NGD (Sorta)

[alerich]

You guys will appreciate this. We guitar players all have a story about that one guitar we sold or traded that we wish we still had. I bought a new Ferrari Red 1984 Gibson Explorer in June of 1984. Owned it for about six years then traded it away to a local music store. As the years (decades) passed I wish I had kept it. Fast forward 31 years. A buddy who now owns a different music store in that town sends me a text. Not even a text - just two pictures of a guitar case and a stripped down red Explorer. I said "Where did you get it? Ask the owner if they'll sell. I'll pay serious money to get that guitar back". The owner agreed to sell, we struck a deal and my buddy put the guitar back together for me. Refret, new nut, pickups and rings, switch, pots, knobs, bridge and output jack. Totally restored. Only the body, pickguard and tuners remain. Duncan JB bridge and 59 neck (the original Dirty Fingers pickups are long gone) with push pull pots for coil tapping and a master no load tone pot. It's a beast. Turns out that after I traded it in a woman bought it for her son for his high school graduation present. He still lives in that area and owned it for the entire 31 years that I did not. I am just over the moon to have this guitar back. These stories just never happen.

[Willabe]

Very cool!   

I have always loved Explorers, because of Allen Collins.   

[alerich]

Chapter Two of my story: Back in the 70s I played bass in my high school / tech school garage bands for a few years. I had an Aria copy of a Gibson EB-3 bass. I sold it in 1980 when I moved on to guitar full time. About twenty years ago I decided I wanted to find another just like it. I knew I would likely never track down the original guitar but one just like it would be cool. I would check eBay, Reverb, Craigslist and other online sales sites regularly. Last Saturday night I entered my regular search into Reverb and bingo! There it was. A few mouse clicks later it was on its way. I received it yesterday. It's very clean and plays just like I remember mine playing. The mini humbucker is kinda meh but the neck pickup slays. 2021 has been a good guitar year for me. First my Explorer and now this. The picture on the left is me in 1979 in my garage band. The picture on the right is my new Aria EB-3 copy. My original bass was probably a 1976 since I started playing it in 1977. According to the serial number this one was made in 1981 but it's identical to mine.