A Rare 'Triple-Humbucker' Explorer.

This 'Second Version' Explorer is one of just 3,656 guitars made between 1976 and 1979 and weighs 9.40 lbs.  Solid mahogany body and one-piece mahogany neck with  a nut width of 1 11/16 inches,  a scale length of 24 3/4 inches and wonderful medium-to-thick profile. Black faced headstock with pearl inlaid "Gibson" logo. Gold-plated, bell-shaped truss rod cover secured by two screws. Individual 'two-line' Gibson [Kluson Deluxe] tuners with oval metal buttons. Serial number "71598230" stamped in blind on back of headstock. Rosewood fretboard with 22 original jumbo frets and pearloid dot markers. Two Gibson Series Vll humbucking pickups in the neck and bridge position with outputs of 5.15k and 7.40k respectively. One Gibson Patent No. Humbucker (stamped on the underside "2,737,842") in the middle position with an output of 4.42k. The middle position pickup is activated by a push-pull switching sysyem on the second volume control. Single-layer black plastic pickguard with eight screws. Three controls (two volume, one tone) plus three-way pickup selector switch. The potentiometers are stamped "137 7812" and "137 7843" (CTS, March & October 1978). Gold plastic barrel-shaped 'speed' control knobs. Gibson ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic retainer bridge with metal saddles, separate stud tailpiece. All hardware gold-plated. This very unusual guitar is in near mint (9.25) condition with just afew very tiny and insignificant surface marks. Housed in the original Gibson three-latch, rectangular black hardshell case with black leather ends and burgundy plush lining (9.00).

We have never seen nor heard of a three 'Humbucking' pickup Explorer. The wiring appears to be untouched and the center pickup cavity appears to have been done at the same time as the other two. Possibly a custom ordered factory 'special' - possibly a conversion carried out by the original owner. Whatever the story - the guitar plays and sounds quite amazing…

Although the initial run of just some forty guitars in 1958 was commercially unsuccessful, the radical and futuristic Explorer is now one of the most sought-after instruments in the world. So much more than the sum of its parts, it's increased body mass aids the guitar’s punchy tone, while its asymmetrical outline is deceptively well-balanced. Its playability is as ideal for complex heavy metal rhythm styles as it is for blues-rock lead work… and it looks unbelievably cool. The Explorer has been played over the years by the likes of Mattias Jabs (Scorpions), The Edge (U2), Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd), James Hetfield (Metallica), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters),  Gary Moore and Eric Clapton,  Based upon the original 1958 Explorer specifications, which were Korina (African Limba wood) body with an enlongated upper treble bout and lower bass bout, two humbucking P.A.F. pickups, 3 knobs in a straight line, tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece (some with a Bigsby vibrato), white pickguard, scimitar-shaped ("hockey stick") peghead curves to treble side, pearl headstock logo, gold plated parts, natural finish, brown rectangular case with pink lining.