Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

  • Stickers ON

    Votes: 26 60.5%

  • Stickers OFF

    Votes: 17 39.5%
  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

I would never have put stickers on it, if I was the former owner. However, once on, I'd leave 'em on: it has more mojo that way. Besides, he might have put them on the guitar in the first place in order to hide some cosmetic imperfection.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

The Mojo is the thing - If that guitar doesn't speak to you - ignore it. That's the buyer you are waiting on...I think you'll get more dollars out of someone who sees the mojo than someone who sees a plain jne old explorer. They will no doubt add more of their own stickers.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

Stickers on guitars are a REALLY personal thing, and not everybody is a nuclear-powered porn-watching Butthead-loving punk rocker from Chicago. Your market is gonna be really limited with this thing.

How much would it cost to 'fix up' the finish after the stickers are peeled off? Seems like you could give it a good sanding to smoothe it out and say you liked the Faded series so much you thought you'd try to 'fade' your Explorer...sand it down a little then spray another coat of black or maybe even some other color (like bright green!) on top of it. Then it's a 90's Gibson with a fresh and / or unique finish, which would catch the attention of more bidders.

Explorer players don't usually seem to be after 'classic collectable gibsons' in the first place, but like I said, they're not all punk rockers from Chicago. A cool refin or a 'faded' job would probably fetch you more dough, if you're willing to do the work for it.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

I'm not a stickers guy by any means, but that finish is gone at that point, so you'd devalue the guitar much worse by trying to pry them off. The stickers are pretty cool, but if you're planning on removing them, plan on refinishing the guitar.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

Ron Jeremy is a member of the John Jolly army.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

I'd buy it with the stickers, and I don't like Explorers. But I'm not everyone.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

TwinReverb said:
I would never have put stickers on it, if I was the former owner. However, once on, I'd leave 'em on: it has more mojo that way. Besides, he might have put them on the guitar in the first place in order to hide some cosmetic imperfection.
Click to expand...
No, I don't think he was trying to hide any cosmetic imperfection. It's actually still in pretty incredible shape given the history. There's a small place where the paint is literally down to the wood from where he would rest his hand. But he was just a player that played ALOT of gigs and some guys just do that sticker stuff. After you've got a few stickers, sometimes people give you more hoping you'll stick theirs on there, too.

This was a 90 model, so it was the first year I believe for what Gibson called the Explorer "76 reissue" (although it's really only somewhat similar to the original 76 reissue.) It was sent from the Gibson factory to Chicago where one of the Testiment guys was suppose to pick it up on their way through town. They blew it off, so the Gibson guy called Jay to see if he wanted it and that's how he got it. It was his main guitar for quite a few years and was responsible for starting many a mosh pit, he said.:dance:

I like hearing everyone's opinions, BTW. One thing is true. It would take some time and elbow grease to remove all of the stickers and you'd be taking a chance on how well the nitro has held up. I've seen stickers that have been on for years come off fairly easily without damage to the nitro, but the topcoat has faded, so there would be shadows. These were on lighter colored guitars. Don't know if the same thing happens to black guitars.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

It looks like the bathroom of CBGB's!

I think it cheapens the looks of the guitar. Naptha (lighter fluid) would get those stickers off as it dissolves the glue. The naptha shouldn't hurt the guitar's finish either.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

Martian said:
It looks like the bathroom of CBGB's!

I think it cheapens the looks of the guitar. Naptha (lighter fluid) would get those stickers off as it dissolves the glue. The naptha shouldn't hurt the guitar's finish either.
Click to expand...

I agree, for all of the above.

If you're going to sell it "as is" you won't get any$more than someone is willing to pay for that certain look, genre, or vibe. Just maybe, n' quite possibly someone with Chi-Town affiliations, and memories of a dated n' dead music scene will have the urge to have a piece of that 'club era setting' & music experience. I also don't think that the Testament story can aid with it's turnover either unless a diehard fan comes across it. But then there must be some reason that Alex Skolnick passed on it in the first place.

If you take the stickers off, (and there is no shadowing) then the guitar will just overall appeal to a larger number of buyers. You really can't let the numbers from a poll here be the end all in decision making for it. (Of course, do what you want...) I think in the end it would have more value as an instrument worldwide as simply a 1990 Black Gibson Explorer. I know if I was to buy it like it is I wouldn't offer over $500, and the stickers would come off immediately. If there was any kind of shadowing, I'd consider the variety of shades, and different shapes making a semi-design & leave it, or throw a thin fresh coat of ReRanch Black over the guitar.

But that's me.

Since it does look like the bathroom of CBGB's I'd probably lysol it (or wipe a bleach soaked rag just in case) to kill any reminescent piss and blood bacteria.


Oi.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

Virtual Kevorkian said:
I personally HATE stickers on guitars, but like everyone else said... the finish is probably fairly shot underneath. Any way to peel one off on the back or something to see how bad it is underneath?
Click to expand...

Stickers are cheeesssyyyyy!!!!!!!!
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

KeyOfG said:
Since it does look like the bathroom of CBGB's I'd probably lysol it (or wipe a bleach soaked rag just in case) to kill any reminescent piss and blood bacteria.
Click to expand...

On that note, how does it smell?
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

how much are you putting it up for?

think how much its worth, then put a buy it now pirce or reserve price fo that much witht he stickers on. and see what happens.

if it doesn't sell, then take off the stickers and consider re-finishing/fading it.

as long as you put 'It was a previous owner who stickered it and i have no idea what the finish is like underneath'

then they cant moan if its crap underneath.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

Aceman said:
On that note, how does it smell?
Click to expand...

Probably smells like a Chicago punk rocker. You got a problem with that?

I'd probably bid on it if the frets were in good shape, and the bids didn't go too high. Stickers & all. But I'd have to de-sticker it once I got it. Even the ones I kind of like would have to go.

It's probably a decent, well broken in guitar under all that.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

I imagine that it WILL need a refret soon enough. In this shot frets 12 - 16 look scraped flat, 17 & 18 have his favourite spots played out & down too. It could be played as is, but why dig into the fingerboard much longer? It deserves a total refret, for that matter I'd throw on 6105's. What kind of depth does that neck have? Given the time period it's probably thin, and flat, Gibson didn't start researching their past shapes until delving into the Classic series nearing '94.

Pete Galati said:
I'd probably bid on it if the frets were in good shape.
Click to expand...

body2small.jpg



An Epiphone Korina Explorer goes for $499.99 new, and a Gibson "Blem" Explorer for $994.49 essentially new. Of course I saw a right wicked looking Gibson Custom Shop Korina Explorer painted black, and reliced sweetly, I'll add, recently for $5K... but something tells me that this mahogany model, in it's existing condition isn't worth that much. Cool case, no doubt.

Plus those price quotes were with free shipping too.

Someone will pay you what you want for it either way that you offer it I suppose.
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

KeyOfG said:
I imagine that it WILL need a refret soon enough. In this shot frets 12 - 16 look scraped flat, 17 & 18 have his favourite spots played out & down too. It could be played as is, but why dig into the fingerboard much longer? It deserves a total refret, for that matter I'd throw on 6105's.
Click to expand...

Good eye for fret wear!
 
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

OK, the masses have spoken. The stickers stay on and the new owner can do what they want. If anyone is interested, it'll be on fleabay in a few weeks starting at a dollar with no reserve. High bid will walk away with it. That'll be fun.

Thanks everyone for your opinions and insight. In the meantime, got a few amps and speakers in the Trading Post.
 
Last edited:
Re: Stickers On or Stickers Off? You Decide.

Aceman said:
The Mojo is the thing - If that guitar doesn't speak to you - ignore it. That's the buyer you are waiting on...I think you'll get more dollars out of someone who sees the mojo than someone who sees a plain jne old explorer. They will no doubt add more of their own stickers.
Click to expand...


Yeah, Mojo! That's the ticket.

BTW, I experimented a little bit (it's not like its a priceless relic) and I took the stickers off the back...all except one so no one would think it was two different Explorers. There were both vinyl and paper stickers. The paper ones take a little more work. They all came off with a little Naptha and elbow grease. You can still see the outline of a couple of them if the angle is right and theres a smudgey looking mark from one, but it didn't pull up the finish or clearcoat. If I would have spent more time, it may look even better, but there's scratches on the back so what ta hell does it matter anyway. It's never going to look like a new back. But I cleaned it up, strung it up, and played it last night. It plays great. Frets have been leveled and dressed a couple of times, so they are low by normal standards, but not fretless wonder low. You can still do bends, pull offs, etc with ease. Plays perfectly up and down the fretboard. It makes me want to keep it!


Complete photos here.

http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x167/virtualjazzbo/90%20Gibson%20Explorer/

BEFORE
Back5-1.jpg


AFTER
clean2.jpg


scratches2.jpg


scratches4.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top