Mysterious Explorer

[Steelpriest]

Hi friends, I will not surprise you when I admit I had the G.A.S. again. I found a mysterious Explorer on Ebay... The offer said body of "unknown origin" with an Ibanez neck. I got it cheap so I think it´ll turn out as a good deal. The neck is of an Ibanez Roadstar, it is made of maple with rosewood fretboard and has 22 jumbo frets, the action and intonation was described as good and the seller had a tremendous good review of 100% (over 900 good reviews from over 400 buyers). The guitar features a vintage style non locking vibrato, but the neck is equipped with Sperzel locking tuners. Wooohoo! Well, the Ibanez neck is a bolt-on, but the question I want to ask is if anybody of you can identify the body... first I was thinking of an Aria ZZ, but it seemingly isn´t. I saw older Epiphones before (V´s and Explorers) that looked alike, but I am not sure... So your speculations are welcome... Maybe it is a no name body, who knows... but take a look at the pictures.

[RB]

Steel, any name under the pick-ups?. It could be an old Profile body.

RB

[Steelpriest]

I haven´t got it yet, I´m waiting for it to be delivered. But it read the pick ups were Mighty Mite pick ups. What is or was PROFILE? A manufacturer of guitars or bodies for DIY guitars?

[Steelpriest]

Got it today! Quite a nice guitar I must say, the neck is really good with it´s jumbo frets and plays more like a stratocaster than an Explorer. The body is, from what I can tell from the electronics cavity, maybe esh... The pickups are not as well as I thought, I will change the bridge humbucker soon for a DiMarzio. And I have to lay a new ground wire from the bridge to the rest of the circuit´s ground. The previous owner seems to have cut if off somewhen and forgot about it. This is annoying. The wooden and hardware ingredients are okay, but all in all the guitar requires some maintenance and care. The shape is funny somehow, more slender but a bit longer than a regular Explorer, somehow like stretched. The guitar definitely feels totally different from all my other Explorers.

Have a nice weekend everybody.

Steele.