu Sep 01, 2022 10:00 pm

I thought that top picture was Tim Wheeler for a hot minute

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I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion?

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by Chippertheripper » Thu Sep 01, 2022 10:14 pm

johnnysomersett wrote:
Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:49 pm
I've wanted one of the Ibanez ones forever because of this chap:

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Way cooler than a strat with lace sensors, for sure.

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by Pacafeliz » Thu Sep 01, 2022 11:06 pm

Chippertheripper wrote:
Thu Sep 01, 2022 10:14 pm
]

Way cooler than a strat with lace sensors, for sure.
Well yes but actually, I've been gasing real bad for a Strat Plus for quite a while... :wtf:
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by gazer » Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:20 pm

If it counts for anything my girlfriend that has zero interest in guitar but is artistically minded saw the explorer and thought it was the coolest guitar she’s ever seen, which is cool cause I have the same feeling to some extent. If nothing else wasn’t the jazzmaster and jaguar a symbol of breaking with the norm? Shouldn’t using an explorer or V for non metal music be in the same vein?

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by zhivago » Fri Sep 02, 2022 1:11 pm

My Explorer is one of the finest guitars I have ever played. :-*

Resonates like mad, is really loud, plays effortlessly, balances perfectly and sounds pretty huge.

Very cool guitars and certainly the definition of "ahead of its time". 8)
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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Fri Sep 02, 2022 2:11 pm

To me the Explorer is just an overdone (sharp edge) Firebird and like it way less than the actual Firebird.
Vs and Explorer are both often associated with metal - but I think their copies are way more Metal than the Gibson.
I personally associate Gibson Flying Vs way more with Funk and Psychedelic Rock (Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz and Sorgente - a Munich Funk band from the early 2000s).
The V is a statement guitar - like an electric guitar can have whatever shape you want it to have… and this is outstanding (especially in comparison to LPs, Strats and Teles).

I guess both can be great fun!

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by Embenny » Fri Sep 02, 2022 3:52 pm

This is a timely thread - I just got a trade offer including a '58 style korina flying V.

I think I'm gonna take it ;D
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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by tequila_in_teacups » Fri Sep 02, 2022 4:41 pm

I had this Bacchus V a number of years ago. Humbuckers are not a sound I'm into anymore, but this was a really fun guitar.

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by fuzzjunkie » Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:46 pm

One of my favorite design eras is 1958-59. I love the cars and guitars that came out those years, so I have a Jazzmaster and an Explorer. I would like a ‘58 V too, just for looks, but one Gibson is enough.

I have one of the 1976 Explorers with a Mahogany body, but it is balanced and doesn’t feel heavy. I don’t know much about Gibson pickups, but it appears to have T-tops, which also seem to be called “Tarbacks” for some reason. They are a little hotter than a PAF but more in that style than what went into ‘80-90s Gibsons.

The Edge was right. This guitar sounds brilliant with a Deluxe Memoryman into an AC-30.

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by jvin248 » Fri Sep 02, 2022 7:12 pm

.

Vs are awkward to play ... unless you are in an MTV video (remember those?).


Be mindful of ergonomics... Here is where the playing part of these guitars move when hung from straps at a gig.
When switching guitars, can you find the frets in the dark? You'll likely be up or down a fret wire or two on the necks.

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by Fiddy » Fri Sep 02, 2022 7:15 pm

jvin248 wrote:
Fri Sep 02, 2022 7:12 pm
.

Vs are awkward to play ... unless you are in an MTV video (remember those?).


Be mindful of ergonomics... Here is where the playing part of these guitars move when hung from straps at a gig.
When switching guitars, can you find the frets in the dark? You'll likely be up or down a fret wire or two on the necks.

Image
Can you add a firebird to that pic? I bet its the same deal as the explorer.. Mine feels that way at least..

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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by seenoevil II » Fri Sep 02, 2022 7:30 pm

Yes. Very. In love them. Someday I hope to own an explorer.
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Re: Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

Post by Lost In Autumn » Sat Sep 03, 2022 2:20 am

I love Vees, always have, going back to the days of butt-rock and Scorpions Schenker brothers, Judas Priest's KK Downing, Randy Rhoads (My first guitar was an offset V RR Concorde replica), but also Marc Bolan and Hüsker Dü... the fact that they have cock rock & thrash metal associations and i play music that's the polar opposite of that, makes them all the more appealing. I came really close to buying an MIJ V that was on consignment from one of our forum members at Dipinto Guitars back in the pandemic, (or perhaps pre), but I didn't and i kinda regret that. I'd really love to have a Lonnie Mack Vee with a Bigsby B-7 on it, but swap the pickups for either PAF-sized filtertrons or Firebirds, Fralin Big Singles or something I could actually use; I HATE the sound of most humbuckers.
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Explorers are cool, too, bat again, those pickups kill the appeal for me, which is why I own a firebird that I'll never sell.

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