{"product_id":"1978-gibson-explorer-vintage-electric-guitar-natural-w-case-tarbacks","title":"1978 Gibson Explorer Vintage Electric Guitar Natural w\/ Case, Tarbacks","description":"Up for sale, a 1978 Gibson Explorer in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. One of a small number of '50-style Explorers produced in the latter half of the '70s, this Gibson sports a gloss Natural nitro lacquer finish, with mahogany body and neck construction and gold-plated hardware throughout.Loaded with the original \"Tarback\" humbuckers, which have a different magnet structure and fewer winds than a T Top, this pickup pair is an ideal pairing for the Explorer's solid mahogany construction. Coupled with the black epoxy that gave these humbuckers their name and ensures great feedback rejection by suppressing microphonics, the Tarbacks are a lively, sparkling pickup pair. Plugged in, the bridge pickup has a surprising twang and clarity, yet with a smooth top end, while the middle and neck positions have plenty of warmth and girthy bass response. This Explorer weighs 8lbs 6oz, professionally setup here at Mike \u0026amp; Mike’s Guitar Bar with 11-49 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.The one-piece mahogany neck has a very slender C-shaped profile carve with round shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .775” deep at the 1st fret and .950” at the 12th. The slab rosewood fretboard retains the original medium jumbo fretwire which has its full factory height, showing moderate wear on the crowns of frets 1-4, with wear growing lighter beneath the plain strings and extending to fret 9. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3\/4“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The nut measures a full 1 11\/16” in width. On the headstock, the original Gibson Deluxe tuners turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch, with clean gold plating. The back of the headstock has its embossed serial dating to '78.All of the electronics work as they should, with a three-way pickup selector, individual Volume controls for each pickup and a Master Tone control. The original CTS pots date to the 12th week of '78. The gold-plated hardware is notably clean, including the ABR-1 bridge and corresponding stopbar. Plastics comprise the clean one-ply white pickguard and the trio of gold speed knobs. This is a particularly well-kept example, with cosmetic wear on the Natural nitro lacquer gloss finish limited to light buckle rash on the back and some additional small nicks and light finish scratches on the body as a whole. There is also light pick scuffing extending above the pickguard on the bass side of the body and beyond the knobs on the treble side. The neck profile retains its smooth nitro gloss, free of palm wear with just a couple very small, shallow marks on the profile length.The original black tolex hardshell case with red plush interior is included.","brand":"Gibson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43610872185088,"sku":"73488074","price":7499.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/4437\/4714\/products\/medium_5a0faa82-6b52-4b1f-a7bb-0bf5a89ece14.jpg?v=1751496983","url":"https:\/\/mmguitarbar.com\/products\/1978-gibson-explorer-vintage-electric-guitar-natural-w-case-tarbacks","provider":"Mike \u0026 Mike's Guitar Bar","version":"1.0","type":"link"}