I'm saving up for a Gretsch White Falcon right now, but even when I get that, I will still play my Explorer. I don't know if it will last forever, but I'm hoping it will last as long as I can make it. :)

Sound
The sound is great. It ranges from almost a hollow body-type sound to a punchy, hardcore type sound with no distortion. With distortion, it's even better. I didn't notice a lot of difference with the toggle-switch while distorted, but it may just be my pedal, too (I use a Big Muff Pi). I don't think I'd change anything about the guitar's set up.

Features
It's made very well. The humbuckers are nice, the bridge works great with palm muting. I'm not too thrilled with gold hardware, it seems just flashy to me. But, for this guitar, I don't really mind. It almost makes it look even better. Oh, and it stays in tune for weeks because of the Grover Tuners.

Ease of Use
It's very easy to get a nice sound out of it. But, if you practice sitting down, there's a lot to get used to. The main thing being the way the body is cut. It locks you into place, which is sort of an awkward feeling at first, and I suggest using a stool or your amp to put your foot up on to make sure it doesn't slip out. But, if you play standing up, then it's pretty much perfect. It's not even that heavy of a guitar, despite its looks. So, your shoulders won't tire out to quickly.

Quality… read more
Like I mentioned, it's made very well. There was a weird highlighted part of the wood on the back of the head, but I've come to think it looks pretty awesome. It's the perfect guitar for gigging, at least I think so.

Value
I own a Paul Reed Smith Custom Hollow Body along with this. Twelve hundred dollars compared to almost five thousand, and the Explorer seems like the better guitar. So, if it's better than a five thousand dollar guitar, I think it's worth saving up a little extra cash for.

Manufacturer Support
This guitar does not break. Throw it off your roof, it may just get scratched a little. :P So, I have not yet had to deal with support at all.

The Wow Factor
Well, keep in mind. This guitar was originally disliked for its looks. So, all those classic people may not like it. And, all these kids today are into Ibanez and Dean and stuff like that, so they won't bother looking at a classic model. But, in my personal opinion, this is pretty much the archetype of radical cut guitars, and the only better looking one out there would be an original '56 model.

Musical Background:
Active Musician

Musical Style:
Neo-Classicalcore, Alternative, Ska read less