Edwards E-EX-125E

Edwards guitar is a line of ESP guitars that are getting more and more common as more people import them from Japan. Edwards guitars is another line of ESP similar to LTD. They are Japan only so they can make really accurate copies without getting in trouble from Gibson. People have discovered them and realized their guitars are very good quality. This guitar is a really interesting design. It is clearly based off of one of James Hetfields Explorers. But Hetfield doesnt play an ESP explorer that looks like this. It is a mix between Hetfields ESP Explorers and his custom Ken Lawrence explorer. I know many people who have wanted a guitar like this. A metal Explorer in a natural mahogany finish with EMG's from the factory. Now you can get one from Edwards. The setup is pretty simple. It has a mahogany body and neck with a 22 fret rosewood fretboard. It has dual EMG 81 pickups. The controls are simple as well it has a master volume a master tone and a 3 way toggle.

UTILIZATION

The Edwards necks are in between a 50s Gibson and a 60s Gibson they say its not to thick not to thin. The upper frets are easy to reach because of the Explorers design. The radical shape actually gives the guitar a perfect balance for playing while standing up. The neck will come to rest at a perfect angle due to the large body acting as a counter weight. The satin finish is smooth and doesnt slow you down anywhere on the guitar. The frets are nice and big and allow for a nice and low action.

SOUNDS

EMG pickups are great for all types of heavy music but some combinations of models are better than others. I would recommend trading one of the 81's that you get with this guitar for an 85 with someone. Since EMG pickups have the quick connect system it is really easy to swap between other EMG pickups. I like to put the 85 in the bridge. The 85 gives a bit thicker sound then the 81 so when it is in the bridge position on a guitar like this the tone is crushing. The 81 is not great in the neck position though. With the 81 in the bridge you get your traditional high end 81 sound. It gives nice clarity and bite although it does not sound as huge at the 85 in the bridge. Putting an 85 in the mix adds more versatility to the sound of thise guitar. If you want even more crushing tone you can do the 18v mod to the EMG's. With the 18v mod you run the EMG pickups on two 9v batteries instead of just one. This gives you more headroom over all and more clarity. It will make your clean tones sound better too by giving them a more natural organic quality.

OVERALL OPINION

Currently Gibson or Epiphone does not sell and Explorer with EMG pickups. The closest you can get is a Futura and that guitar is pretty funky looking. With this guitar you can have the real Hetfield look and sound. Huge mahogany body with crushing EMG pickups. If you dont mind importing a guitar from the Japan this guitar is a really good option when it comes to Explorers.