1985 - GIBSON Explorer Model "EXP 83"
"more beer"
- construction: Set-Neck
- neck: maple or mahogany?
- fingerboard: ebony, 22 medium frets, dot inlays, 24.75 inch scale
- electronics: active EMG pickups 81 (bridge) / 60 (neck), 2 volume, 1 tone, toggle 3 way selector.
- hardware: Gibson tune o matic bridge and stop tailpiece, Mini Grover Tuners, Chrome Hardware
- logos and serials:
-- front of headstock: "Gibson" gold logo
-- back of headstock: "??????? MADE IN USA" serial punched
- colors and other features: cream white with black headstock
The second explorer guitar used by James Hetfield, similar to its predecessor. This guitar will be seen with alot of different artwork throughout 1984-1988.
1985 "PHA-KOUGH"
1985 "PHA-QHO" in the upper left corner + "middle finger" sticker to the body + tape to hide the Gibson logo + EMG PICKUPS
1986 "MORE BEER!" written on white tape
1987 "MORE BEER!" written on white tape + something like a bird paw (pleeded away soon)
1988 "MORE BEER!" written on white tape + yellow round sticker with "29" between potentiometers + tape to hide the Gibson logo
In 1988 James add Jagermeister sticker and tape to cover Gibson logo on the headsock (I think because of new partnership with ESP)
Originally James’s main guitar was a Flying V, and the Explorer was his backup, but with time he decided that the Explorer suited him better. Soon this guitar, along with the “So What” Explorer, became his main guitar. Originally had Seymour Duncan pickups, swapped to EMG 81/60 when James caught the EMG craze.
This guitar was used as "base" for the ESP factory to made the ESP MX-220. First used in 1985, all the way to 1989/1990. Recently used in studio for recording "Garage Days Re-Revisited".
