1978 Heerby Explorer

[plexi50]

I picked this up last night at 1:00 am in the morning
I cant really find any info on google about it other than it is a Japaneese brand
The tiger maple is stunning. It has a set neck and the fret board is amazing
They used a real nice high quality rosewood
The body is a 1 piece mahogany with cream binding
It literally plays itself and has no fret wear or dent dings in them either
The tuners are the wrong ones but i have a set of 70's diamond back tuners for it if they will fit the hole
It is real dusty so it will shine big time when i get around to cleaning it up
Serial number stamped in back of neck is 927808

I was mistaken. The tuners are original













Day Time:

[Willabe]

WOW! Very nice plexi. I'd love to have an mahogany Explorer.

Especially for $100.   

Looks like it's in great shape.


                      Brad     

[rafe]

I heerby decree that that is a fine looking instrument, perhaps they are the tuners it was built with?
Heerby - Kasuga Gakki lots of info on line

[plexi50]

I cant believe it is hanging here. I just built a webpage for it. Im in love
http://triodeamplification.com/Heerby.html

[plexi50]

I heerby decree that that is a fine looking instrument, perhaps they are the tuners it was built with?
Heerby - Kasuga Gakki lots of info on line

Well the tuners do look 70's. I could be wrong and these may be the originals. I dont see and other screw holes or previous other tuner marks / indentations

[plexi50]

I almost want to make that h into a b. Beerby! Barbie would be the ultimate

[John]

Phew, nice find!

My "big one that got away" was a late 70's Ibanez Artist. I still kick myself for not dropping the money on it the minute I played it. The sustain unplugged was unreal. Played like butter. I am a fool. 

[Geezer]

I picked this up last night at 1:00 am in the morning for $100.00

What's the story there?? Where do you live that pawn shops or wherever are open @1AM? 

[plexi50]

I picked this up last night at 1:00 am in the morning for $100.00

What's the story there?? Where do you live that pawn shops or wherever are open @1AM?  

Thats the risk i took. See i was about to go to bed and i looked at craigslist one last time. The add had just been posted and it was 11:40 PM. I had no time to google and risk not getting it. It was also late at night and i wasnt sure if i should call. But it had just posted so i took a chance. The owner was an older Japanese guy and said he would meet me half way off Eastbay and Tri City Plaza area. I made tracks and met up with him 30 minutes later. I suppose he just needed a few dollars. He was well dressed and was not a junkie. (Nice SUV?) I couldnt see any detailing until i got home around 12:40 because i left my glasses at home.
Thats my story and im sticking to it*
I still dont believe the quality of this thing. It plays like a dream. You cant miss or make a bad note or chord even if you had blisters on your finger tips.
The pickups sound real good and are very well balanced in all 3 positions 

[Madison]

I believe Tokai/Gibson (Orville) Japan family.
You got a steal!
Man, that's a nice axe.

[plexi50]

I have a 1997 Gibson LPS DC that is mint as well but does not even come close to the quality of this Explorer. I read that the woods used back then were high quality.  The grain of the mahogany and rosewood seems to be a real fine and not as porus as what you see today on most guitars

[supro66]

I like the shape

Looks Danish from IKEA

I noticed the neck looks like a hocky stick

I may use this in my next Lap Steel Guitar I make

[plexi50]

I started cleaning the body and hardware. I removed the neck pickup cover and i think it looks much better. I keep saying this but the fret board and frets are what is really exceptionl. I quess a great neck is worth it's weight in gold. I got to keep looking over at it to see if this is real or a dream. Still here

[rafe]

I saw another heerby with similar tuners those indented circles look the same.....a few years back I picked up a 1979 FujiGen Gakki jazz bass. It is in all reality better than Fender was making in 79 ...It is uncanny how it's cloned
By 1981 FujiGen Gakki was making legitimate fenders and continued through most of the 90's I paid 80 bucks and it came with an excellent hard case...Really great jazz bass

[supro66]

I did some looking around on the net

I found a Band called

Cheap Trick
Rick Nielsen
Played this type of Guitar anybody hear of them

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1979-RICK-NIELSEN-CHEAP-TRICK-HAMER-GUITARS-AD-/300641390245?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item45ff9f8ea5

I just got to get one of these guitars and a back support

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cheap_Trick_live_2007.jpg

Found him playing one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CheapTrick1977.jpg

[eleventeen]

"Ones that got away"?

1982, I just moved to Los Angeles, and in Voltage Guitars (still in existence but only as a 'net based store, not bricks) was a 1965 Gibson L-5CES, blond, pointy cutaway. It was $900. which was a tad less than "any L-5" was selling for at the time. Fatbacks were not popular, even expensive ones were maybe $1200-$1400. But this was a blond one. With the rare pointy cut. In nice shape.

Awesome, unbelievable guitar. Nice wide neck, mid-60's Gibsons are generally quite good.

I stared at it for 15 minutes. No way could I afford $900. But wait, I cold have figured out a way to
get a cash advance on my single credit card, I could have wangled some kind of layaway with the store even if I had to pay a few more $$, I could have figured out something.

But I walked. Next day, I went back, realizing that I would have been a complete moron to let it get away.

Gone.