gibson explorer

hey, ive been looking to get somthing new from the money im making and decided it had to be a guitar. im gona need 2 guitars, u guys dont need to know why, but i will need them, so im buying a new guitar. i really really want a gibson explorer. i love them and they look cool, nd i wnt one, what have u guys heard about them do they play well? i the neck fast?

also i dont waant a stock one, how would i go about having it custom built? does gibson do it? does a priv shop? i just wnt a whammy bar, diff pickups, and the fret inlays to be tht rectangular shape not the dot, does gibson do tht? how much will it cost extra? will it ruin the guitar if i do it? im looking to spend around tht amount. no more then 2k, i wana have some left over for a new amp which i will get in at least 7 or 8 months. minimum. any other suggestions on a guitar, i want a good classic rock sound but still wana be able 2 play ozzy and metallica nothing heavier, i want a nice thick rich sound.

This is one case where I hear the epiphone is the same or better than the gibson. I want one as well but I think I will go with an epi at half the price.

I had a knock off explorer, I hated it. it was playing a 2x4. I wound up painting it black and selling it. (the black album just came out)

I'm sure Gibson will take your money. I think custom shop anything is just a big waste of money. there are so many different models anymore that there is not reason for it.

if you want a Floyd on an explorer look at ESP or LTD or Jackson.

If I were you i'd go get a stock model, (what ever you choose) take it to the local music shop have them replace the tuners bridge and maybe even pickups.

you spent a few hundred extra, it's not stock, and you also did not get raped by calling up the "custom shop"

ooo, will it play just as it will if i take it to a local music place, i dont want them to fk with it and find they fked it up. i want something tht will

1)sound good
2)last long
3)play well
4)meet my musical needs

not necesarily in tht order. if i get somthing tht will meet those then the price is not the question.

Going thru Gibson Custom shop will most likely cost loads of money. You could probably get a better deal (and same quality) by going to an independent luthier, or as telecrater suggested, getting another brand.

You could also buy the epiphone version for $500 or whatever, then get a new neck, pickups, bridge, etc. Or you could get an empty body off Warmoth or Ebay.

Having it installed by a store is probably not too much risk.

ahh... is it a good guitar? worth the money? any 1 have one?

I like the Gibson Explorer, it does play nice. As far as the sound... Its all in the pickups.

Here is one of the best guitars I owened, Its not a Gibson but in my opinion it is easier to play on, sounds better, and looks better =)


Jackson MG Series Warrior WRMG
Pickups- EMG81 & EMG85 or EMG HZ
Frets- 24 Jumbo Frets
Bridge- Floyd Rose Low Profile JT580 LP Double Locking 2-Point Tremolo
Price- $600 Depends where you get it from

I payed $450 for mine at a local music store and then spent another $200 or so to get some other stuff for it.

As far as the ESP and LTD go, you'll never catch me buying one. I know of 2 people who bought one and it fell apart on them. Don't get me wrong they sound good and look sweet. But I guess the quality sucks.
I never had a problem with this Jackson, aside from the fact you gotta keep a stock of 9v battiers with you for the pickups. But they last a long time.

But I'd say go shop around at your local music stores, play a few and see what you like best. After all everyones playing style and tast is different.
Hope this helps you...
*Sorrow*

See Gibson make mahogany guitars with glued in necks. so you Les Paul is going to sound about the same. but the pauls have the carved top, I think that makes it easy to play.

The explorer is the same basic design but it's on big frigging chunk of flat wood.

I hate flying V's but understand the reason for them so you can easly get to the high register frets. I never understood the explorer.

i dont like active picups, is it metal sounding or can sound like lots of things? i wanted the explorer because it was aa raher cheap gibson, i never played it but i herd some 1 play it and it sounded awsome, wut guitars in tht price range should i compare it 2?

I agree with getting a Warrior my bud has one and its a sexy axe but if your not into Floyd's or Active pups I'd buy the Warrior and spend the remainig 1000$+ getting it sounding how you want or get some pedals dude, I know that my King V sounds pro through a Flanger or something metal like that but it can also sound bluesy if need be

I've always wanted an Explorer and I'm thinking about getting a new guitar (So I can start modding my strat...) and was thinking of an Epi Explorer or a Jackson Kelly (If I can afford them O.O)

But yeah, what would generally be better a gibson or epi Explorer?

I have looked at a lot of consumer reports and the people that have bought gibsons say they are a waist of money because the epiphone explorer is just as good.

So just get an Epi? .-. it's probably best to go and try um myself first but theres no gibson/epi dealers in my area -.- only a fender dealer...

hmm, thts interesting, besides the warrior, anything else to compare it to? idc how it looks, just if it sounds and plays well. keep in mind i dont play lots of metal, i plya blues, rock, southern rock, har rock, and t most ozzy stuff.

I herd the same thing. Mostly that they are producing inconsistent guitar. Gibson used to stand for quility, not so much any more. some are good some are crap.

I would recommend a Schecter guitar for you (when don't I?). They are very consistently amazing guitars for (at least!) half as much as a Gibson. They don't have any crazy body shapes (as far as I know), but they tend to be very good looking guitars... If you really wanted to you could go through their custom shop too, but those are always crazy-ass expensive.

wut about the les paul? are they still good? what year did gibson start making "bad" guitars? i wasnt thinking of gettn it new, too much money, i was looking used, maybe an older one?

Look there have been several times gibson has made bad guitars. In the late 70's and Ibanez who started out making gibson and fender clones were said to be making better gibson's than gibson. There you have the lawsuite guitars of ibanez (I own one)

In the mid 80's i think was rough for them too.

rember that they run a businees and some things work some things don't. they were trying better more cost effective ways to make guitars and in turn made bad guitars.

Play it it's the only way to know for usre but i think that guitar center and musician friend have a 30 day try it guarantee.

They're supposed to be good, except LP Studio version. They are supposed to be the ones that you are really only paying for the Gibson name.

I've heard the same thing GRX. If you were to go with an expensive Gibson, that is to say, expensive for Gibson; I'm sure the instrument would be of an extremely high quality.