Worthington Explorer 1979 Sunburst Gibson Neck Only 1 Handmade Exquisite Collectible 8.1 Lbs!

WORTHINGTON JFW EXPLORER 

Extrodinary Instrument

HYPER RARE 1979 Custom Explorer

8.1 Lbs and freshly setup by David Neely @ Neely Guitars In Los Angeles.

“The guitar was custom built in 1979 by Rich Worthington, from St. Louis, for Jim Francis Wald (JFW on headstock) who was a member of the The Vertebrats.”

AMAZING GUITAR.

COLLECTIBLE.

EXCELLENT CONDITION.

INTRODUCTION:

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE EXPLORER GUITARS. LOOK AT THE FLAME ON THIS GUITAR. I call this a MOVIE guitar simply because the flame keeps changing with the light. IT IS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL. AND THE SOUND IS LOUD, SOLID, AND ROCKS.

The background information on this guitar:

“The guitar was custom built in 1979 by Rich Worthington, from St. Louis, for Jim Francis Wald (JFW on headstock) who was a member of the The Vertebrats.”

[from Wiki online: The Vertebrats are a musical group formed in the twin cities of Champaign-Urbana (CU), Illinois, initially active from 1979 until 1982. They are credited with being one of the originators of a local CU DIY music scene that still exists. The Vertebrats gained notoriety due to their energetic live performances, on-stage chemistry, numerous original compositions, a fiercely loyal local fan base, and, as time went on, other bands covering their songs.]

The fretboard is Brazilian Rosewood and was purchased from Gibson in the mid 1970's, before the Michigan plant closed. The neck was sized from Jim’s 1961 SG. The pickups are custom hand wound Seymour Duncan MJs (Maricela “MJ” Juarez).”

These guitars were sold through Ed Seelig, Silver Strings Music in St Louis.

“No more than 20 of these WORTHINGTON GUITARS were built and only 10 were sold.”

Again, my test of a completely “HANDMADE” guitar is the attention to DETAIL. This GUITAR PASSES ALL OF MY DETAIL TESTS. Look at the binding. That shows skill and ability. The electronics are WELL DONE too. But perhaps the best part of this GUITAR IS THE NECK. It is one of the BEST PLAYING NECKS I’ve played in a long time.

PICKUPS: Has two “Duncan MJ pickups, a Duncan Jazz and a Duncan Distortion.

BODY: MAHOGANY WITH A STUNNING HIGHLY FLAMED MAPLE TOP.

FINISH: PERFECTLY DONE AMBERBURST.

FRETBOARD: VERY RARE DARK BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD. VERY FAST.

BRIDGE: ABR 1 Fixed bridge.

TUNERS: M-6 Mini

SWITCHES: Three way toggle, 2 mini.

Inlaid fretboard.

Extremely fast and smooth playing neck. Completely straight.

Binding very well done on body and neck.

Incredibly tight construction.

Has minor scratches and dings. Look at the photos to see one of the dings on the side of the guitar.

CONDITION:

This guitar is in EXCELLENT / NEAR MINT condition. It does have some random dings, dents, and scratches but nothing significant.

COMES WITH ORIGINAL CASE.