Gibson Explorer Electric Guitar

June 3, 2007 by Jo Minor 


Rock fans are all familiar with the futuristic shape of the Gibson Explorer electric guitar. Would you believe this radical, angular shape debuted in 1958? Back then, though, it was called the Futura. The company tabled it’s production the next year because sales were poor. It took almost a couple of decades, before guitarists were ready to love this small, easy to maneuver axe.

If you happen to get your hands on one of those originals from 1958, you’d better hang onto it because they are valuable collector’s items. There were less than 100 of them made. In 1976, the company reissued the design under the name Explorer, this time with two pickups instead of one. The new Gibson Explorer soon found wide spread acceptance and accolades from the rockers of that era.

Obviously, those old Explorers from the ’70s are now in demand by collectors of vintage guitars, just like the old Futuras. If you want one, expect to pay about as much for one in good condition as you would for a brand new Gibson electric, or around $1200 to $1500.

The original Explorer is no longer manufactured by the Gibson Company, but can be found if you shop with the vintage guitar sellers. Gibson does produce a couple of modern guitars that are inspired in design by the legendary Explorer. One is the Gibson Explorer Pro, and the other is called the Gibson X-plorer.

I’m coming up with conflicting information as I review the Gibson Explorer - some writers act as though the guitar is still available, but according to Gibson website, the currently available Explorers go by the name of Explorer Pro and X-plorer. So as I share opinions, I’m not sure whether they are talking about one of the new models or the old originals when they call the guitar simply an Explorer.

Got you confused now? I think some of the confusion is due to the fact that Gibson treats guitars as works of art, so they make a lot of limited editions.

One thing that seems to be true about this guitar, no matter which model you’re talking about, is that it is really suitable for loud, screaming rock music. The fretboard is really fast, making licks happen like you want them. Like all professional quality Gibson instruments, it’s pretty pricey, but there really is a lot of truth in the old adage that you get what you pay for. The Explorer is flawlessly crafted. The sound is rich and full.

There seem to be some qualms (beefs) some people have about this guitar. They’re minor disadvantages, but worth mentioning. For one thing, the guitar has a really large, bulky case. Also it’s heavy, at least heavier than a lot of Gibson’s other rock electric guitars.

I think those remarks are about the ‘76 model vintage Explorers.

Here are specs and some info about the Explorer, as reported on a popular discount music site, which purports to have new ones for sale. (Are these Pro’s? Are they imitations? Anyway. . .)

The two ceramic magnet humbucker pickups on the Gibson Explorer have the power to make your music scream and snarl. The shape of the guitar is well balanced. Some guitarists find it sits easily on their laps and others can’t play it without a strap - it depends on the shape of the guitar player, I guess. The action is fast and the guitar holds it’s tuning for days in spite of vigorous play. It does not have a locking trem, according to one critic, and is thought to be hard to shred on because of its size.

Of course, probably everybody’s favorite factor about the Gibson Explorer electric guitar is that it is simply a fabulous looking instrument as well as being loud and well constructed. It is pretty much limited to rock, though, as far as its versatility is concerned. Various makes and models come in a variety of colors and finishes. Some even have a mirror pick-guard. You’re sure to get complements if you play one of these in your gigs.

Specs:

  • Mahogany body
  • Neck joint location - 19
  • Rosewood fingerboard
  • Pearloid Dot inlays
  • 24-3/4 inch scale
  • 2 inch nut width
  • Gold-plated hardware
  • Stopbar tailpiece
  • Tune-o-matic bridge
  • Black speed knobs
  • Mini Grover tuners
  • 496R ceramic magnet humbucker pickup at the neck
  • 500T ceramic magnet humbucker pickup at the bridge
  • Two volume controls, one tone control, and a three way switch

A few comments from the Gibson website: The Gibson Explorer Pro is lighter and smaller than the Explorer. The nut width is 1.695 inches.

Any scientific eggheads out there reading this? You want to be sure to look at this page. It describes some physics experiments done with the 1976 Gibson Explorer. At this web page, you can read some historical information about the ‘76 Explorer, including all the original specs.

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