Gibson [Guitar of the Week #47] '84 Explorer Reissue

The Gibson explorer guitar is a fun and rock 'n roll instrument. Just a very look of this guitar just screams hard rock and metal type guitar sounds. The shape is sort of similar to a star shape and it's one of those body shapes that really is marketed towards the hard rock metal type guitar player. It's good to be hard to find these guitars used in any type of Indy or country setting primarily because of the body shape. I find it these guitars have a more versatile sound and then a Gibson Les Paul guitar and some applications. I really find that the guitar has a more mid range focus where the Gibson Les Paul has a little bit more lower and focus with their voicing. Overall these guitars instruments and he find a good deal on one that I suggest picking one up because are a blast to play.

UTILIZATION


Gibson Explorer Features:
Color: Ebony
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany with special rounded profile
Fingerboard: Rosewood with pearloid dot inlays
Number of frets: 22
Pickups: Two Humbucking pickups (496R and 500T) with ceramic magnets
Controls: Two volume, one tone with three-way pickup selector switch
Machine heads: Mini Grovers
Hardware: Chrome plated
Hardshell case included: Black reptile pattern

SOUNDS


The tone of these are very warm and thick sounding when you get a lot of gain or saturation from an amplifier. Since they feature to humbucker pick up when you use a high gain overdrive from a distortion pedal or just a tube amplifier distortion you're going to get a very warm and thick tone. Where these guitars don't really excel is in the clean settings. For example if you're using a fender clean or any type of clean tone, these guitars are really going to benefit in that type of setting. They really are gear towards the hard rock and metal type tones so that's where they really find there sweet spot.

OVERALL OPINION


These guitarists generally come in new ride around $1300-$1600 depending on the model and the features. These are great guitars for someone he wants that attitude sound along with the attitude look up the body shape. I think this guitar just screams attitude and aggression which really is marketed towards the person to place hard rock or metal type music. Overall for great instruments and they really carry that voicing of the Gibson product line. So if you're a fan of the Gibson tone and you're going I'll feel very comfortable using this instrument.

Gibsons guitar of the week series is a run of guitars that allows them to make a new guitar every week and make a guitar that might have been from their past or something that they could have made years ago. This guitar should look very familiar to anyone who has listened to metal music in the last 30 years. This guitar is pretty much a reissue of the mid 80s Gibson Explorer that was very popular at the time in thrash metal. The specs are pretty simple the body and neck are mahogany. The fretboard is ebony with 22 jumbo frets. It has a control layout similar to a flying V with 2 volume controls and 1 tone control with a 3 way switch near them instead of on the lower horn. The pickups are a very 80s fare as well with a old school set of EMG's that include an 81 in the bridge and a 60 in the neck. It has a clean white finish with no pickguard so you can easily tell whos guitar this is based on.

UTILIZATION

The Explorer design is a pretty decent design. Its radical shape leads to pretty much perfect balance. The ebony fretboard lets you really glide over the fretboard. The jumbo frets let you bend at will and let you set the action super low. The neck is nice and beefy so you can really get your hand around it.

SOUNDS

The 81 and 60 set is a traditional EMG set that you do not see much anymore. This set gives you the best of both worlds because it gives you awesome high gain sound in the bridge position and the 60 provides a very good clean sound for an active pickup. The 60 is designed to be clean alternative to the 81 and the 85. This limits the pickups use in metal where you would normally use active pickups. This pickup is pretty much a neck only pickup. This guy does not have the output of the 81 or the 85 and does not sound that great with high gain distortion. This pickup is best for cleans. Its most famous user is James Hetfield from Metallica. He used this pickup in the neck position of his guitars for many years and used it for its clean tones. Clean tones are something that Is usually not too good in active pickups so EMG made one just for cleans. The 81 is a metal machine in the bridge. It has a searing high gain metal sound. When I play music with a lot of palm muting I can get an awesome tone. The 81 really shines when you are playing tight chugging riffs. Tight chugging riffs and single note lines are what this pickup is best at. When you downtune all these traits just help to keep the sound nice and tight. It is very hard to get a muddy sound from this pickup. This with the huge Explorer body means this guitar has tones of metal tone.

OVERALL OPINION

Like a lot of the guitar of the week models. Gibson really could make this a full time model but they would rather make it a limited run and built exclusivity. Also Gibson does not like making guitars with other peoples pickups in them so of course this is going to be a limited run. With this particular Explorer the only alternatives you can get are from Japan. If you are looking for a true Gibson Explorer in the classic 80s layout you should try and find one of these.

Made in United States
22 frets, EMG 81 active pickups and 60 (bridge, neck)
Tune-o-matic stopbar
A micro switch, 2 volume, 1 tone
Channel type explorer (neither too fat nor too thin)

UTILIZATION

For the handle, I find it perfect for my hand, bends are easy to access to acute easier than on a Les Paul.
The playability is especially impressive standing, the guitar is very well balanced the solo is very easy to play, short but good. But the exploration requires a small adjustment period (about 1 hour to get used a shovel), after which we go for the big riffs ^ ^. The game is also optimal sitting. What I like about this guitar is its weight! Very light, much lighter than a Les Paul studio for example. (Without being lighter than RG anyway) ... All in all a guitar or is well positioned and there is nothing to hinder the game
PS: Notice to shredders, this guitar is a guitar dedicated solely to the rhythm!
Shred it and does it very well lol.

SOUNDS

Guitar typed Hard / rock / metal / HeavyMetal.
I use a peavey triple xxx efx super40 a lamp without pedals (just wha).
I can get sounds very metallicien (black album, justice and master mainly).
The EMG is really good in these records, accurate cutting and heavy!
The 81 delivers a huge potato and sustain of madness by clean I do not use it too, but I pass it on 60 and there ..... this is the big surprise, I find this beautiful micro, both in clean only solo / large disto! You can hear all the strings played, the sound is warm (not the EMG is not cold ^ ^). In short this area is the symbol of the big sound of 80's for me!

OVERALL OPINION

What I like most about this Explorer is the form that leaves a lot of ass!
What I like least, the switch lol ...
I went from an Ibanez RG321 has the explosion and I much prefer the handle (bigger, better now in hand) even the shred.
The value for money is exceptional for a gibson! € 1200 new! As against a 400 limited edition copies then good luck finding a pout ^^...