Epiphone Exclusive Explorer Electric Guitar

Add aggressive sound and style to any rig with this exclusive Explorer. A set of Epiphone ProBucker pickups mimics the tone of the earliest PAF humbuckers.

$649.00

  • 12 x  
    $54.08
  • 8 x  
    $81.13
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $108.17
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $162.25
Overall User Ratings (based on 9 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(9) (see rating details)
Submitted March 15, 2023 by Rick N in Shelbyville, IL

"Epiphone has really stepped up their game!!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I’ve been on the fence concerning an Explorer or Explorer styled guitar for quite a while now, but when I saw this one in olive drab green, I jumped! Fit and finish is great, no sharp fret ends, pickups sound great…overall, very happy! My one complaint: it needs black hardware!Buy it! You won’t regret it!!!

Musical Background:

Player/teacher

Musical Style:

Numerous genres
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Submitted January 10, 2022 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Everything but the pickups."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
So, yeah, I bought the Explorer here on zZounds. Got the cool exclusive "olive drab". This is a great guitar, yet the ProBucker pickups sounded nothing like Gibson pickups. I have two guitars equipped with Gibson pickups, one is a Les Paul with '57s and the other 498t and 490t. The ProBucker set comes nowhere near the sound I get from either of my Les Pauls. However, I was pleased with the guitar once I put Seymour Duncan '59s in. Don't fall for the hype or the comparison to actual Gibson pickups with regard to the ProBuckers. They fall short.
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Submitted September 27, 2021 by Bobby H in Williams, MN

"Killer axe!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Im absolutely pleased with this explorer I didn’t have to touch a thing other than tuning it right out of the box! My first explorer and I couldn’t be happier, the tone is amazing the olive drab is a stellar color, it sits in my lap perfectly, thank you zZounds. Outstanding product.

Musical Background:

Guitar some bass

Musical Style:

Rock, metal, blues.
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Submitted March 18, 2021 by Jefferson L in Rio Grande Valley, TX

"Unique Take on a Guitar with More Versatility Than It Gets Credit For"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
It's been long years since I had an Explorer, mostly playing acoustics and Teles for a long time. I wanted humbuckers and a flatter fretboard than what Fender typically supplies, so I tried just about every Gibson and Epiphone model I could get my hands on. There were some contenders: LPs, 335s/Sheratons, even SGs which I never really cared for but was pleasantly surprised. None really felt comfortable to hold or play, all other factors being equal. Nostalgia called me back to the Explorer. It's big, drips with character and attitude, and is so easy to play sitting down or standing. If Gibson had a korina-bodied reissue model, I would have gone with that. The Olive Drab Green stood out to me, not positively at first, but I kept coming back to it. At this price, I could afford to upgrade everything from pickups to tuners for less than the price of a Gibson model. So, I pulled the trigger with zZounds because of their payment plan and great customer service.That being said, I had a few QC issues with the first one zZounds sent. It was shipped only in the box Epiphone packages them in, which got squished and shorted out the selector switch, and the neck was VERY bendy, like rubber spaghetti. zZounds was very cool about everything and I got a replacement in short order. It came with a box around the Epiphonr box, everything worked, and the neck was much more stable. It had some minor fret sprout in the upper frets, but that was the only issue.The guitar itself plays great, and the ProBucker pickups really push my amps. The bridge pickup is especially nice, but I plan on replacing them down the line with something with more clarity and definition like I've grown accustomed to from playing twangy Telecasters for so long. The ProBuckers are NOT muddy, dull cheap pickups like you would expect from an affordable sister company. The neck is probably the least articulate, even for a neck pickup, but it can still put out some great tones when pedals and amps are dialed in. Suitable for rhythm parts. Middle position is probably my go to, with the neck rolled back to 6-7, the bridge at 8-9, and tone at full tilt. The bridge pickup is excellent at driving leads and solos with the tone at 7-8 or at maximum. My first non-maple or ebony fretboard, I was well pleased with the Indian laurel. A bit of lemon oil conditioning was needed to bring it from Sahara dry to non-gritty playability. A couple of frets need some polishing to bring back in line, but nothing makes it unplayable. Just a little TLC and refinement, like any new guitar, and you're ready to rock and roll. So to speak. About versatility, the Explorer is a dark horse. Decades of hard rock and metal guitarists using them gives them a stigma, but they can play anything from blues and jazz to rock to metal if you fiddle with the knobs and get your pedals and amps dialed in correctly. My tastes are eclectic, and I wouldn't have bought or kept this guitar if I couldn't get the sounds I wanted out of it. Things I would like to see: push-pull coil splitting, a quieter selector switch, regular pickup soldering instead of quick connects, and a better-cared-for/out-of-the-box fretboard. Honestly, it was dry enough to be used for kindling.What I really liked: playability, fit of parts, very decent ProBucker pickups, Tusq nut, and the color. The Olive Drab Green gives a military/Cold War vibe that I love, and the poly finish is going to be able to handle years of my clumsiness and abuse and still look good. Say what you will about poly finishes, but they will survive the nuclear apocalypse.
Value
This guitar and others in the Epiphone line at this price point to $100 more are excellent value for money. If you need a set up and want to replace something, you still come out well under the price of the Gibson equivalent.
The Wow Factor
It's different. It has character. It's sexy in It's own way. Just like me, haha ;)

Musical Background:

Music educator, multi-instumentalist, playing guitar for 25+ years

Musical Style:

Blues, classic rock, alternative, punk, emo, "indie", hard rock
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Submitted January 26, 2024 by Matthew H in Berea, OH

"Epiphone olive drab"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This guitar plays like a dream. You will not be disappointed. Almost as good as my Gibson explorer. The color does not do it justice in the online pics. It's really an awesome guitar.

Musical Background:

Metal, punk, classical

Musical Style:

All over the map
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Submitted February 14, 2022 by John Dunn in Garland, TX

"Good but needs work"

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Let's get the bad parts out of the way first. The pickups hum and hiss louder than a cheap single coil, the medium jumbo frets feels more like tiny frets and the neck dive makes this harder to keep steady. Now onto the good. The guitar is good and sturdy, feels pretty solid, no shard edges on the frets, looks great, and the clean tones from the neck pickup is just wonderful. Even with it's flaws it's a fun guitar that looks great and I will be doing upgrades. I really thought this would've been a better quality guitar based on reviews and YouTube videos. Could it just be the one I got? Possibly but this is my experience.
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Submitted June 4, 2023 by a customer from gmail.com

"Based on doesn't mean replica!"

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
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If you want Gibson explorer pickup sounds and you're going to have to buy a Gibson explorer do not expect that Epiphone branded probuckers are going to sound like a Gibson pickup there's a reason why the Epiphone pickups are $100 a set and the Gibsons are 500 a set. That being said you can believe that the quality of the instrument is as good it will definitely need a setup to tame the edgy fret nibs but overall quite a nice instrument
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Submitted February 10, 2022 by a customer from gmail.com

"Upgrades waiting…."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Ordered this Olive drab beauty last night. I’ve got an extra Seymour Duncan “hot rodded” (JB & Jazz) pickup set sitting here waiting at the house so I can take this bad boy to another level. I’m already in love with the color. Can’t wait to play it.
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Submitted February 10, 2022 by a customer from gmail.com

"Upgrades waiting…."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Ordered this Olive drab beauty last night. I’ve got an extra Seymour Duncan “hot rodded” (JB & Jazz) pickup set sitting here waiting at the house so I can take this bad boy to another level. I’m already in love with the color. Can’t wait to play it.
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