Gibson '76 Reissue Explorer

Gibson black reissue explorer with white pick guard. Made in 06. came with case the size of a small car.

Sounds great, alot of gain in the pickups, solid tone.
I play alot of different styles from rock, metal, blues, and alternative. Does it all with ease.
Its nice and silent.
My only dislike is the neck is east to detune by putting even minor pressure on it. Im sued to my les pauls I guess.

Im a gibson fan through and through, and although they have gotten more expsensive and their QC has gone down, I will still use their gear, Im just more picky on playing it before buying it.
This explorer was purchased out of 6 other ones, that were all new, and not one didnt have a mark or ding on it.
Not that I care, as I will put my own marks on it, just saying.

Im sure it will do fine.
Mini tuners are a little weak but if they give me any problem I will replace them right awaay.
Finish is ok, not what old gibsons used to be, but still better than the plywood guitars that are sold out there.
Strap buttons are too small.
I never play a gig without a back up, ever.

Ive never dealt with gibson, Ive got my own tech who works on my stuff for me.
They make, I play em, and when they break my guy fixes them.

Playing over twenty years, I own alot of gibsons, mostly les pauls and a couple vs.
I would buy anothe for sure, Its an important weapon in ones gibson arsenal.
I love the tone, and large body, the dislike is the case, man that thing is huge, barely fits in our trailer!
I dont compare gibsons to gibsons, only gibsons to other guitars, and I have yet to run into a guitar that was as good as a gibson at the cost.

The gibson '76 explorer reissue is one outstanding piece of work. 22 frets, 2 volume controls, 1 tone control and a three way toggle switch, solid mahogany body, powerful humbucker pickups, ebony rosewood fingerboard (classic white only), laminated top... what's not to love?
my explorer came with a levy's strap, ernie ball strings, and a gibson usa hardcase. all for the price of the guitar!

The explorer has a powerful sound. From 'fat'beautiful cleans, to beastly, growling overdrive this guitar can play pretty much any kind of music. I mostly play rock and metal, and man did I choose the perfect guitar. The humbucker pickups give me that fat clean sound, and screaming distortion perfect for the music I play. I through a vox DA-10 amplifier with a boss ME-50 effects board. The distortion can occasionally be noisy, but the majority of the time it is a good, strong sound, with very little if any noise. The guitar has no tremolo arm, but the action is so comfortable you can make such effects easily by just bending. Overall the sound is PERFECT.

The gibson '76 explorer reissue is a sexy looking beast. All aspects of it were adjusted to perfection in the factory, and it's glossy white colour is just beautiful. The bridge pickup is raised higher than the neck pickup, and the bridge was routed excellently. I could'nt find any flaws in the guitar, except the tone control seemed a bit stiff on my guitar. Again, an amazing-looking, beast of a guitar.

This guitar does'nt have any of that glued on neck funny business, the whole guitar is one solid piece of wood. It is very durable.. and i honestly can't see it falling to pieces anytime soon! I can safely say that the explorer is a safe bet for gig playing. I would'nt bring backup, and the hardware will definetly last a LONG time.

never had to deal with it.

Ive been playing guitar for 4 years. Not too long I know, but I can tell a good guitar when I see one! The explorer was the guitar of my dreams, and I could'nt have asked for a more perfect guitar. If it got stolen, i would without question, buy myself another one, and hunt down the person who stole it!! Compared to all my 5 other guitars, this one is the best by far. It simply OWNS.

2008 Ebony Gibson Explorer
Mahogany Body & Neck
Rosewood Fretboard
496R and 500T pickups
Chrome Hardware

This is a beautiful sounding guitar and can do any style of music. However I use it mostly for metal so I had the pickups changed to an EMG 81 and 60. I run this guitar through an engl powerball head and mesa cab and this thing absolutely growls. The grind that this guitar produces is insane and yeah it looks hell cool

Everyone knows that guitars come horribly set up from the factory so I had the action set up to how I wanted it. The finish on this beauty is gorgeous, ive owned a few gibsons so i know how to look after the nitro finish which every guitar player look into when they decide to buy a gibson. My explorer had no flaws, no loose switches or controls. The only thing I dont like on this guitar is the white pickguard which I plan to swap for a black one.

There is no doubt that any guitar can be reliable if looked after properly and this is no exception but why would you wanna trash a guitar as sexy as this anyway. I have had it since the start of 2008 and play it almost everyday for hours on end, its also seen plenty of gigs and the finish is still as clear and hot as the day I bought it. Come on people its not hard to look after something you love :)

Never had to deal with them

I have been playing for about 4 years and have owned lots of guitars including a few gibsons and the best way to keep your guitar in good shape is to take care of her. I would definately buy another if it were lost or stolen, i am actually considering selling one of my deans to get another

brand new 2007 model.mine is black with the white scratchplace . features same as always

i play hard rock,and although its versatile enough, it clearly was made for harder styles of music, thanks to the high gain pickups.i plug straight into a dsl marshall combo for the most part, and the sound of this combination is quite good, if not excellent .

guitar came in perfect, absolutely nothing to bitch about. it was intonated and set up before, so all i had to do was change to some fresh strings .

as always.... the strapbuttons are way too small,and must be replaced! and if i gig with it,i always bring a backup guitar if something happens.

gibson and I go way back (haha) . they answers just about all my requests and questions,and i am very happy with that

been playing for 20 years.owns 7 gibsons,and some epiphones,ibanez and other guitars. i would buy it again if stolen, . I originally had a epiphone explorer , but although it was a good guitar, it just didnt measures up to this precious gibson..

This is basically an Explore (2001) with cosmetic upgrades. It has a beautiful natural color with gold hardware, including gold pole pieces in the pickups. Everything else is standard with two volume and one tone control knob and ceramic magnet 460R and 500T humbuckers. It gets an 8 for its simplicity, which is not really a bad thing.

I am playing through a modified Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (Svetlana power amp tube, Electro-Harmonix pre amp tubes, and a Weber CA 12 Speaker), a modified Pro Jr. into a 60s Celestion Standard speaker into a separate 1 X 12 cab, and a modified Champion 600 reissue. I own 18 guitars, ranging from Strats, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, Jaguars, DeArmond Jetstars, and a SG humbucker sized P90s. I have a tone of vintage analog effects and fuzz boxes (Fulltone Soul-Bender, Fender Bender, Analogman Peppermint Fuzz, Fender Fuzz Wah, Zinky True Grit, and Tech 21 XXL).

The 10 reflects the quality of the workman ship and the fact that it does exactly what it is meant to do. The Explorer is quite. As many reviews have stated, the pickups and very hot and bright. That being said, the volume and tone knobs are sensitive and can be tamed fairly well. The PUs sounds pretty natural, not brittle, but not warm as PAF types. By lowering the bridge pickup you can tame the highs. One big plus is that the neck PU is brighter than most and sparkles with rhythm chords, clean and distorted. If you are looking for a more vintage sound, I guess you could replace the PUs, but to me Explorers are meant to be aggressive.

My music style ranges is somewhere between fuzzy alternative to hard rock. It can handle the alternative material and it really excels in the heavier territory. Rockers and Metal Heads should find this guitar useful. This guitar can handle Alice in Chains, Chevelle, Deftones, Foo Fighters, Helmet, G & R, Metallica, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Slayer, and Tool. Personally I find the guitar to be fairly flexible, except for more mellow material. I wouldn't mind a second tone control, but that is a minor issue.

This is an easy guitar to play. I am not the biggest guy around and I have small hands I find it to be very well balanced with a nice small neck. The action is perfect and hardware is solid. The finish is perfect and beautiful.

Despite the pretty body, this is solid beast. I am not concerned of it falling apart anytime soon

Never had the pleasure to deal with them.

I have been playing 14 years. Playing live in some of the bigger clubs in LA (not all as glamorous as it sounds), as well and a fair amount of recording/producing. I have too many guitars to list individually, but the Explorer really sticks out from the crowd. It has its own personality, just like a good tele or strat. If I have to compare it to something, I guess it would be my Yamaha SBGs (I like them much better than Les Pauls). The Explorer has a more open but aggressive sound. It cuts through nicely. I keep a shot gun next to it so it doesn't get lost or stolen (joking). I have nothing negative to say about this guitar. You may have to fiddle with the volume and tone knobs to fit you amp or effects,

a truly beautiful guitar, its a gloss finish on the plain mahogany body. Its also got all gold hardware on it. you know you have a nice looking guitar when your 54 year old mother's first words upon seeing it are "wow.... that's amazing."
the Explorer's got some pretty standard tuners on it, nothing real special, but they hold it in tune well and don't have any chunky gears. one thing I should mention is that Gibson guitars tend to have an oddly specific problem with the G string going flat. nothing of that sort with mine, but you might watch out for it.
The neck is very thin. Be careful if you've got big hands (like mine), it took me a few days for me to get used to it.
included in the shipped package was a strap and some straplocks. Thank god for those. if you buy this guitar, YOU WILL NEED STRAPLOCKS. don't even touch it unless it has them or you're installing them, because I guarantee you'll drop it in 15 minutes.

2 volume knobs, tone control, 3-way selector.

Mahogany body and neck with rosewood fingerboard.

Overall: a very, very, good looking guitar with some easily rectified design flaws.

this guitar can handle most of what you throw at it, but it'll get hung up on retro styles. (beatles, etc.) ironic I guess.

where it really excels is in heavier styles such as Metal, Punk, Hard rock, whatever. it can really growl if you know how to use it. Higher-register soloing works just as well, too. just be careful when playing 6 string chords, as the top 2 strings can get lost in the sound. you can fix this by fiddling with the tone a bit though. all in all, it's got a very, rich, bassy tone.

my main complaint with the guitar is the bridge pickup. I'm not sure what the model is, but I was rather disappointed with it. if you want to play with much gain, you'd better have a big bedroom, because it feeds back at about 10 feet away with the volume half way up on my Marshall MG15CD Combo. and about 25 feet when I crank it on my friend's dad's Berhinger. there's also an annoying hum even when I dampen the strings. It's pretty quiet, and can't hear it when actually playing, but definitely worrying in a guitar that sells for 1200 USD.

overall: a nice, versatile sound with a shitty-ass bridge pickup. which I'm definitely replacing.

The set up was very good, low enough to accomodate anything I can play right now, but high enough to avoid fret buzz.

Like I said above, the Bridge pickup leaves a lot to be desired, and a large part of it may be in the adjustment of it, I'm not courageous enough to fuck with it and risk destroying what good sound I can get out of it.

the hardware is all of good quality, and I don't see myself having to replace it anytime soon. the fretwork is very good, and pretty resilient to abuse, I practice about 3 hours a day -not counting fiddling around while I watch movies and such- and after 6 months they haven't shown any sign of wear.

there's an extremely quick and quiet "chunk" sound when moving the selector switch, but it's only really audible on high volume.

Overall: all high quality parts with no significant flaws.

possible the strongest (no pun intended) aspect of the Explorer is the durablity this motherfucker has. its really a tank, I've actually cracked an oak doorjamb with this thing and no damage to show for it.
Like I said before, the hardware is all high quality and durable. the only thing wrong is the Strap buttons, they seem designed to shed a strap. STRAPLOCKS STRAPLOCKS STRAPLOCKS.

I will definitely count on this guitar to perform for years to come.

overall: the only thing of real concern if dropped is the condition of the floor.

bought it used, so no warranty or anything.

I've been playing about a year and a half, and this is my first "high end" guitar, my only previous ones where a Squier Strat and assorted acoustics.

in the 4 or so months I've had it, my Explorer has become my Baby, I take it pretty much everywhere I go except for school. I plan to put A DiMarzio Evolution in the bridge, but haven't decided what to put in the bridge (suggestions?).

Despite its flaws, it's a damn good guitar if you can nurse it a little, and I would definitely replace it if it was lost or stolen.

FROM GIBSON SITE:

BODY
Body Species: Mahogany

NECK
Species: Mahogany
Profile: Rounded
Neck Joint Location: 19

FINGERBOARD
Species: Rosewood; Ebony on Classic White
Scale Length: 243/4"
Nut Width: 1.695"
Inlays: Dot

HARDWARE
Plating Finish: Chrome
Tailpiece: Stopbar
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Knobs: Black Speed
Tuners: Mini Grovers

ELECTRONICS
Neck Pickups: 496R Ceramic magnet humbucker
Bridge Pickups: 500T Ceramic magnet humbucker
Controls: Two volume, one tone, three-way switch

Mine is the "Classic White" with the ebony fretboard.

Well, I play metal and rock so this thing is exactly what I need. My rig is this: Gibson>Peterson Strobostomp>Boss SD-1>Boss CE-3>MXR EVH Phase 90>Marshall JCM 800 2210 into Marshall 1960B w/Celestion V30's. It is just a tad noisy. I will be shielding it soon which will cut back on all the noise and have already put in two Seymour Duncan pickups: Distortion and Jazz in bridge/neck. I have also removed the tone control. I don't use it and it loads down the pickups. This thing will do clean shoegazer all the way to death metal perfectly. It sounds like a hammer bashing into an anvil when driven hard though, which was the effect I was looking for! Best sounding guitar in my arsenal thus far.

This thing was tuned to "Z" when I first plugged it in LOL!!! But it was on the floor at GC so what can you expect? After tuning her up, I was in love. I compared it with two other Explorers in there, and it was the best. The little details you can fight about all day/night, and it had little flaws cosmetically if you put a magnifying glass to it or looked too hard INSTEAD of playing the damn thing! Nothing loose or scratched up-it worked and sounded great and the nut was cut well. This was not a matter of getting a "good one" though as all 3 in there sounded/looked great. I just chose the one that suited me. Now the Les Paul's on the other hand were, well, pretty bad for the most part.

It has one of the most stable necks I've played on. Not too thin/thick, but STRONG. Very stable altogether and I don't see it breaking if it's taken care of. The finish looks great. I replaced the strap buttons with Schallers, for obvious reasons. I would not use without a backup for the other obvious reason: strings break. No matter how good the axe.

I'm not sure about this. The warranty is for life I think. Should be fine.

I have been playing for around 10 years and have owned all kinds of stuff. The first real USA guitar I had was a custom Warmoth body/neck explorer but that didn't work out for me....the balance was all wrong due to a slightly smaller body. And I LOVE the sound of set-neck Gibson's. Nothing like it. I would be screwed if it was stolen but would have to buy another. I love everything about it, except I wish the frets were a tad bigger, but the neck is so fast it was an easy transition from the "shredder" necks I'm used to. My favorite features are that it's WHITE (James Hetfield!), Has a fast ebony fretboard, and sounds HUGE. This is the best guitar I have owned and is my first Gibson. It will be with me for a long time and will not be my last. Next on my list are a Firebird V, SG Standard and ES-355. If you get one with no problems you'll be wanting more.

Gloss Black Set neck, Gibson 500t/496r passive pups,hard case included. Mahogany with rosewood fretboard. 22 frets (although this is debatable).Locking tuners.3 way selector, V/V/T.

These pickups are actually very good, and compare favourably with SD JB's or Similar. They have great overdriven tone, and clean up pretty good too. The electrics in the guitar are pretty much on the money, no issuses at all, other than a loose selector switch, but that was fixed in a minute. If you want flat out metal sounds, these pickups do lack a bit, so just chuck in some emg 81's or SD Livewires, but for versatile, capable sounds, the originals are just fine.

Ok, here comes the pain - out of the factory this thing was a dud. it had a chip in the headstock, glue residue left and painted over on the fretboard/body joint, and a neck that required serious attention. It is so bad I put a brand new guitar in to a luthier for repairs. The worst flaws were 2 frets that weren't seated properly and could not be repaired, so were removed and new ones installed, a complete fret dress, the neck was warped (I don't know how to better describe it)and required major adjustment. The nut is a cheap crapper and the strings bind in it, so I had it replaced with a graphite one. Add US$352.00 to the purchase price for the luthiers work to make it playable (actualy to clear my conscience so I can sell it, as it no longer has it's charm to me).

I have a Gothic as well(to which this guitar can not be compared), so I know these things are durable. You would be a fool to gig without Straploks, or for that matter a backup guitar, as strings break. THe finish is adequete, in that it is shiny and black, apart from the built in factory flaws,it is by no means as classy looking as a Jackson or ESP, but it can take a knock. Another feature is that I don't have to worry about chips in the finish - they are factory supplied straight out of the box.

Customer support is good, and they are sypathetic to the problems I spoke of earlier. The issue here is not whether you can return or make a warranty claim on a guitar, but how on earth sub-standard workmanship slips past quailty control and gets shipped. I raised this with Gibson and got no answer. I am skeptical that they have any quality control in their factory, at least on the explorers and v's anyway, which is where my experiences lay. I pointed out to them that comparably priced Jacksons and ESP's are blowing them out of the water. Don't buy on the brand name alone as I did, it does not mean quality, at least not in this instance.

Overall this guitar has meant to me that I will never again buy a Gibson product (in fact I am selling mine). The price is premium, and the product is beyond dissapointing, it is criminally bad. This is the 47th guitar I have had,and the worst. off the shelf I would rate this with an epiphone. I have never had a guitar that chokes notes on the neck when you bend strings- this one did it! If you have to by a gibson, buy second hand, at least then some other poor bastard will have had to pay to have it set up from new. From my experiences, if you want a "shaped" metal guitar, buy a Jackson or ESP and save your money and heartache. They will also probably let you choose a colour and offer new fangled inventions like a Flloyd rose, and use an unheard of process called "QUAILTY CONTROL".

Maybe I am the first person in Turkey who talks sth about a guitar in this site also who has a Gibson Explorer in my country , na need talking about features there s enough information..

Honestly It sounds Big , Tasty and Fully , Dont laugh but i have An Laney Amp (15HCR) 15 WATTS :D but Its still sound good.. , While i was buying it I tried it with a full stack Mesa Dual rectifier , It sounds Pretty goddess , I'm a big fan of Metallica and i nearly get the sound i want only with an 15 watts amp ::) just think , if i have a Mesa boogie what type of sound do i get ; = ? ...

ItS Completely ^^ like A dream baby !! ^^.

When you play this you feel like yu^R flying..

No need anytime..

I think I wont need anything else qith this guitar because I not like it , I LOVE IT ..

2001..Black but Gibson also calls the color Ebony w/ all chrome hardware. I bought it used but verified with Gibson everything is stock, nothing has been changed from the original factory setup. I changed the straplocks to Schallers. This is a necessity for this guitar to keep the strap from coming loose on this guitar due to the unusual postion the strap buttons are located. Where the strap buttons is located on the back of the guitar makes the guitar awkwardly pivot the away from you. The case is killer too... a cool looking hot pink (and I don't like pink stuff) and it has it's own built in silky blanket to keep the guitar happy in it's case.

It suits my style perfectly. I wanted a guitar that would play from very heavy rock to clean classic rock. It has extra bite that other guitars due not but using the tone control it can be tamed to play mellow also. I think that the people that complain that the pickups are too harsh are not using the tone control backed off a tad. I use it with a Mesa MarkIV amp and cabinet. It can squeal on the higher notes if gain and volume are very high. I like the bite it has on the bridge pickup and the smoother sound of the neck pickup.

I bought it used and the action was too low and the strings were rusted. The finish is in good shape but it looks like the previous owner may have used some harsh stuff on it in spots or something. The pickup selector switch was loose but I tightened it. I love the action, looks, and finish of this guitar. It is my dream guitar. Oh, the serail number is stamped tio lightly and it is very hard to see, almost looks tampered with.

I commented on the wierd strap buttons under the features. It looks reliable and durable. I would have a backup guitar for gigging for any guitar.

Gibson quickly answered an email verifying that the serial number is stamped lightly on some guitars to keep from cracking or weakening the headstock.

This is my dream guitar. I became interested in it when I saw Rick Medlocke playing one many years ago. I've tried a couple of them over the years and said "someday if I have the money". I liked their action, sound, and looks. I like hard rock stuff and this is hard rock. You can adjust it enough to play some softer stuff but it was designed to rock. The case is cool too. I'm giving it a 10 because nothing's perfect but for me it is.

Stated elsewhere check the gibson site if you need specifics.
The tuners stay in tune, the tune o matic is fantastic and the neck is comfortable, but I suppose you expect that from a gibson. The one gripe would be a second tone pot if you are a tonal purist most people in a live situation will be able to make do besides the three tone knobs look fantastic.

My style is everything, I play punk, blues, goth rock, metal e.t.c. this guitar is as versitile and defined as a les paul IF not more defined. I am using a avt100 combo. It is noiseless, the only problem is that the bridge can be so raunchy and hot that in higgh gain settings it may feedback, but the real juice is in the neck. I can't believe anyone complains about the smooth lead tones that the neck can provide, It also has enough bite to pull off any nin extreme treble distortion. clean the bridge is southern fried rock and blues the neck is well defined a lot of people are saying the bridge is too hot for clean, heres a novel idea, how about you model your amp around this guitar. I dont like the feedback but that only bothers you if you are in a extremely close proximity to the amp and a bridge pickup purist..

I got it from a shop so I don't know how it was out of the box, finish is(was perfect) everything was perfecxt for me. the only problem is the volume knobs, when you turn them all the way downand go "past 1" it kind of crackles and bounces back *this is only a problem if you are turning the volume knobs to zero with an extremely heavy hand* This problem probably developed after the beating this bad boy has recieved

It has been beat up to hell. The hardware is fine. I've actually dropped this head first and it only has a chip in the paint. the one issue is the finish wears away over time but that is character.

Never had to contact them.

Brilliant, get this guitar and you will have a friend for life. ONE PROBLEM IS FDINDING A GUITAR STAND THAT WILL HOLD IT UP ONSTAGE! I love this guitar though.

This is the 2004 model, 1976 re-issue. Finish is fantastic, but after playing, the black finish needs to be polished and wiped down as it smudges very easily. Chrome hardware looks great with the black finish! Definitely needs strap locks and a very long strap because of the shape of the guitar and where the strap buttons are located. 22 frets, very nice, smooth feeling neck (even though I am more used to Ibanez-style, thinner necks). Stays in tune very well with .10 guage Ernie Ball strings on it. Nicest finish I have ever seen on a guitar, just brilliant!

Overall sound is more versatile than you'd think for what many consider a "METAL" guitar. With the pickup selector in the middle position, it sounds almost identical to a Les Paul (that very distinctive Gibson sound, much like Jimmy Page). The bridge position gets a very nice, meaty, treble-y, distorted sound, great for metallica, Judas Priest, even Van Halen type of sound. I do not like the neck pickup sound at all. No meat, just flat, dull, I never use it. Sounds great in the middle and better in the back (bridge). The biggest problem with the pickups is that when you are soloing on the high frets (E & B strings), way up there, the guitar will feedback like a beast. I do not recommend this guitar for wild soloing on the higher frets, due to this feedback problem.

Action is low and flawless. Bought it used, required very little adjustment, pickups were a bit low, and bridge was adjusted just a bit. Like I said in the FEATURES section, the finish is truly remarkable, brilliant, can't say enough about how this guitar looks. People that have never played guitar and don't know a damn thing about them come over to my house and see it & say, "OH MY GOD... THAT GUITAR IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!" Its rather hilarious, the reaction it gets!

After putting DUNLOP STRAP LOCKS on, I'm sure this beast would survive any fierce combat!!! It is incredibly durable, built to perfection, solid as granite! I never use one guitar at a gig, because strings do break no matter what brand or type of guitar. The screw for the strap buttons is wide, and I originally bought SCHALLER strap locks, replaced those with DUNLOPS which have the originally sized wider screw.

I e mailed GIBSON about replacing the white pickgurad with a black one... They e mailed me the very next day with some info. Great response, very pleased. And they have the best guiatr manufacturer website ever.

I have been playing for over 25 years, mostly Metal/Hard Rock. I used to play a standard American Strat for 20 years which I grew tired of the thin sound, & now use my Ibanez RG-750 almost all the time. Took some getting used to, but I do like the Gibson Explorer for a different sound, and especially for the different look. I consider this more of a rythym guitar as opposed to a lead guitar, mostly because of the pickups, and also I prefer a thinner, flatter neck for crazy soloing. This guitar might sound a lot better with EMG or SEYMOUR DUNCAN pickups, but I won't alter mine as I wish to keep it original so it'll retain its value. Plus, I have other guitars with more of a distorted, crunching sound, and this guitar just sounds smooth and "natural."

2001 in Ebony finish. Standard setup with 3 way toggle and inline knobs - 2 vol 1 tone. The person I bought this from replaced the pickups with Seymour Duncan JBs in both positions. A JB in the neck actuall works very well. He also installed strap locks. Stock otherwise. I'm accustomed to Les Pauls and thought I'd miss the dedicated tone knobs for each pup. Not such a big deal and 4 inline knobs would probably be a bit much.

I use this guitar for rock and blues. With the JBs, I can find singing harmonics all over the neck at a variety of stage volumes. I plug into a Clyde wah which runs into a Boss GT3 with a Keeley modded TS-9 in the external distortion loop. Amp is a '68 bassman 50 into a Marshall 1960a. I can sympathize with everyone's knocks on the stock pickups. I pulled them out of my LP Classic for pretty much the same reasons others state. I bought this guitar off eBay and the fact that the pups were already switched out made me pick this one over the others.

I'm getting ready to put this guitar in for a professional setup. It plays quite nicely right now but it isn't staying in tune as well as I'd like and I suspect the nut is the culprit. Having bought it second hand, I can't knock Gibson for the setup. I can knock them for the nut though. The finish and fit are outstanding. This is a very cool and sinister looking guitar. Very rock.

Due to the angle of the neck strap button, I'd consider playing this one without strap locks (strap locks are an absolute must on les pauls). Mine came with strap locks so I'm leaving them on. I have no worries about this or any other Gibson.

I emailed them once regarding dating a guitar. They responded the next day with all the information I requested. Gibson has a great website.

I love this guitar and would definitely buy another if it were lost or stolen. Playing this axe while sitting on the couch is perfectly comfortable. It is also well balanced while hanging off my shoulder. It plays nicely and has a great neck. My advice to you is buy one and replace the pickups with your favorites.

Its got everything I need, except it doesnt come with strap locks.
( I dont think any guitar comes with those )
The black finish is beatifull and evil at the same time, I love it.

The sound from this beast is dark, bassy, and full. I would not call it muddy at all though. I use this guitar w/ Mesa Boogie dual rectifier full stack, and a Marshall TSL-100 half stack. It makes my Marshall sound so much more agro, and makes my Mesa sound heavier than Hatebreed when I detune to drop-C tuning. I am used to my other guitar which is a ESP explorer w/ EMG-81 & 85 pickups, so I thought I would not like the passive 500T pickup that this thing came with. But I actually love it, the EMG-81 is actually not that much hotter than the 500T bridge pickup. As far as the neck pickup, (496R) I really like it for solo's but for clean stuff no matter how I adjust the pickup height it sounds WAY to bright, its gotta GO! I think the main factor with this guitar's massive sound is do to the huge solid mahgony body, which I love because I am used to a explorer copy with a bass wood body. It sure does weigh alot more than my ESP explorer, you just need to play it lower so it takes some of the strain of your back. I give it a 9 because the clean sound sucks, but I can fix that, If I only used it under heavy gain I'd give it a 10.
And as far as the people saying its not a Metal guitar I beg to defer, this thing is basically a nicer looking gothic explorer that gibson quit making. Sound wise I cant really see people playing this thing for anything but Metal, or really heavy rock. I also installed a aluminum diamond plate pickguard so it would also look more the part too. (white pick guard just screams that you are a old fart thar plays blues.

Everything was setup very good, even though it came with small strings which I dont like. I think it came with 9's, it sounded good even with those small strings, but I but on 12-54 because I just like big strings. The bridge pickup was setup too high for my taste, but thats not Gibson's fault because everyone is after a different sound.

This thing is a beast, probably last longer than I will. Never gig without a back guitar because strings do break, and also you should never strap on a guitar without strap locks, especially a expensive Gibson!

Dont care.

I have been playing for over 3 years, own more guitar shit than I care to mention. Buying this thing for 900.00 was a steal considering the price of most gibsons and considering these things used to sell for 1500.00 one year ago. I would also like to note this things plays, balances, and sounds better than any other guitar I have ever played, not to mention the looks. I used to swear buy active pickups EMG-81 at the bridge & EMG-85 at the neck which I have used in ALL (3) of my guitars prior to this one, I am seriously considering NOT putting EMG pickups it this one its that good. Overall rating I give it a 10 even though this is not perfect, but no guitar is, it's still better than any other Gibson, PRS, or ESP guitar that I have played. Anything else I wish I had, hmmmm, how about a VHT Ultra-Lead full stack and a Gibson Zack Wlyde signature guitar to go with it just because the bullseye paint jog is so cool.

2003 USA made reissue of the '76 Explorer (are you old enough to remember the Bicentennial?). Beautiful natural finish with gold hardware. Before I spotted this guitar I wasn't aware the Explorer was offered with a natural finish; I'm glad it is 'cause I do like natural finishes. Comes with a nice hardshell case with funky pink fur inside. It's a nice guitar if you like to just strap it on & wail with a minimum amout of fuss. No whammy bars or coil tapping here, ladies; just great tone.

I've wanted an Explorer since I started playing, initially because they looked so cool & unique, and then, after getting an opportunity to try one, I really liked their playability and feel. Unfortunately the pickups on these new models are absolutely horrible. The 500T bridge pickup is harsh & trebly; it fuzzes up the overdrive channel on my Marshall. The neck pickup is flat & dull. I can't see using these pickups for anything but Metal, even though the '76 model was definately NOT a metal guitar. I'm not sure what Gibson was thinking. I had to replace the stock pickups with my favs, Duncan SH-1 '59 PAFs to suit my taste. Other than that, I think the guitar sounds excellent plugged straight into my Marshall combo with an EH Holy Grail reverb through the effects loop for a little extra splash. It's capable of jazzy mellowness and roaring rock & roll, and it may be the last guitar I'll ever have to buy, I'm that happy with it.

The natural finish over the mahogany body is beautiful. I'm not big on gold harware but it compliments the finish very well. It came strung with .009s which are just way too thin sounding especially on
a big guitar like this. Other than that, it was set up great from the factory. I checked the intonation & action when I changed the strings and only very minor tweaking was required. Overall I was very pleased.

I've only owned it for 4 months so I don't have much to say here. I'm a big fan of Gibson (I played an SG for years) and I like their craftmanship. No worries, mate.

Never dealt with Gibson. And I hope I don't have to (you know the old rule - the bigger the company, the worse the service).

Other than the horrible pickups, this is my dream guitar. It has great tone for any style. I think they're overpriced (like most american made guitars) but I didn't want to waste my time or money buying something substandard only to go for the real thing later on. (is that the perfect rationalization for spending money you don't have? I think so.)

2002 Gibson (American made) '76 Reissue explorer, 22 frets, solid mahogany body, 1 volume, 2 tone, 3 way selector, 2 humbuckers, 492T (Neck) and 500T (Bridge), Black, tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiecec, non-locking mini tuners, thin neck with a rosewood fretboard, and a case that I would like to make my bed (so soft).

I play mostly hard rock and grunge, and this guitar suits that perfectly. I've heard people bashing the 500T, and I must admit, it is a bit much, but for distorted sounds, it's great. However, it's most certainly not a heavy metal guitar. There is not enough low-end definition for heavy metal. Great for grungy rock, though. I also use .010-.060 Zakk Wylde strings, through a CFH Crybaby, and a Mesa/Boogie dual rectifier. This guitar sounds HUGE! I used to play on a $200 guitar with an EMG 81 in it, and that produced a tone that was totally smashed to bits with this guitar. Oustanding clean sound in the neck pickup. A very distinct sounding bridge pickup. For a guy that uses a lot of "signature" equipment, I definately get my own sound with this guitar.

Out of the factory, it was set up excellently, with .009-.048 strings, I believe. Pickups were well adjusted, and everything played extremely well. However, with the tune-o-matic bridge, you DO need to have a relatively high action with a .060 low E string. But, this does lead the way to MASSIVE tone.

I've had this for about a month, so I really have no idea about this. I damned well hope it lasts a little longer than a year, for $1000.

Haven't dealt with them yet.

19 years old, currently a music technology major at a prestigious (read: snobby) liberal arts school. I definately scare the bejesus out of all the jam bands on campus with the tone I get out of this guitar. If this guitar was stolen/lost, I would definately get this guitar again. I compared this with a PRS Custom 22, and a Gibson Les Paul Standard. Both of those guitars sounded far too typical and predictable through my amp, so I went with the Explorer. The only thing I wish it had was the playability of the PRS. Damn that thing was sweet. I love the sound of this guitar. I'm probably never going to play another electric again (I hope).

Gibson '76 Reissue Explorer. American made. 1 Tone knob, 2 Volume knobs. 496R pickup in the neck, 500T for the bridge pick-up. Mine's got the mirror pickguard and truss rod cover. Exactly the same as any other explorer, white pickguard and truss rod cover could be bought to replace the mirror ones should they wear down. It's got a black body, chrome hardware, tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece. Came with a lovely hardcase.

Lets start by eliminating this myth - the explorer is not just a hard rock/metal guitar. It is versatile. Why would people in 1958 design the Explorer, as a metal guitar when metal wasn't around until 25 years later? You can get a nice blues sound, clean sound, classic rock sound, mild distortion and crazy distortion, it all sounds good. Think who've used this guitar and embraced it; Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), The Edge (U2), Rivers Cuomos (Weezer), Wayne Static (Static X) and many others. This guitar is a nice guitar for most styles, though it's shape immediately suggests rock.

I originally thought I was getting an Epiphone Les Paul Custom or Epiphone Explorer, since this is only my second electric, third guitar in total (and I'm 15). I ended up buying this at 200 pounds cheaper than the RRP, and it had a hardcase. Totally blew away the Epis (though the LP Custom comes quite close).

The 496R is nice, sounds good for blues and rock. The 500T is much weaker, but still useful in certain styles. With a three way pick-up selector you can use 3 settings; 1)496R 2)496R + 500T 3)500T. I tend to use option 1 and 2. Maybe option 3 if I really need it which is rarely, it's too hot if anything. I may replace it, but definitely not any time soon. It is still a gorgeus pick-up combination.

I play bits of everything; blues, classic rock, and some modern rock (Foo Fighters mostly) and little bits of grunge (Soundgarden and Nirvana). This guitar suits those styles.

Has the same electronics as the Flying V and Les Paul Classic so sounds the same.

This was bought from an independent store, so was lower in price than at some commercial place. Was in the window for a while, but is also immaculate. Didn't need any setting up. Action is perfect, quite low, but not too low. Doesn't buzz. Since it has 22 Frets and my last guitar had 21 the frets are shorter. This makes it easier to play, but it feels a little weird at first to adjust. Mirror pickguard and ebony body shine, though I may replace the pickguard and truss rod cover with white ones. The problem with the mirror pickguard is that finger prints show up so easily, no matter how hard you try not to put any on it! It's not hard to restring, though again it's weird to do at first, compared to my old guitar.

Can't say much - I've had it one day! All I know is Gibsons are SUPPOSED to last...let's hope so...

Nope.

My old setup is a horrible Squier strat and Marshall MG15RCD, this Explorer and a Line 6 Flextone II replaced it. I've been playing for 1 and a half years, and I want to keep this forever. It blows away my old setup and is so comfortable to play, but remember it's NOT for everyone. People complaining about it being "awkward" obviously just bought the guitar without trying it (which you shouldn't do anyway). The body shape is lovely, though although this thing may sound great for jazz as well as hard rock, it would look out of place at the local jazz club.

A great guitar worth every penny it costs.

1990 '76 Reissue Explorer. Wine red. There were no modifications from what's already been described in the other reviews.

Versatile, well balanced guitar. I get a broad palate of sounds. My styles vary from Pinback to Rival Schools, so I appretiate the flexibility this guitar provides. The three control knobs and three way selector switch give you the ability to mold about any electric guitar sound you are looking for.

I play through a 100W Line 6 Flextone II. Like the guitar, the amp allows me to get about any sound I am looking for.

Why did I give it a 7? I am not a fan of the 500-T and I hope to get rid of it when the guitar gets it's next professional tune-up. I was not suprised when I have read others here being equally critical of it. The pickup is just too unbelievably hot.

At one time, I owned a Gibson SG-X, which I bought through an auction without playing one first - dumb move. The SG-X is outfitted with a single 500-T. I couldn't get within 15 feet of my amp without it screaming out of control. The Explorer's 500T wasn't as bad as the one on the SG-X but I still don't like either. I'm glad the guitar allows you to control both the volume and the tone of this pickup seperately as it allows you to calm it down a bit.

Bought the guitar used so I can not say how it was from the factory. The guitar shop I bought the guitar from did a nice setup job on it before they shipped it.

Intonation was perfect, action was low with no buzz, wiring was well shielded.

After 13 years, the guitar still seems like new so it was well made.

My only compaint is that the nut has either worn with time or was faulty at the time of construction. I'm fairly sure it isn't wear because the frets are in great shape. The nut catches on my high E string and causes the occasional out of tune annoyance when it snags during tuning. This will be repaired or replaced at my next professional tune-up.

Everything but the nut is exactly as it should be. Quality built guitar and worth the money.

I gig with it and I have absolutely no problems.

I always have a backup. No time to change strings when you are playing live.

Never had to deal with Gibson directly.

Playing 5 years but already had a 10 year musical background in both drums and trombone.

Besides the Explorer, I also own a 2001 Les Paul Standard DC and a 1995 Ibanez Artstar 120.

The Explorer is my primary guitar for the songs I do in the D tuning.

2001 Gibson 76 reissue explorer limited edition/natural finish
mahogany body&neck/rosewood fretboard/medium jumbo frets/humbucker pickups/rectangular brown HSC

This guitar did need a little "gearing" to bring it up to an original '58 explorer vibe: The pickups were traded for a matching set of Gibson PAF 57 classic humbuckers with gold covers.The black barrel knobs for a set of gold top hats/white toggle cap for an amber & a set of strap locks to protect this investment.With this said,
the arrival rating of 7 (before these very much needed up-grades) arrives at 10. this guitar was worth the work
to bring this "modern classic" to a "vintage classic" explorer.

This particular guitar arrived from Gibson with a proper factory set-up.The wood grain was very well selected both for the guitar body&neck.Though the headstock grain could have been a bit more carefully matched.Otherwise everything was of Gibson standard.

Though I am a professional session guitarist and Conservatory instructor,I do beleive I could rely on this guitar outside of the recording studio for a performance.Again, I would go with the strap-
locks for protecting your investment.(This is the first thing that I do on my Gibsons)The only thing that I do not trust is the buttons.

I have contacted Gibson for many reasons over the years.They have always resepected my concerns and questions.I have not been dissapointed.

I am a 29 year professional session guitarist & Conservatory of Music
instructor.I own around 20 guitars (all Gibsons)I perfer Class A tube combo (Vox AC15/AC30)(Gibson Goldtone GA15RV) (Orange 15/12)
If this particular explorer were to be lost I do think I would replace it.I do not however look foward to the time that it takes to bring it to the standard of a "58 modern guitar"

I bought this guitar brand new in 1990, along with a matching '67 flying V reissue, both are sunburst, (like the finish found on old reverse firebirds). I paid about $550 for this guitar brand new, they have gone up in price since then, $1100? It is of course, made in America by Americans. Number of frets? 22 like all the good guitars of the past. The body was made from a solid piece of mahogany, a very wide and thick piece of solid mahogany with a nice even grain pattern. The neck is also solid mahogany, not a 2 or 3 piece glue up like some of the gibsons from the seventies, although this is a good way to strengthen the neck, it just doesn't look as good as a one piece neck. The'76 has three knobs, one tone shared by both pickups and a volume knob controling each pickup. This reissue has the correct tune-o-matic bridge (the slightly wider tune-o-matic without the retaining wire), the correct finish for all the hardware (chrome), the correct stop tailpiece, chrome mini-grover roto-matic machine tuners, (appropriate for a 1970's explorer), the frets are incorrect for 1976, too narrow, 76's had those nice jumbo frets (railroad ties), the pickups (496R and 500T are totaly wrong for this guitar or any other gibson reisse, no chrome covers, and way, way, too, too hot, they sound like crap to me, the neck has the proper "chunk" to it (even better than my flying V), it came with a nice pink fur lined case with a furry shroud to cover the guitar in the case. The new cases I've seen no longer have the furry shroud, I think it's satin now, too bad, should've kept the fur! The 9 I'm giving for this catagory is because gibson got so many things right on this reissue.

Here is the one major flaw in an otherwise very nicly done reissue, the pickups. The 500T is a nasty sounding pickup in my opinion, built to be too hot. It has a grittyness in the upper mid range and an overall lack of fullness and smoothness that you would get from a good P.A.F. like a 57 classic plus, or a lindey fralin. The real '76 explorer had patent number pickups or "T" buckers as they're sometime called because of an upper case letter "T" embossed on both plastic bobbins under the chrome covers. My explorer doesn't get played at all because the pickups just sound so bad to me, so it has sat in the case for about 13 years and is
so clean and scratch and dent free that its stupid, but then all my guitar are very well cared for. (a brand new 13 year guitar). As soon as I can make it a priority, I'm putting in a 57 classic plus, (chrome covered of course) in the bridge position, and a 57 classic (also chrome coverd) in the neck position. I did this on my flying V and it now sounds incredible. I play the V all the time and the explorer sits in the case. I can't figure out why gibson would put a thrash metal pickup in an otherwise nice 1970s reissue rock guitar. Unfotunatly, a bad pickup can ruin the sound of even the best guitar. I'm giving the sound catagory a 1 with the 500T, but replace the pickups and score goes up to 10+.

I,ve heard some other people complaining about harmonics on this model. In order for a guitar to sound it's very best, you have to have it intonated by a professional. You must decide what gauge of strings you are going to use and have your guitar intonated for that particlar sized string set. This is very important! It controls how in tune each note of each string will sound all the way up the neck. Harmonics are based on how in tune the guitar is over the entire fretboard. The guitar shop you buy your explorer from should do this for free, if they won't buy from someone else. My explorer was nicly made except for 2 things, the pick guard wasn't routed very carefuly, and the gibson logo on the headstock is one of those cheap, crappy fake plastic pearl inlays instead of the nice real pearl inlays gibson usually uses. I've seen the new ones and I think they have the good inlays again, but look out for it if you buy an old one, they look like crap. The glue joint at the neck is very nicly done, just like all the gibsons I've ever owned, and the neck angle is kind of low, but not like on my flying V. Low neck angle is a good thing, the lower the better up to a point. I've heard a few people say gibson uses bone for the nuts on they're guitars, this is totaly false, they use a composite material, a kind of plastic (they have for many, many years now). Why you ask? because real bone can have voids, kind of like air pockets and this can really effect how the guitar rings out.

If you use a strap, get strap locks. This guitar will become "unstraped" and if you can't catch it in time, there goes your headstock, a very ugly thing to have happen.

"Hello? customer support? Why did you guys put those awful pickups in such an otherwise nice guitar?"

I've been playing since 1979, I've owned lots of guitars. I love gibsons the most, love the sound of good humbuckers through a good quality tube amp. This will be a great guitar once I put in the right pickups.

It is a 96 model, cherry color and gibson 57+ on the bridge w/ 57 on the neck. Other than that original stock. I gave it 8 on this because I had to replace the stock pickups in order to get the sound I was looking for.

I think I was very lucky with this guitar. I own a 2000 white custom, a 99 gibson 335. 2 american strats, and a 71 les paul deluxe. This guitar in particular gives me the sound and It is the most versatile guitar that I have. I really believe it is a huge mistake to think the explorer is mainly for heavy metal. I play pop rock with some latin fusion and it works amainzingly good. It is an extremely delicate guitar soundwise. You can get any sound you are looking for by dynamics. If you want a sharp sound just strike it hard with your pick. If a raound sound is what you are looking for play your dynamics with your pick and start fooling around wiith the volume knob and the tone knob. You can even get a very deep round sound by playing with your fingers instead of your pick. This thing vibrates all over your body. I believe It has something to do with the shape. It balances better than any other guitar and the frequency that you get playing with a great tube amp at nice volumes cuts through perfectly at least in my band. Yes it is trebly but what do you have the tone knob for anyway. besides when you play live that high frequency is what you really need to cut through the band. When you turn those volume knobs down and start playing any of the three positions you can get anything for anyone. I really love the sound. I nice tip is play it with any amp that is based on poweramp distortion such a plexi head or a komet amp. Believe me you won't be dissappointed. And if you like that early van halen sound (you really got me was recorded with an explorer) that iswhat you are going to get.

The factory set up was perfect with a strong string tension. My down strokes are really hard so I put 10's on it and it is perfect for me. It is a hard guitar to play but that is what you need if you like dynamics. It takes a while to get used to but once you do there is no going back. The finish is ok as all other gibsons are. But you buy a guitar for its sound and belive me If looks are important for you the explorer shape will deliver.

I have play a two-year tour all over the world with this guitar and it never gets out of tune. I wouldn't use without a backup. Who does anyway. But I am planning to get another one for the next tour becouse evry night I play my other guitars seem to fell more and more comfortable on the rack. It is built like a rock. so 10 for this category.

1-800-gibson is their number they are great people very helpful and very easy to deal with.

I have been palying for 15 years now I wish I could have own one of this before. If It gets lost I would cry and cry and cry. But they are no expensive guitars so I would buy another one in a second.

Read everyone elses.

The sound is perfect for rock and anything harder.

This all depends on you you buy it from. I had mine set up by a company called Rosetti and they really made this guitar look and feel amazing - They also offered a free service after 6 months which
I had to turn down because:

1. I spilt Caustic soda on the pickups and nearly smoked my hands. I later changed them to Emg's, which made a great sounding guitar even better.

2. I Installed a Floyd rose trem. This was a tough job, but it has really held up and feels just as solid as any other guitar with a floyd rose.

The guitar can easily withstand punishment, the tuners needed changing though. As far as finish and everything goes... I'll have to admit that it was perfect out of the box.

Never used.

This guitar has really grown on me over the year or so, at the start I didn't seem to impressed and had to customize it for myself. If it was Choured I would't buy a new one unless it had a real Floyd rose(Bugger that for a laugh) or decent pickups, which for 700 squid is not going to happen. So I'd probably save up a little more and get something else. Although having said that, this is a gibson, it was perfectly set up, It sounds mental and looks as tight as a dogs arse, so I'll give it a 10. oops boged up

Bought it in December 2000 - You know the score, US made, TuneOMatic bridge/tailpiece, twin humbuckers, one piece (I think) mahogany body, set neck, Grover machineheads and a pink, plush lined Gibson hard case. I've given it a mark of 8 because it has all the features I wanted, but may not suit everybody.

I play a fusion of hard rock/punk/pop and use it for recording via a Line 6 POD. It sounds the absolute bollocks, both for rhythm and lead work - a sound straight out of the 1970s, which is exactly what I wanted.
For 'clean' sounds I use an electro-acoustic and I wouldn't have bought an Explorer for that - or if I wanted a guitar for country, jazz or classical. You get the right tool for the right job. For what I do it's ideal.

As bought, the action was OK, but the intonation was all over the place. I took it to my local friendly guitar repairer who did a fine job on sorting it out (thanks Dave), but it really was piss-poor as bought.
The finish is fine, a beautiful cherry lacquer, I love the 'dry' Gibson rosewod fretboard and the frets are well finished, but I can't get over the intonation problems. Minus 100 points to both Gibson and the dealer for that.

Something that really surprised me was how much I had to change my playing style. I was originally a bassist, so my picking style is quite heavy. I have a battered old 1980's Ibanez six string (as well as a couple of Jazz basses) all of which have stood up to years of abuse with no complaints, but the Explorer just hates a heavy picking style. Being as it's basically a rock guitar I was surprised at this.
As such, I probably wouldn't play it live. The Grovers seem durable enough, but I'm not entirely convinced of their ability to keep it in tune for an hour or more with a heavy picking style.
Apart from that I'm sure I could depend on it to get me through a gig (although I'd never gig without a spare) and I'm yet to break a string, but whether that's down to the necessary change to a lighter playing style, I'm not sure.
As with most people, I immediately changed the strap buttons for a set of Schaller locking ones.

Didn't bother to contact customer suppost over the intonation issue - it was much less hassle to spend #40 on a setup in my local town. I've never contacted them.

I originally went into the shop to buy a '67 reissue Flying V and came out with the Explorer instead. It just felt so much more 'right' for me. Despite the moans about intonation and having to change my style, the Explorer's sound more than makes up for it.
My favourite thing is that I wanted to get a particular sound and with the Explorer / POD combination I got exactly that sound.
If it were stolen I'd be gutted. What would I replace it with? I think I'd be torn between another Explorer, a Les Paul or even a humbucker/Floyd Rose loaded Strat. But I hope I'll never have to make that decision - I'm quite happy with things the way they are.

This is yesterday?s future finest (the one that never was), the Gibson Explorer ?76 reissue. Features on this babe are as classic as it gets: solid Mahogany body made in the USA, with bolted on, rounded profiled, Mahogany neck; Rosewood fingerboard (thanks God for rosewood!) with regular dot inlays. 24 3/4?/1 Scale and 11/16? width at nut. Hardware is Gibson simple approach: all chrome, 6-in-line Gibson tuners, tune-o-matic bridge and stop bar. Pickups and electronics are the key here (mostly due to the resonance capabilities of mahogany) all passive, 496R ceramic magnet humbucker and 500T ceramic magnet humbucker are controlled by a simple two volume, one tone and three-way angled switch array. Available finishes are ebony, cherry and classic white.

Even while this one is a great, classic axe, my impression is that pales before the Gibson's Explorer ER3, which I used to play in the early seventies. Another options, if you want to boost your contemporary "darker" side, might be the brand new "Gothic Explorer", which may suit yer fancy even while the sound is well below this reissue. Anyway, my highest recommendation is to try to get the ultra exclusive "Designer's Series" Explorer from 1983, which excels both in the sound and looks department.

The Explorer was and is the design I love the most. This wonder was designed by Ted Mc Carty, who was president of the Gibson guitar company from 1950 until 1966. In addition to this extraordinary contribution to the guitar world, he was the first to introduce boldly shaped electric guitar (together with the Explorer and the Moderne). Unfortunately, the design proved too extreme for Buddy Holly impersonators and sales lagged, terminating production within two years. Ted also designed the Les Paul, as well as patented numerous pickup devices, successes which made this drawback is nothing to worry about confronted with the total sales at the time. Even when this guitar was not popular at the time (neither the Flying V) of its introduction, it nowadays become one of the de facto choices for players everywhere. In this market-driven economy, makers of electric guitars often emphasize materials, finishes, and overall design as much as the technological aspects of their instruments. Style and craftsmanship are important to the marketing success of electric guitars, and solid-body designs provides them greater freedom to reflect and influence cultural values, since amplification of sound does not substantially depend on the shape of the body. The Explorer (arguable the best balanced instrument ever) is a prime example of this.

If you wan to check pictures of this beautiful guitar, or any other of my 40 guitars, get the full story at my homepage, http://electricguitar.50megs.com.

The acoustic, unplugged character of this instrument leads you to believe that you?ll get massive low end and sustain to spare from this babe. Even while slightly disappointed when I did plug in, the tone is roughly similar to a Les Paul Standard, but has an interesting ?extra punch?, obviously at the expense of extra weight. Sustain is reasonable and its distorted timbre is kinda harsh, yet effective. If you play blues or rock, this one will be on its natural environment. If your fancy is to drop tuning, this one will equally deliver. For rhythm guitar, this one is a sure shot, ?pushing? even the weakest groove. For leads you might desire some extra bite. I tried to replace the bridge pickup for a Di Marzio Super Distortion first and then a Seymour Duncan 59 and the tone experimented dramatic changes, proving once again that mahogany provides a solid foundation for a rock guitar. Clean sounds, on the other hand, are nothing to rave about, yet useful and musical. Obviously, the Explorer was conceived for rockers, and mellow tones are tricky to get.

Also regarding sound, I?ve got to admit that I?m no friend of Mahogany (commonly associated with Les Pauls), strongly preferring basswood or korina. Notwithstanding, is pretty obvious that, at least in this case, the full resonance of that tonewood contributed largely to the density of this guitar. For the record, I checked this babe out with several rigs during five years, including a Marshall Valvestate 80 (old model), 1981 full stack, 1987 half stack, 25th anniversary full stack as well as through a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier rackmountable, my ADA MP2 with an ADA MicroTube 100, both through Crate and ADA Cabinets ?mono and stereo-. This one was captured on tape several times, being myself pleased with the results.

Let?s start saying that no adjustments (neither relevant nor minor) were required in order to accommodate the axe to my own personal playing style, being the neck perfectly aligned and balanced and the action suprisingly low. From there, nothing serious was to fix or adjust ever since. Construction details are flawlessly done (including finishing and fret polishing), classy, neat and clean, and no issues (including action problems) have surfaced so far. The fingerboard is tight and alive, with no dead spots or buzzing whatsoever. Good fit, action and finish condition was the rule.

I always took good care of this guitar, but vis-a-vis these features doesn?t require particular attention. The guitar came with a classy hardshell case, so profit from it and expect a friend for life. All hardware is above standard and the chrome finishing on traditional hardware like this should present problems to no one. Nitrocellulose finish coating is correct, so this guitar is reliable like few others, and the simplicity of approach guarantees a durable instrument. Be confident, she will be with you for a long time. Crowd surfing with this guitar might be hazardous to your health anyway.

Attention of the local retailer was professional, informative, kind and quick. Never contacted the manufacturer regarding this particular instrument but their site is informative and please the eye.

I've been playing for more than 20 years now, and own roughly 40 guitars, including this one. If you?re interested in pictures, original wiring diagrams, parts debriefing or just further details on this amazing babe, be welcomed to my homepage at HTTP://ELECTRICGUITAR.50MEGS.COM

made in usa, 1997. 2 volume, 1 tone, 500t and 496r, 3 way, all mahogany, solid black finish, stop tailpiece, great gibson tuners (six in line) 24.75" scale neck (smaller and faster than my les paul studio's neck, quite comfortable), nice hard case (huge tan case with combination lock if you want to use it, pink plush lining with a silk cover thing inside, shaped for the explorer inside, best case ive had.) it is a very compfortable guitar sitting down and standing.

play all rock, punk, metal, bit of blues, it sounds great. when you play it acoustically you can tell the wood rings nicely. the pickups are nice and hot, and bright, and are great for overdrive, you can nail great classic rock to full out metal. sounds pretty close to my lp studio. im playing it through a master volume single channel jcm800, and mostly just a jeckl and hyde od pedal. this guitar is so good for rockin tone.

plays good, looks good.

feels really sturdy, more so than alot of other gibsons. the hardware seems quality, and the finish is thick. id like to get some good straplocks, im using plastic ones right now. seems as sturdy as you can get with a set neck gibson. i can depend on this axe.

dont know much about gibson, but they reply to emails in good time.

been playing quite a while, i own a gibson les paul studio, gibson explorer (obviously), fender telecaster with hotrail, squier mij jagmaster, hagstrom viking, jcm800 4010, marshall nice old 1x12 ext. cab with a ev speaker, line 6 pod, vox wah, visual sound dr jeckyl and mr hyde od pedal, ibanez ts-5 tubescreamer, and have owned lots of other stuff. this is my favorite guitar so far, and i got a great deal on it. they sound great, play great, etc.