Flagellation needed: I dig the Gibson Explorer!

[zorrow]

Just tried one black Gibson Explorer today and kept playing it for hours. I am stunned... Perfect balance, perfect tone, perfect neck... Not as fancy as a Standard, but I like guitars this stupidly simple: no binding, no flametop and no weirdly-shaped inlays... just a slab of mahogany begging for some serious banging, and that's all. In addition, my wife loves Explorer-shaped guitars. This one at 999 CND + tx, one year no-interest financial plan and everything... man, my GAS is growing inside so hard!

Well, the only thing that is stopping me from buying the Explorer right now is that I still get the same old problem I've always had with this kind of guitars: I struggle to access the two or three higher frets. This is due to bad habits I've developed from always playing V-shaped guitars -- I open my left hand down to do "butterfly vibrato", and that simply doesn't work on the higher frets of Explorers. I also have big hands and fat fingers... That lower peak interferes with my hands so badly! But besides that, I really LOVED this guitar. For the first time in my life I think I would seriously consider modifying my technique a bit to be able to play a guitar which is not 100% comfortable to my anatomy, but that sounds, looks and feels just perfect on every other aspect -- ARRGH! What a dilemma!

Well, still thinking here... To be continued...

[Steve Haynie]

I know the feeling. There was a Gibson Explorer with a one piece body in a store years ago that kept calling my name. Someone else bought it and I felt relieved.

[BlueRedWhite]

I'd say you should correct your hand technique that is actually preventing you from enjoying the guitar and make the buy.

Do you remember how an opportunity is usually depicted?? You got the picture

And put some pics when you get that Gibson!!

[Mindseyes]

This is my take on gibsons......If yu come across a good one.....GET it becauuse it might take a long time before you come across another good on!

A good guitar is a good guitar no mater what the name on the head stock!

[BubbaVO]

A good guitar is a good guitar no mater what the name on the head stock!

+1

[veatch]

A good guitar is a good guitar no mater what the name on the head stock!

+1

+2

I have a Gibson Howard Roberts that is phenomenal. It was the first Howard Roberts i played. I didn't buy it, and tried about a dozen others new and used at various stores. Hated each one. Almost a year later i was back at the store that had the first one i played. Amazingly, they still had it. It still sang. I bought it.

I probably get the most comments on that guitar...

[Celtic_Bill]

I bought a new Gibson Explorer about 6 months ago at Guitar Purgatory, my wife calls it my "mid-life crisis guitar", but it felt sooooooo comfortable and sounded so damn good that after 20 minutes of noodling (next to the 19 year old shredding his bloody brains out) I laid out the cash, and have never regretted it! Well balanced, and actually easy to play for a guy with small hands................Grab it! And, truth be told, I test drove it through a Vox AC30, then brought it home to crank thru a Boogie.......

[Crwth145]

Yeah, a nice one-piece is fun havin' around to pound when the spirit moves...

[Jorge]

Wait until you cross ways with a Gibson X-plorer Pro.

You WILL buy it. Absolutely amazing guitar.

[Disturber]

If you have problems with high fret access on a Gib*on explorer try a Hamer Standard instead. All the G explorers I have tried has had huge neck heels, way up on the neck. My standards have practically no neck heels at all. Much better builds and construction on the Hamer's.

[Willie G. Moseley]

RE the "if you come across a good one buy it on accounta it might be a while before you find another good one" line of thinking: It's intriguing that a lot of people feel that way about Gibson these days, and close to a half-century ago, a lot of people felt the same way about the original NY Gretsch company's products. Lotta folks didn't want a Gretsch that was made on a Friday or a Monday, just like automobiles.

[serial]

I must be in the minority-I've had great luck with Gibson stuff. I'm not a fan of the post 1970's Explorers because they look "wrong" to me (different headstock and pointier body), particularly the Explorer Pro, which has a small 7/8 size body. Those are probably the only guitars I've picked up by Gibson on a regular basis that just didn't do it for me-probably because the Hamers have spoiled me. Give me a 70s Explorer any day of the week though. BIG necks and great feel.

I've never picked up a Gretsch that I thought played well.

[lord nelson]

Well, the only thing that is stopping me from buying the Explorer right now is that I still get the same old problem I've always had with this kind of guitars: I struggle to access the two or three higher frets. This is due to bad habits I've developed from always playing V-shaped guitars -- I open my left hand down to do "butterfly vibrato", and that simply doesn't work on the higher frets of Explorers. I also have big hands and fat fingers... That lower peak interferes with my hands so badly!

Change key before the solo!

[BTMN]

I seem to remember Clay intrigued you. Perhaps you need a pair of Hamers instead of a Gibber.

I've let this sit. It needs a lil love and I'm not really a Kahler fan. Well, a trem player more precise. I have the Black one so I might be interested in passing this on. Seeing you have the Vector to make a pair...... Man, this might be one of those I wish I hadn't......

Edited to note: Look at the fret access.

[GusS]

Wait until you cross ways with a Gibson X-plorer Pro.

can't get past the downsized body. looks more off than the hamer 3x3 headstock

[BTMN]

Yeah, those poor headstocks SUCK.

Actually, only my opinion, I think a 3x3 headstock compliments the angular body. As I said OMO. YMMV etc., etc., etc,......

[zorrow]

Change key before the solo!

:D Ok, ok... I'll take note of that anyways, as it might actually work for my own songs and solos but... what if it is a Marty Friedman's on a Megadeth song?

I seem to remember Clay intrigued you. Perhaps you need a pair of Hamers instead of a Gibber.

I've let this sit. It needs a lil love and I'm not really a Kahler fan. Well, a trem player more precise. I have the Black one so I might be interested in passing this on. Seeing you have the Vector to make a pair...... Man, this might be one of those I wish I hadn't......

Edited to note: Look at the fret access.

Yeah, Clay does look great to me, man, but I don't know... I have several good reasons to wait: I've never tried a Blitz, I'm going with my wife to try again the Gibby this afternoon, I still have a Vector deal pending around (my friend "the Vector owner" has been too kind in waiting so long for me!) and I'm far from being a Kahler fan at this point (kill me for saying this, but I've concluded that Kahlers are tone suckers). Thanks anyway for the offer... I'll start a "back thread" anyways in my head to think about it.

[formula73]

As much as I love my Standard, Blitzes, and Explorer, I have to say that if you have problems with upper fret access on a regular Explorer style, try a Dean Z. The cutaway is a little deeper and a LOT wider for guys like us with 'landscaping' hands. The old Flame series (2 pc mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood, dots) can be had for less than a grand most of the time.

[Jorge]

can't get past the downsized body. looks more off than the hamer 3x3 headstock

LOL! Looks good on Matthias Jabs, though (similar sized body). And very comfortable, and easy to play.

(Actually... nothing looks more off than that 3+3. At least nothing I have seen in this life)

[zorrow]

Well, I won't finally buy it. It looks like I was too inspired two days ago and played so well that I got accolades from everyone at the store. Yesterday it wasn't the case. I didn't feel so "connected" to the axe and struggled more than ever to hit the higher notes. It didn't suck, but I didn't feel the same way yesterday. I guess that's why you have to try these things more than once. So, in one word, this is definitively a "no".

BTW, this has nothing to do with my decision, but they raised the price 150 dollars in 24 hours. Enough for my wife to say "didn't you tell me this was 999?". Luckily, the guy from the store confirmed that they had just raised the price, or else... I would have been seriously spanked!

[Willie G. Moseley]

There've been meshuggenah pawn shop owners who know of my interest in old guitars, and have raised the price right in front of me, claiming it was mis-priced.