Are Explorer guitars worth the hype? 

What I love: The shape What I hate: The shape

The high heels of guitar shapes

Both my Gibson explorer’s don’t neck dove at all. Yours dives because of the strap button placement, if it was on the heel oh the neck joint it wouldn’t dive.

Love the looks of the Explorer... Cause of Hetfield

I love me some Flying V and Explorer! This video had me literally laughing out loud, because every Explorer player has these same experiences. Great video, man. Rock on!

As an Explorer lover myself, I'm going to put my 2 cents in there. I've had an Epiphone Explorer Goth back in 2005, which suffered from neck diving too! Or maybe *I* was suffering from it? Anyway, I had to carry the neck while playing and it was SO annoying! But it was a so cool guitar. A few years ago I bought an Edwards Explorer (model name E-EX-125D) which doesn't dive!!! Perfectly balanced! How cool is that!? I also own an ESP MX250 which doesn't dive either (but it's heavy comme un cheval mort because I'm french-speaker and I don't know the words to say it's goddamn heavy). Cheers Etienne!

I have the exact same guitar and I love it ❤ awesome vid!

Got my first explorer yesterday.. even tho it has flaws.. if your play on an open space while sitting, it's an enjoyable guitar i absolutely love it

just got my explorer and i’m loving it so far

Explorer: Easy to play while sitting but also hard to play while standing Flying V: Difficult to play while sitting but simple to play while standing with a strap. Keep up the good content 👌

I have Jackson Kelly (basically an Explorer) and Tokai Star (an Explorer with deck cut out in center) and I love them. Extremely comfortable to play while sitting.

Leather Strap with rough felt on one side, helped with my Aria pro II Explorer 🤘

I’m planning on getting the ebony explorer with my first job paycheck , I think I’ll like it

I have the same explorer and case. I recently put some emgs in mine, and I’m probably gonna get a black pick guard for it too

been wanting an explorer for a long while now😩😩

To fix the neck dive, either move the strap button to the neck join or put the strap over the bottom of the body.

great video!

I have an ESP MX-2 replica in white, like the one James Hetfield used starting from the "...And Justice For All" period. The biggest issue I have with Explorers is trying to find a case or gig bag that fits the thing. But, it's definitely worth the looks.

I have a Dean Zero explorer with no dive. The strap button is behind the neck joint not on the side. Grab a drill and move the screw it makes it much more pleasant.

I first saw an explorer when i saw a vid of dave grohl playing one in a clip from 1995 and i loved the potential for it to be a dirty and raw or just cool looking normal guitar

I personally think that the Explorer was worth the money. First real guitar I bought, Epiphone 58 Korina Explorer Replica(It's the original color, I believe it's woodgrain, either that or it's orange). I do not regret it.

I never thought I would grow to be an Explorer-stan, I don't really follow any popular Explorer users, but damn if its not my favorite guitar I own (I got the Lee Malia one so its thankfully optimized for more contemporary heavy music). If I could change one single thing on it thought it would be that stupid pickups selector, thats a really awful place for it

I have a Jackson warrior and plays amazing sitting or standing

Came here from the bradley video, though you were from france because of the name but turns out you're canadian ahah Love the explorer shape tho

Good to know I'll just be sticking with my flying V for now then

I actually think the Explorer is the best design Gibson has ever come up with. I've had mine since 2007 and it's easily the best guitar I've owned and my favorite instrument to play. With the strap pin in the right place, it's one of the only Gibson solid-bodies that balances while standing (but it's not a boat anchor like a Les Paul - Explorers tend to be lighter). I think it's the most comfortable Gibson solid-body for seated playing - the LP is rear-heavy, the SG and Firebird's playable scale length is extended outward on the neck side from your body's center, and the V can only be played in classical position while seated. The controls are more streamlined than the 4-knob layout Gibsons, the input jack is out of the way (rather than on the face of the guitar like an SG), and the controls laid out in a straight line and are easily accessible compared to the relatively cramped layout of an SG, Firebird, or '67 V. Also, the headstock design alleviates some of the tuning issues I've had with other Gibson guitars, namely the classic 3x3 headstock design. I just wish they'd put some carbon reinforcement in the necks and headstocks for added strength and stability. The biggest issue for me are the MASSIVE case and the lack of a professional-quality soft case for them ala MONO or Reunion Blues. You'd need something with some protective rigidity and neck support to protect the aforementioned weak headstock, but I know someone like MONO could do it and folks like myself who gig Explorers in downtown areas (often hauling my Explorer case and the rest of my gear for blocks) on a regular basis would rejoice

My Gibson Voodoo X-Plorer doesn't dive. On the Neck side the Strap should be mounted behind the guitar body not on the side

I bought an Epiphone Korina one not so long ago. It is beautiful and it rocks!.... as long as it is on my wall. It is uncomfortable, lol. I am a bigger guy and I had to buy an extra long leather bass strap to be able to play it standing up

My Explorer has the strap button on the heel of the neck and I have no issues with neck dive. However, I have probably banged the corners on every surface so my precious dream guitar now has been relic'd for free. If that's not enough I have a 25.5" scale Schecter E-1 Apocalypse that's even bigger and longer than my Gibson that looks like it came through a Nuclear War - on purpose, complete with a metal treadplate pickguard. Seriously though, I love my Explorer and now that I have learned to watch out for banging it into everything all my other guitars have benefitted from it and I don't knock them into everything like I did the Explorer.

I've had matt black Explorer for 7 years now. This video made me laugh so hard 😂 Love it all the way but it's a tough love 💕

Yo so does the neck dive when you bring the guitar up with the strap??

Should i bue an Explorer or a les Paul or a flying v as a mid to good player??

Thanks bro

Before I even watch, yes. Explorer are awesome!

i want an explorer ever since i started learning one of my favourite riffs on guitar and i know the guitarist who plays the riff uses a stratocaster on my favourite riff but his first and most famous guitar is the explorer, im talking about (The Edge)

This is Why I built A Z (explorer) headless and made back sweep lower for arm rest so i can sit down and play, and made it a single pickup with one vol one momentary killswitch and one on offf killswitch. But it still sucks trying to put in stand so made wall hanger

The fret access is good in theory, but if you're like me you always hit the horn anyway during solos haha

I love my thunderbird bass, all the issues plus the neck is longer lol

Plays better standing when you move the strap button to the back of the neck heel

True story, dude.

Love the explorer because Mattias Jabbs

Love the V, Explorer and Firebird equally. Would say the Firebird is the “best” when it comes to all facetts compared to v and Explorer, maybe except for upper fret access. Vs always win in that

❤❤❤❤❤

You can't beat the sound of an Explorer. It has X factor. ❤ Famous sound engineers like Spector can bag it all they like and instead promote some of the most crappiest guitars ever. Some SG baby blue knock offs made in where else with bolt on necks will never sound better than a Gibson guitar in general. My partner owns a 1980 E2 he bought in 198I and it's still going stronger than ever. Out of all his special guitars, that's the one he loves the most. ❤

correction: the explorer is the second best shape. the flying v is the first.

2:25 flying Vs also have that problem

Wow... never knew I had so many issues with my Explorer. Oh wait... I don't. P.S. I don't even know how your neck keeps "falling down"... that is an issue with the Flying V but the Explorer? But there is a simple trick -> change your guitar strap to a more "sticky" material like leather and shorten it and you won't have that problem. P.S. 2 You don't need any special pose with the Explorer, just spread your legs a little and the look of the Explorer will do the rest. James Hetfield approves that message.

And also gibson's default nonlocking strap buttons

i love my jackson rhoads v

I would love to be your friend.

Lmao I thought I was just clumsy dinging my explorer at everything, it's a Harley Benton ex76 which is smaller than the original but still

I have a checklist that I run through whenever considering buying a guitar. #1 Explorer type yes or no If yes, proceed to #2. If no: nevermind

Kinda the same with the ML for me😂

Love explorers, but the fret access isn't that great. Vs and superstrat shapes are much better for lead and solo.

Hahaha thanks bro.

I love my Jackson Kelly

Try having an ML I hit it on everything

1:14 oh bin tabarnak

Suprisingly my explorer doesn’t neck dive for me now my jackson rhoads on the other hand….THATS ANNOYING!!!!

ESP= no neck dive Edwards and gibson =neck dives. Thats my experience .

Neither one of my explorers neck dive. Some just aren't men enough for the explorer.

snakebyte >>>>>>

ESP , ESP , or ESP Edwards , that's all I need to say .

flying v will always be superior

😆😭🤣😂😤😭😁

No. Don't get any. That way there will be more for me to buy.

Well thats the shit epiphone. Half of these bad sides are because you have a bad one.