Epiphone Explorer

I bought this guitar in 2007, it was brand new. 22 frets, two volume and one tone knob, 3-way selector located in the "horn". Two passive humbucker pickups, tune-o-matic bridge and grover tuners. Body is made of korina and set neck is mahogany.

Neck is guite thick, it is sturdy but maybe not a good choise for fast soloing. Do you know any explorer-using solo guitarist? For a rhythm and riff player like me this neck fits just fine.

My guitar is a '58 reissue, it's gloss black with white pickguard and golden (=brass) metal parts.

The guitar didn't include any accessories, but I bought a Matchbax Gig bag with it, which is quite handy, as you can't use ordinary bag (for strat, les paul etc.) with this body type.

I different types of music, mostly metal and sometimes just open chords. I replaced the stock pickups with X2N and Humbucker From Hell, and the sound changed pretty much. The stock pickups were OK, but since I already had an X2N lying around I couldn't resist the temptation to try it on my axe :) X2N is more nastier than the original Epiphone bridge pickup and the HFH is much, MUCH brighter than what was in the neck position.

The factory set-up was good, the strings are pretty low so it's easy to play. Yet I haven't needed to adjust anything on my guitar. I'm planning to change the bridge to a black one, and maybe that would be a good time to give it to some guitar techician to be adjusted if needed. The strings sometimes hit the frets and rattle a bit, but I think that's less worse than having the strings too high.

The guitar didn't contain any bigger flaws when I got it. The frets aren't finished too well, so they feel a bit sharp as they overlap the neck a bit. Not enough to break your skin or hurt, but if you really try they can leave a small scratch. But nothing that would make playing more difficult or would look bad.

This is an Epiphone, not a Gibson, so I didn't expect top quality, but I'm more than satisfied with the finish of this guitar.

This guitar is very solid. I haven't never dropped it or mistreated it badly, but I think it would handle them as it is quite sturdy.

The hardware seems to lose some of it's gloss after a year, but they still look great. Also the parts of bridge that are in contact with my hand when I'm palm muting, seem to turn silver.

I have never snapped a string with this guitar, although I play guite hard. The stock strings were on my guitar for like 10 months, and I played almost daily. I changed them for minimizing the risk for old strings to snap in the middle of a gig.

When gigging, I would and do have a backup guitar, but mainly because I have changed the pickups myself, and I'm not an electrician :) I always have a backup if possible when gigging, but if I had to play a gig without a backup with this guitar (stock), I wouldn't be too worried.

Never dealt with Epiphone's customer support.

I have dealt with Thomann Cyberstore's customer support when my effect board arrived broken, and the service worked just fine.

I have been playing for 4-5 years now, and this is my third electric guitar. My previous guitar was LTD M-50, and this is lighyears ahead of it in quality, playability, action, looks, all! This is the best guitar I have owned so far. With it I use Zoom G7.1ut usually with lots of distortion.

I loved this guitar mainly for it's body shape. It looks cool, and it is easy to play when sitting down also. There is one big problem with the body shape, tough. When it's hanging on a strap on your neck, and you let go of it, the headstock falls down. It doesn't hit the floor, but it needs some learning, as you must hold the guitar at least with one hand all the time it's on you neck. Maybe a wide leather strap would have enough friction to hold it still? I use a nylon one and it is quite slippery.. It is not heavy at all to hold the neck up, and when you are playing you automaticly hold it up and it doesn't disturb at all. When not playing you just need to hold the neck or press down the back of the body.

Another thing that sometimes worries me but has never failed, is the strap button in the neck side of the body. It is pointing up a little bit, so at first I was worried if the strap will last there, but it has always worked fine. The heads of my nylon strap are though leather, so they are stiff enough to hold. Straplocks would be great for this guitar, and maybe I purchase a pair some day.

As I mentioned before, my Explorer is a '58 reissue, so in stock condition it looked "old" (as it was supposed to). However, I like more "modern" looking guitar, so I made a new black pickguard and changed the pickups (for sound mostly, but also for looks too :). I plan to chance the rest of the hardware and brass screws to black ones, and maybe the white saddle too. There was no gothic explorer in Thomann Cyberstore when I bought this one, but if it would have been I maybe would have chosen the gothic one.

I really liked this guitar. It sounded great, and it looked really nice. But the things that I didnt like (which made me sell it) was the weight and the thickness of the neck.

Together with my hardcase the guitar weight about 12kg (which is really much for a guitar in a hardcase). Then the neck. It was really thick, so after a short time of playing, the fingers started to hurt.

Another thing that I didnt like was the controls. The selector was good. But the other controls was very bad. It was four of them, and all of them seemed to be connected to the volume in some kind of way. So if you was going to play live and to turn down your volume in a break, you had to turn all four down to get complete silence. And then when you where going to play, you had to turn all of them upp again. And that cant be done fast. Very boring.

It sounds great. This on fits to all kind of music.

No opinion.

I think that the durability of this guitar is well. It is very stable and it is working really well. But I am not sure about the reliability. The wood where the strap buttons is set, is very sensitive and the strap buttons can easily drop from the body. I dont think that the guitar will last very long, because of the weight and the thickness of the neck. If you are going to play a gig for at least an hour with this guitar on hour shoulders... then your good!

No opinion.

I can recommend this very much. But only as a guitar for a beginner. If you are a more professional guitarplayer, pleas buy a Gibson Explorer instead. Even though they cost more, it is defenitely worth it!

I bought this some time in october 2004, this was my second guitar...the first one i ever bought, Korina Model with the gold hardware and all, natural finish, The neck has a very good feel to it...This is really worth getting =)

This thing suits my style well, i play metal music so this includes "Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, helloween, and the stuff my band makes" so yeah this fits, well when not jamming with friends i use a crappy 15 watt silvertone amp, i use a metal zone aswell ...i know i know its shit, but im getting a 100 watt marshall soon, so that will become better, This has a sound thats hard to explain it has a very grundge sound...all good...love the sound

guitar was set up fine, action was good, but i lowered it a bit, nothing wrong i cant think of any time something was wrong with this...everything was in working order :)

i have used this alot...i have used this live onced and not one problem and everyone loved the radical body shape, well the gold has started to fade on mine...but if you keep it clean it's sure to last, I have used this the most out of my other guitars...i have played alot and everything is great except the hardware is starting to fade like i stated above, i depend on it alot and i would deffinatly gig without a backup

never delt with

i have been playing for 2 years non-stop because i dont have much to do so basically imagine me sitting on a bed practising for like a whole day straight and i am alot better than others who play that i know off...and im 15, if this were stolen i wouldnt buy another one because i recently just bought an ESP EXP-200 like james hetfield my hero, i just love the sound and i play this low because im a pretty tall kid...so yeah i love playing it low like james hefield and the sound KICKS ASS...Rock on everyone

Fairly stock Korina Explorer (X-Plorer?) '70s model, 22 frets, HH, 2 volume, 1 tone, all the usual really.

Came in a box, woo hoo, and as im in Australia and the Explorer is an odd shape, tracking down a case became... difficult to say the least, so in the end it became easier to buy a Jackson case and butcher it with a stanley knife untill it fitted my precious baby.

all in all, the ability to chage the volume of each pickup is handy, and yeh.. 10, couldnt really ask for more

This guitar is one of the most thick and rich sounding guitars i have ever played.

now, having said that, this was my first electric guitar, so im gunna have a bond to every feature of it no matter what. and as i grew and developped in taste an skill i did change the pickups from the stock ones, which are fine really, although the neck pickup didnt have enough output or general clean qualities so yeh.

anyway i changed them to the Gibson 496R and 500T. which make a difference, obviously.

so yeh, as my guitar tavels, id rate the quality up in the 8 or 9 range. but my guitar isnt what Joe funny will get down at billy hyde for 800 gold pieces, so i have to rate it 6, as the factory standard neck pickup wont meet even amature level.

fine, i guess, at the time i bought i must say i didnt know the right questions to ask, so looking back on it, the neck wasnt in the best nick, and the nut was at a serious angle.

all that cause a bit of rattle and hum, and i havent got it finished, simply cos it hasnt really affected, for me, the way it handles. mind you some people pick it up and refuse to continue to play because of that.

so all in all, for an epiphone fine, for a guitar mabye not so fine, 7.

this guitar does with stand live playing, thats a bench tested fact, it drags a marshall mg50 dfx (forgive me tone gods, it doesnt know better, actually not so bad) through a live show. Will around for as long as i treat it well.

having said that i have noticed the neck pick up has cut out, which is a problem, a big god damn problem, i really should get it check. hasnt died on me yet, but i worry bout the dependance i can have on it.
that may be the fault of the stoners that put the new pick ups in there.
so, 7.

the shop i brought it from Gallins Guitars on chapel street in melbourne, seem to be a terrible mob, they are meant to be THE gibson dealer in australia. but seem to suck male genitals. i wont buy there again, unless bizare circumstance arise. they pushed me into buying it, even though im glad to own it. then when i took it to them for advice on the condition that the neck and nut were in, they told me were to go, so i told them where to go, but it was there shop :(

as for epiphone, dunno, never dealt with them dont speak such good Korean.

so for epiphone N/A,
for Gallins Guitars, 1, and thats gotta be the face of it.

This guitar is great, so great i, for a time have focuse on playing the Explorer and my American Fender Stratocaster. While its a great guitar i do one day plan on replacing with a Gibson one, only for Live Play simply for the supperior build quality and by asociation, reliability.
However if you dont treat your guitars mean, and mabye have another 3 or 400 bucks around to upscale your pickups, guitarists of all levels should not be discouraged from purchasing this guitar.

O MAN!!! this guitar is one of my favories....its been with me through thick. Basically for you that dont know its a 22 rosewood fret boad on a mahogany neck, a korina body, and its got 2 volume and 1 tone controls. Mine has the natural finish, and it looks stunning with the gold hardware. The grover tuners never come out of tune, its got a gibson tune o matic and stop tailpiece, but i bet it would be kickin with a bigsby style trem.

its totally awesome for my music styles. I play lead for a few semi pro level bands and play any where from hard rock to acoustic simulations. I play it through Peavey amps, my favorite combo being a studio pro being pushed thru a randall cab, and i play with korg toneworks pedal board, and a MXR dimebag distortion pedal. I just picked up a Jimi Hendrix cry baby and it sounds amzing. The stock pickups were ok, i quickly replaced them with EMGs, then a gibson '57 in the neck and a burstbucker in the bridge, finally setteling with a burstbucker in the neck and a tommi iommi signature in the bridge

factory set up was ok, but i customize all my guitars, even my les pauls, i cant settle with a stock guitar for some reason.. its just me trying to find my tone

its deffently reliable, but i always use a backup. I use it live, and its one of my favorites, i play 2 more gibson les pauls, and an ESP kirk hammet, and this one is one of the best. Its built like a rock

its an awesome guitar for the price, and just in general

2003 Korean Model
22 Frets - pearl dots
Solid Korina body, I think
2-vol 1-tone, HH
*new* Gibson designed pups, passive
Gloss Black, Gold Hardware, Grovers, Tune-o-matic\
mother of pearl "Epiphone" inlay on headstock, set neck

I play vary varied styles of music, blues, rock, folk, even an occasional "new" hit (ya just gotta love early Weezer"). With my guitars, I also use a Line 6 Spider 2. For me, this guitar sang to me, it just sounds right. I can get my Claptonesque tones in the middle position, but as soon as the gain is turned up, you can get 80's hair metal, metallica,Weezer, and everything in between. It can get a little muddy sometimes at low low volumes, but I don't play quietly, and I really think this puppy suits me perfectly.

The action was decent, it was a little high, but some new stings and setup fixed that. The pickups seem to be adjusted perfectly, and the finish of the guitar is really good, especially for black. Though I know that the gold harware will soon fade and look bad, thats how Epiphones can be cheaper and still sound good, so i guess I'll just upgrade the hardware later (except the tuners, they are some of the best I have owned, better than my American Strat).

This guitar seems really hardy. I think it will last a good while. As for the stage, I will definitely use it, but not without a backup (not that its a bad guitar, ya just never know what could happen). The finish looks bulletproof, and the guitar does seem to be very dependable. BUT the strap buttons are not my choice at all, they would be fine if they were better placed, but the neck button is angles towards your head, and I am really afraid my strap will slip off. So strap locks are a must.

Never dealt, never will. This guitar aint gonna break.

I've played for 3 years, lovin every minute of it. I own a Martin
D-17, a Fender American Strat, a Takamine Jasmine S-35 (my first guitar), and now this Epiphone. Amps are Line 6 and Marshall. I love this guitar so much it's not even funny. I've named her, take her everywhere I go, and threaten to hurt anyone who hurts her. If it was stolen, I would hunt down the guy who took it, and have him executed. I have played many guitars, owned about a dozen, including 2 Gibsons, 5 fenders, a Taylor 12 string, and now this Epiphone. It's just me. Like a guitar should be, this is a perfect extension of my personality, and I will never sell it.

I think i got this guitar in 99, korean made, 21 frets, 2 tones one volume, stock pus, they sucked, took them out and put duncans in it, much better sounds, classic gibson sound. korona body, maple and rosewood neck. YOu guys know the rest

I loved this guitar in the beggining, it had a great sound for what i played, metallica, etc. but with the gain all the way up, the pu's squealed really bad, unbearalbe, once i got some money i put a duncan jb in the bridge and a duncan 59 in the neck, and let me tell you this thing rocked out after i did that, not only were the metal sounds alot better, the guitar took on a whole new bluesy pure tone with the 59, i really recommend doing this, those epi pu's really do suck, with the epi pu's i give it a 6 but with the duncans a 10

The guitar had a bit of buzzing on the first fret but that was easily taken care of, the finish was great, the gold wears off though after while, the guitar also doesn't go all the way quiet when you turn the volume controls all the way down, minor problems, that can be fixed, i still have to get some of then fixed up.

its definitely reliable and durable. Its alittle tempramental sometimes, like with the input jack, it loosens up really quickly, you need to get that replaced, the selector switch is alittle scewy at times too, noisey. the guitar is alittle nose heavy too. But i think the sound and look of the guitar makes up for everything else.

been playing for about 5 years, my first guitar was a hohner strat copy, then got this one, loved to play metal, perfect guitar for it. But my first love was the blues, and thats what i've gratuated to with this guitar, and it works, it rocks, if it were stolen, i'd probably not get another, but this guitar is my baby, and i'd be really pissed. I'd probably get a gibson les paul. I'm going to get a strat soon too, to continue more with the blues. i compared it to a cheap washburn dimebag at the time i was buyin it, the epi was alot better.

This guitar looks beautiful. I have the Korina Explorer, which has the natural wood with an ultra-high gloss finish. Two independent volume controls and one master tone. 3-way switch for the dual humbuckers. Aged gold hardware looks nice and gives the guitar a vintage look. It has a Tune-O-Matic bridge, which is my favorite. I got the guitar with its original case, which is also great.

This guitar sounds excellent. You can play anything from jazz to rock on this guitar. It has great warm tones and sounds the best when used with a tubescreamer. I am using this with a Fender Twin Reverb and a Kustom K25-2. Sounds great on both. One of the best guitars you can get if you want to play all types of music. There does seem to be a slight noise problem when cranked all the way up, but you can't notice it if you're using distortion. Therefore it gets an 8 for sound.

Nearly perfect. Everything was set up right. Pickups adjusted correctly, beautiful finish, gold hardware, inlays. This would be a 10, however the input jack was a little loose and I had to get it fixed. It was a very minor problem that was more of an annoyance than a hardware problem. This seems to be common on some Epiphones though.

This is a rock solid guitar. I plan on keeping this guitar forever. This will withstand gigs, outdoors, you name it. The finish seems like it will last the life of the guitar, which will be quite some time.

I have not dealt with them, and probably never will because of the quality of this guitar.

A very solid guitar that is near perfect. Comes very close to the Gibson version of the guitar. If it were stolen or lost, I would go buy another. The only drawback is that if you don't use the right type of distortion/overdrive, it can sound muddy. I suggest trying pedals out with the guitar before you buy them. Otherwise everything is great. A must-have for your guitar collections.

Just read the others for features. No need to repeat.

Ive had this guitar for a year, an Im constaly falling in love and re-falling in love with the sound of it. Its got a great warm jazzy clean tone to it on the neck pick up..Switch it to the bridge and ita a little brighter. I will never get rid of this guitar..EVER!!!
However, the tone is so deep, that when you play clean or distorted on the low stings the deep sounds kind of get muddled..dont get me wrong, the deep sound is GREAT, but gets in the way sometime. This is why I am currently in the process of getting a Fender Tele, because it can do things the Explorer cannot, just as the Explorer does things the Tele cannot...Just getting a little more versitlity in my guitar arsenal. THIS IS THE GUITAR FOR HEAVY ROCKIN'. Nice for jazz too, with the really deep warm tone. I plau it through a Randall rg100sc...Loud ass 1200 watter!!!

Fine!! Not perfect, but close enough!

Ive been hammering it for a year straight evey day, its a tank so far.

N/A

Just read my sound review..That will sum it up for you...Beautiful guitar.

It has as much as i could ask for. Duel humbuckers, independant volume controls for each pickup and a master tone (independant tones for each pickup would be nice). The pickup toggle switch is nice and high, good if you wanna toggle between the 2 pickups.

if you want to play some hard rocking music, then this is your guitar. I run it through a zoom gfx 8 with a marshall GFX100 watt amp and the sound that comes out is great, not muddy at all. The neck pickup is deep and warm, although i tend to use the bridge pickup more for a nice bright tone.

I bought the guitar second hand off ebay, and aside from a scratch on the back of the neck that was inflicted by the previouse owner, it was in good condition. Lovely black gloss finish, its like a mirror. The frets are nice and accessable, esp the lower ones. The neck has been cut perfectly, and i find it ideal. My only quibble is the poistion of the neck strap button. Because the guitar is top heavy is slips so im going to place it behind the neck.

As i bought it second hand i dont know what the factory set up was like, but with all guitars, as soon as i get it, I change the action and the pickups to suit myself.

Solid as a rock. The gold plating will wear off eventually but its still adequate. The only thing that concerns me is the position of the top strap button. Until i can get a locking strap it keeps falling off. This aside its fantastic

What a beast, I still use all the pick-ups it came with and even the exact same Gibson strings. The strap things could have done with being better placed but a strap lock should sort that out. The black finish looks cool, don't know about the yellowy one though. The one problem with Explorers is that they are really nose heavy. See for yourself, put it on and take your hands away.

Sounds great with a heavily distorted Marshall amp. I love playing Metallica songs so obviously it sounds the buisenss for them. The when it's played on a clean channel it sounds really good, nice strumming sound.

When i bought the guitar it was reduced in price because the finish around the bridge wasn't perfect, still looks great though, hardly noticeable at all.

Never used it live but at practices with my old band, it took a lot of beatings. The body of the guitar has been banged a bit and doesn't even look scratched.

Never dealt with them

AMAZING

Standard features. Black finish, gold hardware.

Oh, dear sweet Jesus. Every time I hit the strings I want to cream in my briches. It gets the greatest distorted sound of any guitar I've played, and pretty good clean tone too.

PERFECT.

You cannot accidently break this guitar. Mine's been dropped, thrown, and even accidentally run over by a motorcycle, and all it has to show for it is a few scratches.

Lifetime warranty, great service.

This is simply the best guitar on the market. It's great looking, feeling, and playing. A great metal axe, but good for other styles as well, it's the most versitile guitar this side of the stratocaster. I never want to play any other kind.

Features?? Well i dont know what year it is all i know is that is still in mint condition. It has 22 frets. there are 2 volume controls 1 tone control and a 3 way pickup. It has a natural finish at first i didnt like it but i grew to love it. The bridge style is stop tailpiece. It has a satin black neck. And it came with a hard case.

OH MAN this guitar has met my needs. I like metallica they are my favorite band so obviously i play there music alot. I have never heard Enter Sandman And Nothing Else Matters sound cooler. I own a Peavey Raptor Plus and it doesnt come close to what i want. I find that i get alot of feedback out of my amp though no matter how far i am from it. I like the sound alot.

I'd say the guitar is perfect except for the intonation on the Low E. WHen i do an F on The Low E it tends to buzz sometimes but that is the only problem with it. The pickups were set just right so i'm cool with it

I sure hope this guitar can withstand live playing because i tend to want to do alot of it in the future. I think the hardware will last. I am kind of worried about the finish becase it is only natural so if it chips away it will look weird. The strap buttons are solid. I would never do a gig without a backup guitar no matter how good the original is.

I have never spoke with the company

I have been playing for a bought a year and i like this guitar alot. I also own a Peavey rage 150 amp. There is nothing i wish i asked before i bought this guitar because i am happy with it. If it were stolen or lost i would most likely buy it again but a different finish. Unless something else cought my eye. I love that it sounds like an evil raging guitar that can pull through and make some heavy music.

I bought my Epiphone Explorer just 2 days ago. I have fallen in love with it. I wouldn't recomend it to someone that just sits in a chair and plays occasionally to friends. This guitar was meant to be played. It can get a little unconfortable because of the body shape but this isnt a problem when standing. I have the all black finish (no pickguard) 3 position switch and 1 volume and 1 tone control. I have found the tone to be bright and resiliant when switched to the 2nd position but also this guitar can crunch when needed. I started playing a Memphis acoustic/electric as my first guitar then moved to a gibson les paul reproduction. The explorer is by far my favorite guitar to date.

Best playing style for this guitar is metal or hard rock. I have played the gibson version of the Explorer and the differences are minimal. The only complaint I have for this guitar is it is heavy but you get used to it pretty quickly. Settings 1 and 2 will see the most time used as you get the most crunch for the buck here. (there is a reason that James Hetfield of Metallica plays the Gibson make!)

Action was perfectly set and the pickups we perfect. very well made instrument.

Best use as i have said is for playing in a band envronment (mabey live or as a backup guitar) as will stand the test of time. The strap buttons are solid. The jack is a bit awkard but there are cheap fixes for that (i have steped on my cord a few times and disconnected myself before I know i did it). I would use this as my main axe at a gig but would have another ready just in case. No reason not to considering the price (I paid $199 US)

Never had occasion to call them. I have owned other Ephphone guitars and never had to call about thouse either.

I have been playing for about 7 years on and off and I am very happy with the Explorer. I am a bit concerned about the durablility of the finish (black scratches easily) and the cost of a case (about $500 easy). I did compare this guitar to the Epiphone Demon for the same price but this out played it in every way. Superior quality for value price.

Features ?? none its wooden (real timber) tuneomatic bridge 2 humbuckers and gold hardware

Ok how its sounds somtimes this is the best sound ive ever heard at other times it sux.. Generally I run it into a no name amp which has no features thus no colour to the guitars natural tone. In this manner its sounds briliant very accoust great for southern rock aka cinderella lynard etc.. I use it for metal or country we basically ripped off jason and the scorchers and do to any song what they do to those classic country tunes and for that It ripps ,oh i distort it with an ibanez smash box (get one ) a boss chorus and a cheap danelctro reverb ,,sweet as .

Korina is the best finish on any guitar and this is no exception the gold plate just wares off after a few gigs.
LIVE WITH IT

The best bought it Phil set it up he s my luthier tech dude etc in two minutes and the action has remained set beutifully ..
This guitar works u do not need to spend thousands buy 1
the only prob is the jack but if u r serious put a cannon jack in there and never lose yer cable.

still under warranty I think havent needed it

Okay, this Explorer, according to the serial number is over 40 years old, but I DOUBT that! It looks brand new, and feels like it too.
I'm not sure where Epiphones are made novadays, I think in Asia in anyway??

22 frets, white pickguard, gold hardware and a shining black-as-hell finish :-) Also 3-way pickup switch, tune-o-matic bridge and rosewood fingerboard (which I love)

Epiphone stock pickups and tuners, nothing special to mention about them at this point (read SOUND).

First I thought the neck was very fat and hard to play. In time I got used to it, and now when I've played many guitars, the Explorer neck is really too thin for me :( But it's fast!

Generally it's got all the features you can want from a heavy looking guitar, but amount doesnt replace quality - most of the parts suck.

HEAVY METAL is the style, e.g. machine head, testament, metallica, guns n roses... etc etc.. you probably got it :)
As for the looks it's mean, suits my style.

I think I would give a higher rating of the sound, if I had a better amp. Unfortunately I use a discontinued model of Crate GX-30M.. which a 10" speaker.. And the oh-so-famous Korg AX1G pedal.

Anyways, with this setup the sound is pretty crappy. I like the clean much more than the distortions, but i guess that's due to the amp.
There's not enough "kick" in it, if ya know what I mean..

I'll get a new amp in a couple of months, and post a new review.

There's also a grounding error in the guitar, cause it makes noise when I dont have my hand on the strings. Soon to be fixed..

Noisy pickup switch, pickups were too high, and arent very good either. The G string is usually out of tune, even though I know how to tune my guitar and install strings properly.

I've had this guitar for 1 and a half years, and some maintenance would do some good... I clean it regulary and oil the fretboard etc.

Everything seems long lasting, except some of the 'gold' plating.. a part of the bridge has switched colors :)

This guitar has survived many hits so it's reliable.

No experience. Expect when I asked for a case for my guitar, they told it costs about 1000 fim. Divide that with 6,9 and you'll have USA dollars(at the moment). Too much for me for just a case!

I've played for 4 years, this is my second guitar.
Maybe with better gear (than crate and korg), or replaced pickups Explorer would ROCK. Now it doesnt. Shame.

I was so obsessed with exp models at the time when I bought this so no comparing happened, I just started playing the thing and got it.

So It's a great looking and - probably - sounding guitar for that price. I would buy a real GIBSON exp instead of the epiphone, it if were ever stolen.

FEEL FREE TO ASK me about this guitar about anything that wasnt mentioned here.

Korina body, black finish, white pickguard, all gold hardware cept knobs, dot inlays. I'm not sure on all of the specifics (body wood etc.) Explorer body is the best shape ever. It looks great, but the black finish shows scratches and fingerprints more than a korina finish would. Otherwise, great

I LOVE Metallica, and this does it pretty well. Im playin it through a Marshall amp and it sounds great. The high notes are screeching, which is good sometimes. Fine metal/hard rock sound and decent for solos. I really enjoy the sound.

The action had to be lowered, the bridge pickup can sway back n forth a bit, but hasn't fallen out and doesn't look like it will. Get the korina finish instead of the black, it doesn't show scratches and prints nearly as much.

This guitar is a bit heavy, but looks like it will hold up for a while to come. The gold on the hardware will eventually wear off, but hasn't yet. The paint looks like it won't come off for a long time. The strap buttons are solid. It seems dependable. I would always keep a backup handy, no matter what guitar.

Never dealt with em

I haven't been playing very much, a few years. I wish I had gotten it in Korina finish. I play it through a Marshall amp. I would not buy it again if stolen, I would rather have a KH-2 right now. I like its sound, like and dislike the finish, love the body style. This was my first guitar. It is great for startin because it has a decent price for a good sounding guitar.

I really like the 20 fret fret board it has. I really like the feel of the big round neck and its a real comfterbal guitar to play. I like the way it looks with its black finish and the white pickgourd. I like the controls to. 2 volume, 1 tone, 3 way pickup selector. I think that is the best setup in a guitar. And I love the 2 Gibson hummbuckers to. I also love the way the guitar is heavy. I like heavy guitars. I think this guitar fits really big and tall players and players who look for a heavy tone. This is the first hard-tail that I owned and I love it. Stays in tune great and it has lots of sustain.

For my styles of music I love it. From PUNK to METAL, its a great all aroung guitar. My setup consists of the following in order. a MORLEY Bad horsy whawha-a Boss Hyper Metal- A Boss ME30(I dont use the distorion on it though)- a Digitech XP100 whammy-wha- a Boss Noise gate- and a Crate GFX 212 amp. I love the way the guitar sounds in my setup. infact its one of the best guitars that I owned. The sound is rich a heavy. There is a wide variety of sounds you can get from it. I love it all around.

I kept the factory setings cus ther were just right for me I think. I bought one of the 2nd editions(the one where the factory put some kind of very little blemish in the paint of a little nick or somthing). The only blemish I found was that the Epiphone logo is bright on one half and dark on the other(may be the blemish???).

I hace only had the guitar for 3 days now...and I am Very Very happy with it. I cant wait to get this guitar on stage. I think the guitar will last for a long time. The only problem is the the guitar needs straplocks. I would use this guitar on stage with one other backup(only if I break a string).

I dont think I will ever have to get it repared.

I have been playing for 8 years now and I think its one of the best guitars that I have ever owned. If anything ever happened to this guitar I would go out and buy anouther one. My favorite feature is the pickups. No feed back what so ever.I bought a Jackson Kelly a few years back and The explorer is much better. The only thing I wish is had was a gain switch for both pickups.

Eh

The sound is awesome it suits my music perfectly (mainly Tallica)
I use it with a boss ME30 and a Crate gx212
Suits me just fine

DONT BUY THIS GUITAR FOR SOLOS!!
when i bought it i waz mainly just a rythem player
now i do mainly lead and this guitar sucks for that kinda thing.

ive played small live gigs and its worked just fine
When i bought it the pickup selector waz falty and it still is but im sorta used to it now.
I use locking strap buttons now coz the damn thing kept fallin off
I can depend on this guitar 99% of da time (except for switchin pickups)

neva had to deal with the bastards

Ive been playin for bout 2 yrs i use a crate gx212 and a boss me30 effects pedal. If it were stolen i would either buy that or a washburn dime3 with is only a couple of hundred bucks more. I love the look of this amp, i play at mostly at my skool and it turns heads hardcore. I hate the damn pickup selector and its a heavy bastard.
I originally waz after a epiphone flyin V and when i waz in the shop i saw the explorer and i remembered that its the same guitar james hetfield uses so i had to have it
THIS GUITAR ROKS DEFFINATLY RECOMMENED

The guitar is a 99 or 00 im not sure, Its got 2 stock humbuckers, Its black/white pickguard with tune o matic Gold Bridge, Gold Tuning knobs and pickup covers. Black Gibson Speed Knobs. The body shape is described as an offset hourglass. (see James Hetfield of metallica, also Dave Grohl, the guitar player for lynyrd skynyrd) 22 Frets. Maple Body and neck, rosewood fretboard dot inlays. A tremlo would be nice, but ive seen them with tremlo and it takes away the beauty of the guitar.

The stock pickups give a great sound, they're very deep, not dry at all, give almost no feedback. I play heavy stuff most of the time and with some pedals it sounds awsome.

Action comes very low, Be careful when you put new strings on, you can break the nut if your not careful. The pickups came low, how i like em. The neck is strait. THIS IS NOT THE BEST SOLOING GUITAR, the neck is heavy and it tends to dip down. But overall it has a great feel

This guitar is a workhorse, nothing has brolken except the nut, and that was my fault. The finish is nice, however there is a lot of area on the tail end so get a good polishing rag. Invest in some straplocks as the pin is on an angle and will slip off if your not careful. Also buy a case when you get it, most stores dont carry them, theyre custom order.

I havent delt with the company

I've been playing for almost 2 years, (GIBSON, start young play hard rock on). I love the sound over my other guitars, its a lot fuller and not dry at all. This guitar is excellent, if you like any rock, Metal, Classic, Blues, this guitar will suite you fine.

This is a korean made copy of the gibson shape that we probably know best from james hetfields ESP explorer. its got the bog standard 22 frets with dot inlays. its got the same control set up as hefields esp with 2 volumns (one fer each pickup) and a master tone. this is accompanied by a toggle selecter switch. The best thing about this guitar has to be its thro-neck. very cool for the price of the guitar. the finishes are white, black, natural and kornia (not every finish is availiable in every country)

the guitar has a turn stop bridge - mines gold (on the ebony/black version) the machineheads are ur eppi standard ones - nothing special. the nexk on these guitars are also quite fat - if ur not used to it then make sure u play b4 u buy!

this guitar isnt really a metal guitar (sorry all u metal heads!) it will werk fer metal if u have a LOT of disortion but its very thick and power chords do sorta mush up. im using a boss GT-3 and a marshall 1/2 stack. the guitar is however more versitile than u might think and can go from really think to really think with the flick of the swtich.

i got my explorer mail order but it was ste up quite well. the biggest problem that i have with this guitar tho is the ballence. its sits like a poorly weighted duck that ballencing on a pin head. as soon as u let go of the neck it falls down to the floor. its doe to the possitioning on the strap button on the nect end. it makes playing very very hard!!!!

tbh - i havent played this guitar live. it should stand up to live playing. other than that theres not much to go wrong but ill be nice cuz eppi have a good reputaion and give it an 8.

NA

ive been playing fer 7 yrs and this was a gimic guitar for me becuz i couldnt afford an ESP. i also play a Jackon DR3 - lovely guitar.

Explorer Guitar Shape with 2 knobs and a 3-way switch.
Zebra Distortion Pickups HH 22 frets
Blue
floyd rose bridge.
Non-locking tuners

Distortion Pickups
Good For heavy Metal
I play it with a DOD tech8 pedal and Peavy Backstage 110
Sounds Great. Good for any METALLICA

ALL is good
Slightly rusted

Good All knobs, screws, and strap buttons are tight.
Very Good for Live Playing.

Got it on EBAY.

I have Been playing for 4-5 years.
My other guitars are Harmony Les Paul Copy
Squier Double Fat Strat
It is a Very good guitar for Heavy Metal and plays fast.
I love the good sound and the fast neck.
I wish it had 24 frets.

Black Body, alder i think, 22 frets, fast neck ! 2 knobs, one volume and one tone, a 3 way pickup selector, 2 pickups H-H config. ,
tremolo bridge (an imitation to Floyd Rose Bridges !) not the same
as a floyd !

For the pickups, they are a lot better than any epiphone guitar on
the market ! they're cool but of course not perfect !
You can rock with them easly, if it's whay ur lookin' for !
But you won't be able to get any sustain after the 12 fret ! and i mean it : NO SUSTAIN !!! even, you can't get easly to play the 19,20,21 and 22 frets , because of the body ! But the sound is good for a guitar to rock with !

Here the frustration ! very bad body material ! very very very bad tuning system ! you must tune every time ! and that tremolo bridge !
I wish it wasn't there ! not because i don't use that kind of bridge, in fact i'm a lead guitarist, and i use tremolo system very widly ! (on an ibanez Flying V guitar of my friend in the band...) that tremolo on the explorer is very bad ! if you use the tremolo arm, consider urself to tune ur guitar again !

This guitar is a rock ! you can't break it ! Live ? no, it's bad live,
cause it loose tuning, and don't have that sustain for solos ! no , i prefer using a better guitar live like a Gibson Flying V ...
The straps buttons are good, i don't know why they say that the guitar will fall down ! didn't have this problem yet ! (i have this guitar for 1 year and a half !)

Never dealt !

Well, this guitar is good for beginners , but very bad and annoying for any advanced player ! you really hate playing guitar because of it. If you have any question, please feel free to e-mail me ...

Don't know when/where it was made, and what wood it's made of.

22 frets, solid top, 2 volume knobs, 3-way switch, Hum/Hum Configuration, Stock pickups.

Black Satin finish, Floyd Rose Tremolo, Explorer shape.

No stuff included, i got it used.

I play Heavy Metal, and this guitar is exactly what i need. I run it through a Peavey Rage 158, no effect pedals, and i'm really satisfied with it.
It's not noisy at all. Bridge pickup sounds bright, Neck pickup sounds a lot darker. Don't know if it's rich or not.
I like both pickups, you can get whatever sound you want out of this one IMO.

Got it used, action was low but it's really fun to play it. It has some chips in the finish, but they're small. The volume knob for the bridge pickup doesn't turn as smooth as the one for the neck pickup, and both make noise if you turn them, but i'm using a shitty & damaged cable.
No other flaws.

I don't know if it will withstand live playing.
Hardware looks sturdy, i think i can trust it, same goes for the finish.
God damn those strap buttons. I can play for some hours, and then the strap will get loose, until now i've been lucky and it didn't drop the ground but it really annoys me.
I would depend on it if i had strap locks...
I'd never gig without backup, though, because i already broke 2 bass strings with this oneGod damn those strap buttons. I can play for some hours, and then the strap will get loose, until now i've been lucky and it didn't drop the ground but it really annoys me.
I think i should never gig without backup, just in case a string breaks etc.
But if i had no choice, yeah i would give a shit to the backup.

Haven't dealt with them & Instrument is used

I've been playing for about 9 months now, i got this one 2 weeks ago, and my Peavey amp for christmas. I own a Yamaha acoustic and this one, nothing else. If it were stolen i'd probably hunt the fucker down, rip his balls off and punch them so deep into his throat he'll suffocate.
I love it's sound, until now I got anything I want out of it, and i hate the goddam strap buttons.
I had the chance to get a new squier strat or this one used, and well i want to play heavy stuff (MetallicA, mostly old stuff), so i went for this one and i do not regret it.

Its a '58 reissue made in Korea I think. 22 frets. 3 way tone, 3 way pick up selector, H/H, stock pick ups(the usual trashy pick ups you get with epiphone, Korina body with rosewood fingerboard, dot inlays. Satin finish, it scratches easily but be careful and you should be ok. Tune-o-matic bridge, Gibson non locking tuners, quite a wide neck with medium frets, no accessories, I had to buy a huge bag for it, the shop said its the only thing it would fit in but I don't see how. If anyone can help with what kind of gig bag/case to get then tell me as I cannot see Dave Grohl wandering about with the size of bag I have!!!

This guitar is fine for my musical style which is rocky/punky such as foo fighters, green day, early blink 182. I use it through my Marshall VS 265 R which helps the sound of the guitar through both clean and overdrive channels. Its not as easy to play at amazingly igh guitar settings, I have to turn the amp up rather than the guitar as if the guitar is up really high settings(past about 7) then the pick ups squeal like pigs. The sound is ok, but the top strings sound a bit too chunky for my taste due to the poor pick ups. Its quite a variable sounding guitar, you can get really crisp sounds or really thick sounds. The guitar does the job, but I have to say that if you get it, change the pickups and get good ones!!!

The factory settings were not good really, I had to fiddle about for ages to get a half decent sound, but again its down to these pick ups!! All controls and everything on the guitar is excellent, as epiphones always are, the only thing that lets this guitar down is its pick ups.

This guitar withstands live playing easily, ive played two gigs without problems and never have any problems during practise. It looks like it should last for a long time. Again, as epiphone have high standards the finish is fine, and the strap buttons never move!....you can depend on it, however I have had to put it in to get it repaired due to the pick up selector breaking after just adjusting it with nor force and the bridge being too low and the top string touching other frets with playing so it made a twanging noise instead of a note.

it was under warranty when i got it fixed so everything was fine and I emailed gibson themselves about the pick ups and they were helpful.

I have been playing for two years now and both guitars I have owned have been Epiphone. I wish I had known more about the technical side of guitars before buying it, as in the pick ups!! I would move on to a fender or something else if this guitar was stolen or lost, I would not get it again although I am happy enough with it. The main thing about this guitar is how cool it looks, and with new pick ups it will be an amazing guitar, but the pick ups are so dreadful that they take a good few points off it!....when I put new pickups on it I would give this guitar an easy 9, pushing for a 10 but that can't be said before the pickups get slammed on!!

2000 Korean Explorer
Price $948.75AUD inc. GST
22 frets
Solid top
2 volume 1 tone
H/H, 3 way toggle switching
Gibson ceramic magnet Humbuckers
Korina body, Maple Neck, 1 peice neck/fretboard, (i got it customised)
Satin black finish, easily scratched, but i'm careful
'58 Explorer reissue with stop tailpiece
gibson tuners, Medium/jumbo frets,
came with 2 free spare pickups, i think their EMG-81's

it sounds great for the music i play, heavy metal, with the ceremic magnet pickups it sounds deep, and full, and with the EMG's, it sounds, a lot more powerful.
I run it through an old CMG 100w solid state AC powered amp, but it sounds better though my mate's Marshall Valvestate Full Stack

The action was set too low, i had to raise it to a little over 1.5mm
Everythin was adjusted perfect, no problems with the controls, swiching, pickups, output jack, even the strap holders don't spin.

I've used this guitar at around 7 gigs, without need for any backup
the only backup ive got is a ONYX PIECE OF SHIT, and i wouldn't use it at a gig for $100.

3 year warranty,
i never had to get it repaired so i wouldn't know.
i'll give em a 6 and hope their helpful.

I've been playing for nearly a year, and i've moved onto some pretty damn good music.
I have an onyx strat copy, and a magnum ElectricAcoustic
I compared it with a les paul and a flying v all by epiphone, but they were cheap chinese shit.
I hate where it doesn't have a master volume, as with all gibsons,
for christ's sake maybe they'll hear me and put a fucking master volume on 1 of their designs.

I paied 500 for it.I believe it was made in japan.22 frets,2 volime knobs and 1 tone knob.2 humbuckers with a 3way switch.The body is made of korina,the neck made of mahogany with a rosewood/dot inlays.It has a tune-o-matic bridge,non locking tuners.The neck I believe is"fat" compared to a fender strat neck.Regular frets on a wide neck.It came with a nice plastic hard case.It has a set neck as well.

It's a good garage/rock and roll guitar.I play alot of rock/punky garage(early greenday,foo fighter,nirvana).I wouldn't advise it as a good metal guitar.I use a Marsshall jcm 900 with it,I use both clean and overdrive channels on the amp,the guitar sounds great with it.I use a danelectro daddy-o as a booster for channel b on the amp to pump out the highs I need.The guitar seems to have trouble pumping out high up on the neck.With a nice overdrive sound and a booster to get the highs out it's perfect for rock and roll.It takes time getting use to the body and where the switch is,but it really it a good "over all" sounding good.I don't like how wide the neck is.The tuners are a little big.

Action was low.The low action was good though...because of the wide neck.Pickups are good hard to get feeback from.Has a little bit of a noisy 3-way switch,pickups have just the slightest touch of rust.Finish was perfect no dents no scraps nothing.

I would definately recomend this guitar as "gig worthy without a back-up".Although It's never good to goto a gig with out a back-up no matter what guitar,still.This guitar will last (you get what you pay for).I paied 500$ for it,seems to be great.

It is under warranty for life.Epiphone is a great company,thats why I bought an epiphone explorer.It's basically second best next to gibson!Gibson owns epiphone and I trust gibson.They don't sell crap,so I wouldn't expect them to let their little sister company to sell anything short of greatness.

I've been playing since 5 years.I also own an 2 epiphone les-pauls,1 a standard les-paul,and one a LP100.I also own a fender stratacaster.Marshall jcm 900,danelectro daddy-o(great overdrive).If it were stolen I'd probly buy another one,maybe a used one.It was alot of money so I'd probly take that extra step to make sure it would get stolen in the firts place.I love the look so rock and roll!I hate the extremely curved head-stock.my favorite feature is the tune-o-matic bridge,stretch the strings and go no problem.I just need to break it in more I've only had it 3 months.I choosed it because I always loved the way they looked.

My Explorer is a `98 model, and apparently the last year of the non-Korina models. Unlike the Korina Explorer, this one has black finish and chrome hardware, including a Floyd Rose-licensed "vintage" tremolo instead of the Gibson tune-o-matic bridge. There are 22 frets, two stock humbuckers, one 3-way pickup selector, one volume knob and one tone knob. The body is alder or poplar rather than the Gibson version's mahogany, and the neck appears to be maple with an ebony fretboard. The tremolo and locknut seem to be rather cheap, but unlike most Floyd Rose setups, this one can be adjusted without allen wrenches...big plus! The tuning keys seem more sturdy than most.
Plenty of features for an inexpensive guitar. I'll dock a couple points off because there's only 22 frets and the bridge is obviously a cheapie, but still nicely decked out for the price.

I'm primarily a Jackson player, so I was expecting a big difference. The Explorer has a thicker sound than my Jacksons, especially the low end. The highs aren't as sharp as I like, and the crunch isn't quite enough for me, but I'm reviewing this with the factory strings still on, so I'm sure that makes some difference. I use a Peavey TransTube amp with the midrange at zero, and an ART "kill your neighbors" Xtreme pedal for distortion. The sound of this guitar makes it better suited for heavy, maybe down-tuned rhythm (is "chunge" a word?) playing, but the factory pickups aren't the hottest -- maybe something else would be acceptable for leads.
The sound should get better with some tweaking, but I try to review guitars as they sound right off the showroom floor, not after modifications.

According to Epiphone propaganda, their guitars are assembled in Korea and setup in the USA. Compared to the older Vs and Explorers I've tried before, this was far lighter and more comfortable to play, sitting or standing. But whether it's the difference between bridges, the non-angled headstock or the wood, I haven't been able to get any sustain when playing solos beyond the 12th fret. The action probably needs to be raised a tad, and as I said above, these are the original strings...who knows how many people beat on this thing at the store?
The ebony finish was amazingly free of nicks or scratches of any kind, and the pickups and bridge were in perfect adjustment. The neck is faster than any Gibson or Epi I've tried out before, which made it very easy to move around on.
The only visible flaw was a chip out of the pickup selector switch, but that's easily replaced. The lack of sustain bothers me (minus a few points), but the physical condition of this guitar is as it should be for a new one.

This guitar will be my "third-string" backup, or maybe a rhythm-only axe...a 24-fret Jackson Dinky is my choice for lead duty. The chrome hardware looks cheap, but it seems solid enough for daily play. The tuners and strap buttons are sturdier than many, but the neck strap button is on the back of the guitar, so the strap gets twisted and could possibly work its way loose. The finish seems safe from wearing off, but the body shape puts it at risk from dings and dents, especially the fins. And as I quickly found out, if you bump into ANYTHING while your locknut is loosened for tuning, you better start over.
Overall, a fairly reliable guitar. I'd use it live, but never without a backup.

Never contacted them...yet.

I had no intention of buying an Explorer, but it was a "Manager's Special" and only set me back $220 (rather than the list price of $549 or the "sale" price of $339). I wanted to add something different to my arsenal, so for the price, what better way to try something new? I don't plan to do anything fancy with it, but the price was right and the feel and features work for me.
I wouldn't buy this as a lead axe, but if you already have your dream machine, this makes a good backup.