1958-EXPLORER template set

Gibson made the first prototype for the EXPLORER in 1957, the production began 1958 (19 made) and stopped 1958 (3 made).

After long research and time for collecting the info reg. vintage specs and dimensions from the few ever made Explorers we are happy to offer - according our best knowledge - the first and yet only vintage-correct EXPLORER template set. If you are going for the real deal - here you go:

All data were collected over the past years by our friends from SavantGuitars and are based (among others) on personal info from MAX, Dave (Dave´s Guitar Shop, who has a real Explorer in his collection) - and of course from numerous internet sources, that were carefully verified.

All templates are available individually, please ask if interested in an partial upgrade of your existing set from other source than ours.

These templates are laser-cut to highest precision, material: 6mm birch-multiply

The BODY SET contains the following templates/parts:

1. template for body outline with main humbucker routs + wiring chanel

2. template for top-outline with humbucker-leg + e-cavity routs

3. pickguard template (all holes for screws and for the switch are positioned with an undersized diameter so you can drill up easily according the hardware you are going to use (US imperial or Asian/Euro metric).
A drill sized 3/8" for drilling the holes for the CTS pots you can find here.
A drill sized 1/2" for drilling the hole for a Switchcraft toggle switch shaft you can find here.

4. template for the Jackplate

5. template for the cover of the e-cavity

Each body template has the (suggested) position for the bridge studs drilled (based on the "old-rule-of-18" scale) as well as the positions for the tailpiece-bushings (last you can use to screw the templates down to the wood).
At the top center of one of the two large body templates you can find a hole above the neck pick-up: this you can use for screwing these templates down to the wood as this part (incl. screw hole) will be later routed off when doing the tenon slot.

This NECK SET contains the following templates/parts:

1. template of your choice of vintage EX-headstocks: slim "hockey-head" or bold "fork-head", last available in two versions as found on real vintage EXs: once is at the left part slimer compared to the other (both exist in real); incl. holes for tuners positioned.
The hokey-head version contains the rout for the logo-inlay, the fork-headstocks had no inlay but were equipped with an embossed Gibson-logo (like found on the V), positon engraved.
This templates does not end at the nut position but reaches into the 1st fret location for better routing the area of the transistion headstock->1st fret.
Nut position for best positioning (partly) cut out.
A drill sized 11/32" (8.7mm) for drilling the vintage sized hole for the tuner bushings you can find here.

2. template for neck side profile incl. 17degr. headstock angle
Back (headstock, heel, neck) is done ovesized for final adapting (sanding) according your actual project.

3. template for routing the long tenon to the neck

4. template for doing the vintage old-rule-of-18 scale incl. position of the dots
This template indicates the nut position as well as center marks for excellent positioning of the fretboard dots; the slots are set to (a bit less than) 0.5mm / 0.019" width so you can use a regular razor blade for marking the slot positions precisely to the fretboard, then do the fretslots with the fretting equipment of your choice.
Vintage sized fretwire you can find here.
Vintage style truss rod set you can find here.

5. template for sizing the fretboard
This template is for tapering a fretboard to the vintage width; taper is set to the wider side of vintage correct fretboard widths (1st fret 43,5mm), but it is flexible due to the lengthwise oversized geometry of this template: you can move it down and will result in a smaller width of the final board. Just check the template for your desired width at 1st fret and move this point to the according part of your fingerboard and rout flush.

6. template for the heel shape

7. template for doing the 2.0 (EX & Flying V) + 4.0 (Les Paul) degree cut to the neck
This is a combined template for doing the typical neck angle cut to the side of the neck for a Flying V and Explorer as well as to a vintage Les Paul.

8. SAVE: this set comes with a pearloid 3/32" punched side dot set for free plus free stock material of rolled vinyl for the back cover.
3/32" drill bit for side dots you can find here.

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Last pic is a rare one: it shows the back of the headstock of a real 58 Explorer from our vintage-pic-collection we want to share here.

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Check out our other products for making a vintage Gibson replica: parts, Korina body wood, Anilin dyes and vintage style NC lacquer in the finishing department - and more available.
If you cannot find what you are looking for feel free to ask, we have much more than listed and are still updating this webshop.