Gibson Explorer
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| Manufacturer | Gibson |
|---|---|
| Period | 1958-1963, 1976-present |
| Body type | Solid |
| Neck joint | Set |
| Scale | 24.75" |
| Body | Originally ('58-'63) korina, later models mahogany, alder, maple, or korina |
| Neck | Originally ('58-'63) korina, reissues mahogany, maple, or korina |
| Fretboard | Rosewood or Ebony (Gothic, and Classic White only) |
| Bridge | Tune-o-matic |
| Pickup(s) | 2 Humbuckers |
| Ebony, Cherry, Classic White, Natural | |
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar that made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed in 1957 but not released until 1982. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design that, years later, Gibson marketed under the name Futura.
The Explorer's initial run was unsuccessful, and the model was discontinued in 1963. In 1976, Gibson began reissuing the Explorer after other guitar companies had success selling similar designs. The Explorer became especially popular among the hard rock and heavy metal musicians of the 1970s and 1980s.
Gibson produced very few Explorers during the 1958 run of the original Korina wood model. Because production records have been lost and shipping records are unclear, it is not known exactly how many were made, but the original run total has been estimated at less than 50.
After the first few guitars, the Explorer had a long drooping with the tuners placed in a straight line on one side (referred sometimes as "banana" and "hockey-stick"). This headstock design was incorporated by Grover Jackson, founder of Jackson Guitars and other electric guitar makers such as Kramer 20 years later, giving rise to the "pointy-headstock era" of guitars. However, the very earliest Explorers made between 1957 and spring 1958 featured an unusual "split"-shaped head with the tuners placed in a standard 3+3 arrangement, carried over from the Explorer prototype (better known as the Futura).
The 1958-59 korina Explorer is one of the most valuable production-model guitars on the market, ranked at #4 on the 2011 Top 25 published by Vintage Guitar, worth between $250,000 and $310,000. Only 22 were shipped in its first two years, 19 in 1958 and 3 in 1959; an unknown (small) number of leftover bodies were completed with nickel 1960s hardware and sold in 1963. 38 examples are presently known to exist.
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Wikipedia