Gordon Smith Explorer

A 2008 left handed Gordon-Smith Explorer (Gibson style). Made in the UK. 22 frets setup. Solid body. Two volume controls and one tone with a 3-way switch. Two GS coil tapped humbuckers. Active electronics. It has a Brazilian Cedar body with a Mahogany neck. The finish is a cream white (to give it the look of an old 80s, well-used white Gibson Explorer)with glossy top. It has a tune-o-matic bridge setup. It has a thin neck. No case came with it.

This Explorer suits my style of music just fine. I bought it because Gibson absolutely will not make the Explorer in left handed. I don't buy from them because of that reason. I like to play Metallica, Megadeth-style thrash so I have no problems whatsoever. I have a Peavey Studio Pro 112 amplifier. The amp doesn't suit me too good but It'll do just fine for now until I get a Mesa Mark amp. I have a cheap effects pedal that I rarely use unless I'm recording music. The sound is rich and smooth on a clean setting. Really beautiful sound too. On full overdrive it's really crunchy and heavy. It's alot what you'd expect and more than what you'd get out of a Gibson Explorer. I LOVE this guitar.

The action on this guitar is great. It has two GS coil tapped humbuckers which gives it that heavy crunch that would satisfy any heavy metal fan as well as anyother music fan. This guitar was not made at a factory. It was hand crafted by an expert craftsman whom I cannot thank enough. The pickups are adjusted just fine, good and snug and in place. It has a propertly routed bridge. There is one minor detail that I don't like about this guitar. It's the finish. It only comes with a gloss top. The finish also chips easily but it still looks great. I will not have the finish redone do to fear of destroying the future value of this guitar. Gordon-Smiths are RARE! Keep that in mind if anyone buys any.

I haven't played much live performances but I'm pretty confident that is Explorer would withstand live playing and many, many years of playing. The hardware is in good shape and is of the greatest quality. The finish seems okay, but like I mentioned above, it chips easy. Everything seems solid about this guitar other than the finish. I can fully depend on this instrument to last and do the best. I would probably carry a backup with this guitar just incase a string broke.

The Gordon-Smith company is VERY helpful. They seem to be very polite and are there to help you with anything that they can accomodate you with. I have had any repairs do but I'm sure that they would be glad to make any repairs you need or to provide you with the supplies needed for a repair.

I have been playing for a little over ten years now. I'm completely self-taught. I own a B.C. Rich Mockingbird converted into a left handed model. I am complete content and satisfied with this instrument. If this guitar was stolen I'd DIE! I'd probably buy another one from the same company. I love the Gibson Explorer. I'm a big fan of that style. That's one of the things I love about this guitar. The other thing I love about it is the heavy, crunchy, sustained distortion. It really gets a metal head's head banging. I don't like the chipping issue and single-sided gloss finish. There is really no other comparison to this guitar other that the 1980s Gibson-style Explorer look. There's nothing I wish to change about this guitar other than the finish. If any of you lefties out there wants a good quality Explorer, I'd suggest you go to Gordon-Smith Guitars. As of right now you can beg Gibson to mass produce left handed Explorers until you're blue in the face and they still won't do it. Gordon-Smith is awesome. Hand-built guitars are a lot better than guitars built in a factory, trust me on that. Cheers.

Brazillian cedar body , mahogany neck , fantastic rosewood fingerboard slightlky flamed , Two coil tapped humbuckers, wrap over bridge, matt black finish .

I play anything from rory galagher to Arch enemey , metallica , trivium , ac/dc etc and this thing kicks ass for all of it.I play it through and old hiwatt custom 100 and a soldano lucky 13 head into a marchall 1960 cab. The pickups are great at any level of gain and with both coil tapped you can get an almost accoustic sound . I owned a gibson les paul studio before this and i sold it because this guitar just completley kicks its ass , its so light and so easy to play standing up or sitting down .

Plays like a dream , great workmanship on it , finish is easily chipped but when it does get chipped it looks fucking awesome . Everything working fine , way better than any gibson ive owned . Set up perfectly form the factory.

Gigged it no problems , i always gig with a backup incase of any string breaks etc . Hardwear seems good , no fading like on other guitars ive got . My uncles had his Gordon smith for 8 years and it hastnt let him down and i hope mine lasts just as long.

great to work with , no complaints here

Ive owned alot of guitars mainly gibsons , and this is far better than them if you ever get a chance to buy one of these do it you wont regret it .

Gordon Smith Explorer. Made early 80's, 22frets, solid mahogany body and glued in neck with a satin red wine veneer finish and black scratch plate. Usual GS twin tappable humbuckers with one tone and two volume pots. Tune-o-matic bridge (which I haven't touched!)regular GS tuners and jumbo frets. A Whammy would have been nice but then it would really need the Floyd Rose and locking Nut etc.

I like hard rock/Metal and Blues, but this guitar is suitable for anything. It has deep rich tone on all settings and the sustain goes on for ever! You can get a Telecaster twang, Strat Blues tone or Humbucker bite. There really isn't anything this guitar can't do!! Well that's not quite true .....it won't sound like a Banjo but unless you're the product of your mother and uncle who cares?!

I bought this secondhand and for a near 25yr old guitar it's in good nick. Pickups awsome, some of chrome a little tatty and the odd bit of veneer missing but nothing serious. Currently gone for setup and fret dress just to tidy it up. When playing it is perfectly balanced and suprisingly light. This is a really easy guitar to play especially for a ham fisted beginner like me.

This guitar is hewn from stone, but surely no one gigs without a back-up?! Everything is really solid even Pete Townsend would have trouble breaking it!! Finish is fine for the age.

Gordon Smith are excellent, they offer advice if you want it and don't rip you off. If they think you can get a better deal elsewhere thet'll tell you!

I've only been playing a few months so you could take this report with a pich of salt, however my guitar tutor wasted 30 mins of my lesson because he couldn't put the damn thing down and is now after one for himself so you decide! There is nothing I don't like about this guitar, if pushed I'd probably change the scratchplate to white otherwise it's perfect. It's got a great neck, balance and sound and it looks the business, what more can I say?!

If it were stolen I'd spend the rest of my life hunting the bastard down so be warned!!

I also own a Yamaha Pacifica 112 which I thought was a nice guitar (and it is for the price) until I got the GS. There is just no comparison. For the price of an Epiphone I've got a guitar that is every bit as good as a Gibson or Fender and probably better than a lot of them. That's not just my view, my tutor has a Gibson SG and a Fender Strat among others, he's now selling the Gibson to buy a GS. The Luthier doing the fret dress said it was a really tasty guitar and played beautifully. I tried Strats, a BC Rich and an Epi SG before I bought this untried which was a risk (I've just always liked the shape) but boy did it pay off!

One day people will see the light and realise how good these guitars are and the price of 2nd hand examples will rocket so get one cheap while you can!

UK made Brazilian Cedar body, mahogany neck,rosewood figerboard. It's an Explorer shape but left-handed and in shocking pink. One vol one tone, two tappable humbuckers.Stop tailpiece/bridge
It was custom-made for me in 1998 and has all the features I asked for (wish I'd asked for the standard 2 volumes though!!)

Has more sounds than I ever use the tappable p/u s give you lots of options. The guitar is MUCH too good for me!!

Well set-up on arrival, my only criticism is that it's a little too easy to push the 6th string off the edge of the fingerboard.

Have used it live all over the world with few problems- the selector switch didn't like Middle Eastern humidity but some WD 40 cleared that up. Finish seems fine. Does ANYONE gig without a back-up?

Have e-mailed the company with enquiries & they respond pretty quickly. Never mentioned the 6th string problem to them- assume they'd remedy it, but it's only a minor thing & it's too much hassle to send it back

Plays beautifully, surprisingly comfortable a great design and exactly what I asked for. All the money goes into the guitar rather than paying at least double for the USA name plus import duty and NO EXTRA for it being left handed & in my choice of colour. Only snag is it's huge and was pretty tough to find a case for- research it before you buy!! If it were stolen it would be pretty tough to sell- can't believe there's another one!!