Epiphone Explorers, what are they like?

[JSett]

This has come up for sale just a couple of miles away. I've had a hankering to try an Explorer out for a while and feel a cheap version might be a good way to test the waters rather than stumping up the big bucks for a proper Gibbo version:



It's a 2007 Korean built one. Are these good/bad/average? I'm predicting it would need a pickup swap but could be wrong. I know some people around here really rate some eras/lines of Epiphones but I don't know anything about them.

I'd prefer a 70's Greco one, truth be told, but those are pretty rare and getting pricey when they come up for sale. I also prefer the '58 Korina look.

Thoughts and opinions please.

[sal paradise]

Kirk Hammett says do it.

[JSett]

Kirk Hammett says do it.

I'm more inclined to listen to Bob.

[Chippertheripper]

The only thing I would be looking for is minor fret sprout. After that it’s treble bleeds and pickups to taste and toss up your horns because faces are about to get melted.

[sal paradise]

Kirk Hammett says do it.

I'm more inclined to listen to Bob.

Crazy that was Koko when I was 3 years old.

Anyways. More reasons:

[JSett]

Anyways. More reasons:

Tom Morello in his Ska days?

[Embenny]

Crazy that was Koko when I was 3 years old.

Half of me was a gamete and the other half was yet to even become a gamete.

Epiphones from that era are generally quite good guitars, but it all comes down to the individual. Some are great, some are OK, some are kinda blah. The pickups universally stink unless they've been replaced, but the bones are generally solid.

[sal paradise]

Anyways. More reasons:

Tom Morello in his Ska days?

There’s absolutely no doubt why you shouldn’t get one

[JSett]

Crazy that was Koko when I was 3 years old.

I was also only 3 years old that year too!

Epiphones from that era are generally quite good guitars, but it all comes down to the individual. Some are great, some are OK, some are kinda blah. The pickups universally stink unless they've been replaced, but the bones are generally solid.

It's all stock. I'd probably want to put a P90 in the bridge for my tastes anyway.

Maybe I'll go take a look. It is literally about 3 miles away and pretty cheap.

[Embenny]

It's all stock. I'd probably want to put a P90 in the bridge for my tastes anyway.

Maybe I'll go take a look. It is literally about 3 miles away and pretty cheap.

My advice would be to play it unplugged for a bit, see how it feels and responds. That way your disappointment at its plugged in tone won't colour your opinion of it too much.

I picked up a ~2012 Epiphone Flying V in a trade that was shockingly nice to play unplugged, but the pickups were the most generic [insert humbucker tone here] you could imagine.

Costs next to nothing to get a decent pair of PAF-sized pickups these days, though, so there's no reason to let that hold you back.

A good Epiphone is among the better ways you could spend your money on a guitar. Korean Epis were a cut above the Squiers of their era, so there's a good chance it's a good guitar for not a ton of money.

Also, I didn't realize who you were until I saw you post your Kirby Telecaster

[JSett]

My advice would be to play it unplugged for a bit, see how it feels and responds. That way your disappointment at its plugged in tone won't colour your opinion of it too much.

I picked up a ~2012 Epiphone Flying V in a trade that was shockingly nice to play unplugged, but the pickups were the most generic [insert humbucker tone here] you could imagine.

Costs next to nothing to get a decent pair of PAF-sized pickups these days, though, so there's no reason to let that hold you back.

A good Epiphone is among the better ways you could spend your money on a guitar. Korean Epis were a cut above the Squiers of their era, so there's a good chance it's a good guitar for not a ton of money.

Also, I didn't realize who you were until I saw you post your Kirby Telecaster

Good advice. Maybe I'll hop on the bus this week and go check it out.

And yeah, the name change came with no announcement. There was a solid reason behind it that I don't care to go into but I hoped it would have been relatively obvious (I guess not ). Well now you know

[F15hface]

As everyone has said, should be a good guitar. I would be hoping it doesn’t have a typical epiphone neck - almost every modern epi I’ve played had an uncomfortable, super wide feeling D shaped neck. The 90s Korean les Paul I’ve played has a lovely slim c though, so maybe they did much nicer neck profiles there.

[OffYourFace]

i miss having an explorer. did you get one yet?

[JSett]

i miss having an explorer. did you get one yet?

Not yet. I'm still internally debating it. I've got a wanted advert up on FB for a lawsuit-era copy to try and snag a Greco/Aria/etc 70s one but no bite yet.

[sal paradise]

i miss having an explorer. did you get one yet?

Not yet. I'm still internally debating it. I've got a wanted advert up on FB for a lawsuit-era copy to try and snag a Greco/Aria/etc 70s one but no bite yet.

Jeez, didn’t realise how much people are asking for lawsuit explorers!

There’s a couple of epiphones on eBay. A 2006 for £500 (probably more than you wanted to spend), or an unmentioned year model for £400