New Explorer - Really like it but...

[Mekhem]

So i fell 'victim' to immediate gas and some sweet, sweet, Sweetwater no interest deal on one of the new Epi 58 Korina Explorers that were released this week. The Gibson 10k version is out for... reasons involving me being able to pay my mortgage

Got it yesterday and man.... Looks great, nice straight grain, bridge pickup is fantastic (neck pick up....i am kind of undecided on that so far), stays in tune, a very nice smaller C neck (maybe the 58 profile but not depth) 2 slightly high frets but thats about the worst thing I can say about the fit and finish... 6lbs and 11 oz from the SW website and yeah... Light as a feather (obv that is the one i chose from the 4 options....).

But....

but ....

holy crap the neck dive is fraking TERRIBLE!

The only guitar that i have ever played that was worse was a (reverse) firebird with the banjo tuners... If i take it off and hold it by the strap (not hold per se, but say rest it on my outstretched wrist for example) the neck just drops like a stone. If i start holding the back with the neck at say a 45 degree up angle it pretty much immediately dives down to 45-50 degrees down as soon as i let go of the back.

I tried a widest strap i have - 3" leather FCS strap - and it made a small difference. I went back to the SW site to see if the heavier ones were available for a possible exchange (no) then Googled a bunch of solutions, most of which related to SG's (never had a problem with them actually).

Any good advice? If there is a decent solution I am open to it.

 

[Esquire Jones]

Bite that bullet

Headstock dive is not gonna make it.

Life is too short, my friend.

Send her back to Indiana.

But I think deep down you already know that.

 

[Peegoo]

Use the built-in feature located between the neck pickup and the headstock. It's that thing with little shiny wires on it. I think it's called the 'handle'.

 

[hd09]

Suede strap

 

[giogolf]

Neck dive on an explorer is odd.. My Gibby explorer and others I’ve tried are about the comfiest seated playing guitars I own next to my strat.. Let it go and find the one

 

[blowtorch]

Suede strap

Yep. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes

 

[radiocaster]

Looked that model up, they really messed it up. Both strap buttons are poorly placed.

 

[gitold]

Put the strap over the back end of the guitar. Doesn’t look cool but it works. Works with Firebirds as well.

 

[Chuckster]

Suede strap

^^^^This^^^

I have an Explorer, and this solved it. I highly recommend Henry Heller suede straps... not cheap, but excellent quality. I love my Explorer now.

 

[blowtorch]

Put the strap over the back end of the guitar. Doesn’t look cool but it works. Works with Firebirds as well. View attachment 1091911

That's a Schecter, isn't it?
How do you like it, and how do you like the vibrato? (Les Trem?)

 

[gitold]

That's a Schecter, isn't it?
How do you like it, and how do you like the vibrato? (Les Trem?)

It’s a Schecter E1 standard. I traded for it with a Dano that had the P 90 and a Wilkinson Trem. Just too modern for a Dano. The Schecter as always has impeccable quality and the Asian Schecter humbuckers sound great. No reason to swap them out. I have 3 guitars with Les Trems and i love ‘em. Smoother then a Bigsby and takes 5 minutes to stick them on a guitar. They even come with metric and standard hardware so they fit on most stop tail pieces.

 

[blowtorch]

It’s a Schecter E1 standard.

I have one, also, the top of the heap here

I have acquired a Firefly explorer since that pic was taken, and it's my fave of all of em, but I love the flame of the Schecter

 

[gitold]

I have one, also, the top of the heap here
View attachment 1091945
I have acquired a Firefly explorer since that pic was taken, and it's my fave of all of em, but I love the flame of the Schecter
View attachment 1091948

Nice!

 

[Wallaby]

I feel the pain, neck dive is a deal-killer for me too.

I'd return it before getting attached. You aren't 100% on the neck pickup yet either, so there's two things - and the neck dive can't really be solved, only worked around.

It's a tough break, sorry!

 

[David Barnett]

I guess that's what comes with the territory on an ultra-light Explorer.

 

[NoTeleBob]

Put some thin pieces of lead the body cavities. The Uber light body is the issue.

 

[Mekhem]

I feel the pain, neck dive is a deal-killer for me too.

I'd return it before getting attached. You aren't 100% on the neck pickup yet either, so there's two things - and the neck dive can't really be solved, only worked around.

It's a tough break, sorry!

Ugh - Yes. I spent some time with it and added a bigsby via a vibramate - both of which i had laying around - and it pretty much fixed the dive issues. Its up to 7.5 lbs which is not terrible and got the neck pickup adjusted and at the end of the day its about 95% there.... Which is too bad.

I'll do some more playing today to see if I really want an explorer with a bigsby....

Thanks for the advice all!