Epiphone Gothic Series Explorer Electric Guitar

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zZounds Gear Experts Say...
Forget the neighbors -- this guitar will wake the dead! Part of Epiphone's Gothic Series, this Explorer boasts a killswitch and a sick Satin Black finish.

What's special about this item?

Feature: What it does:
Mahogany body Rich, warm, focused sound; added sustain
Mahogany neck Great sustain, strength, and warm tone
Pau Ferro fretboard Delivers strong midrange presence and punch
Epiphone Alnico Classic humbuckers Classic biting tone with warm, fat mids

Back in the late '50s, the world was graced with the infamous Explorer guitar body shape, and Epiphone has taken this classic axe to the dark side with the Epiphone Gothic Series Explorer electric guitar. A mahogany body keeps your tone beefy and heavy, housing a pair of open coil Alnico Classic humbuckers to fuel your amplifier. A sturdy mahogany neck stretches 22 frets long over a silky smooth roewood fingerboard. Sharp eyes will notice a menacing "XII" inlay that adds an intriguingly stark visual appeal, and dual volume controls and a kill-switchable tone control let you craft your output the way rock demands it to be.

Going Gothic: A Twist on the Explorer Guitar

Back in 1958, three groundbreaking guitar bodies were introduced to the world of hard rock guitars: the Flying V, the Moderne, and the Explorer. Although not immensely popular at first, the Explorer became a iconic choice for guitarists over the decades. Epiphone's Gothic Series Explorer takes the classic Explorer and adds an ominous Gothic twist.

Mahogany Body

This axe's angular asymmetrical body is a pleasure to shoulder and play. You won't find your tone short of any low or middle frequencies when you crank this baby up. There are no weight relieved chambers, so you're getting the full-bodied resonance you'd expect to hear from a mahogany body the moment you hit your very first chord fire through your amplifier.

Open-Coil Alnico Classic Pickups

If you're tired of the EMG infused tone that's read more nearly ubiquitous with so many rock and metal guitars, then you'll enjoy the different sonic punch of your Gothic Series Explorer's pair of open-coil Alnico Classic humbuckers. This pair is ideal for the rhythm player, and any solid distortion pedal will give you the gain you need to harness a wicked lead tone. The neck humbucker is a bit thicker sounding, while the bridge pickup brings in a bit more edge and bite.

Convenient Tone Control Kill Switch

The Epiphone Gothic Series Explorer gives you two independent volume controls to go with your three-setting pickup selector switch, so you can hone in on that perfect blend of the Alnico Classic humbuckers. The tone control features an easy-to-hit kill switch to stutter your output. This is a neat little trick to grab some extra attention, especially when you're in the middle of a wailing string bend during your solo.

Mahogany Neck for Your Rocking Pleasure

The mahogany neck on this guitar spans 22 frets in length and features a sinister looking "XII" inlay. A smooth Pau Ferro fingerboard makes for a great tonal playground for your fingers to enjoy, and each fret boasts a tight and comfortable action to make speedy licks an addicting pleasure.

Features:

- Epiphone Gothic Series electric guitar in iconic Explorer body shape
- Mahogany body
- Set-in mahogany neck
- Slim Taper D neck profile
- Scale length of 24.75"
- Pau Ferro fingerboard
- 22 frets with tight action
- Subtle "XII" inlay on the 12th fret
- Two open-coil Alnico Classic humbuckers
- Two volume controls
- One tone control with push-able signal kill switch feature
- Black chrome hardware
- Secure LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge
- Stopbar tailpiece
- Premium die-cast 14:1 tuners
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- Pickups: Alnico Classic
- Hardware: Black chrome
- Scale: 24.75"
- Nut Width: 1.68"
- Neck Joint: Set
- Neck Material: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Pau Ferro/Side markers; 12th fret "XII" inlay
- Binding: None
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Finish: Satin Black

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-4GIBSON
Web: https://www.epiphone.com/en-US/Support/Contact

Epiphone Gothic Series Explorer Guitar

The Explorer has always been an outstanding guitar for hard-rock; its distinct look and sound making it a longtime favorite of shredders everywhere. The Epiphone Gothic Series Explorer builds on the Explorer's reputation for hard-rock glory with a bold color scheme inspired by the popular Gibson Gothic series. Recreating the original Explorer design with an ominous exterior, the Gothic Explorer sports an all black finish, black dual humbuckers, and a sinister "XII" inlay at the twelfth fret. The body is made from mahogany with a set mahogany neck which means you get a dark, dense tone to match the vibe of this axe. All at an impressive low price, the Epiphone Gothic Series Explorer is an outstanding value on an unique guitar.

Features:

- Dark take on a classic guitar design
- Black finish with black hardware and black pickups
- Dual Epiphone humbuckers
- Distinct "XII" inlay on twelfth fret
- Mahogany body with set mahogany neck and Pau Ferro fretboard
- Epiphone limited lifetime warranty with 24/7/365 customer service

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (172 ratings)
Submitted March 13, 2009 by a customer from hotmail.com

"You'd be insane not to buy it."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
As far as I'm concerned, this guitar will remain in my arsenal until I die. I will never sell or trade it, rather I will buy it new siblings and always consider it my favorite. It will be spoiled. Its my drop-C king, as others will be tuned in drop-D and drop-B accordingly, and I primarily play in drop-C.

Sound
Sound is really nothing more than personal preferance, and for me, it responds great to my Peavy Vypyr. I've also played it on a Peavy 6505 and it still kicked ass. I don't have the "too muddy" problem some folks do. All I can say to them is tweak the amp some more because mine doesn't sound muddy at all. Just good HEAVY crunch. I also play primarily in drop-C tuning, so I guess you can't complain when its that heavy.

Features
This guitar is perfect for me. No Floyd Rose? Fine with me. It just gets in the way (thats why I got rid of my Schecter) and I don't play the kind of music that would benefit from whammy bar shenanagins. No string locks? Thats cool too. Learn to string the guitar correctly and you will never need string locks. No active pickups? Hey, that means no worries of a battery dying mid performance.

Ease of Use
To me, the guitar couldn't be any more comfortable. The neck's shape and size is perfect. Same with the frets, they're spaced just right for my hands. The knobs are also smooth as silk and easy to use, though I only use the tone knob (all the way up) and only read more use the bridge pickup, which is good because the switch is kind of awkwardly placed out of the way for manipulating while playing. Also, I've also played $1400 Gibson Explorers that felt like crap, so I suppose there is a variation from guitar to guitar. Seems like I got a ringer- put together with all the right parts.

Quality
For the price, I couldn't be happier. I mean, its a $400 guitar that feels and plays like a million bucks. Mine came set up perfectly out of the box and has held up to being lugged around without a case with no issues so far.

Value
If you want an Explorer and don't want to shell out over a grand, this guitar is perfect. Its just as good as any Gibson Explorer (and better in some cases) but for less than half the price. You'd be crazy not to jump on one.

Manufacturer Support
I haven't needed it, so couldn't tell you.

The Wow Factor
There's nothing more metal than flat black. Its gorgeoes. And the glossy black pickguard accents it so well, as do the knobs, bridge, and tuners. And I like the neck. I've always though dots to be tacky,so I really like the clean look of the fretboard. The XII inlay is also a nice touch. I really wish it had an ebony fretboard, but then it wouldn't be priced at only $400. This guitar with my camo strap is pure sex.

Musical Background:
Hobbyist looking for a band to join.

Musical Style:
Heavy F-ing Metal
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48 of 49 people (98%) people found this review helpful. Did you?
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