It caused shock waves throughout the guitar community on its launch back in 1958, (as did its sibling, the Flying V, also released that year), and promptly failed to sell – despite the designs of both guitars aiming to tie in with all the big-finned pointy cars coming out of Detroit at the time. Gibson hung with the Explorer for five years before discontinuing it. Time passes. Cue the hard rock, metal, and big hair bands of the seventies and eighties, and suddenly vintage Explorers were hot property! (Those 1958 models – all featuring Korina bodies – sell today for well in excess of $½m)
"All that timber"
Gibson got the Explorer back into production during 1975, (with Mahogany replacing the Korina), and it has been a constant in the catalogue ever since, in numerous variations, big-name signature models, several Custom Shop models, a baritone, and even a return to Korina. Many modern players are convinced that “all that timber” helps give the Explorer a real edge over other axes.
Top Five
Some of the players to have strapped on an Explorer over the years include Gary Moore, Lzzy Hale, James Hetfield, Billy Gibbons, and Paul Stanley. You may well have your own list of favorite Explorer players, but we think that’s a pretty decent Top Five.
Full-body mirror
The mirror-fronted EXP Explorer was a limited offering from Gibson, only available across 2006/2007, and features a Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, (nice sixties profile), Ebony fingerboard, (latter part of the run substituted a cheaper Rosewood board), mirror dot fingerboard inlays, mirror truss rod cover, exposed Hot 496R neck and Super 500T bridge humbuckers, chrome hardware, (tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece, Grover tuners), 3-way selector switch, black top-hat knobs, … and the big, full-body mirror scratchplate.
Perfectly balanced
Despite the weight and the shape, the guitar is perfectly balanced and super easy to play. And although 8lb 11oz isn’t a light guitar, there are plenty of heavier axes out there. It’s possibly the case that makes people think the guitars are heavier than they actually are. The Explorer’s body shape requires an oversize case – and these cases could definitely afford to go on a diet!
The only mirror X-Plorer
With its short production run, there’s never many around anyway, but at the time of listing, this appeared to be the only mirror X-Plorer currently for sale anywhere in the world. And with the way used & vintage guitar prices continue to climb, in another twelve months these could possibly have gone up another thousand dollars!
Free courier delivery
In all original, well-played pro condition, the guitar is 100% ready to plug in and play, with those hot humbuckers just begging for the chance to slash their way through any mix! Complete with its original [heavy :)] Gibson hard shell case, FREE COURIER DELIVERY is included to any address in Australia. ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, and $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries)
Weight: 8lb 11oz / 3.94kg
Just Guitars
