Are Explorers and Flying Vs acceptable or even cool?

[Pacafeliz]

So yes this is the OSG forum, but most of us have a certain respect for the other "classic" (or not) guitars as well... haven't we?

So as I have been drifting into non-OSG territory lately (Guild S300D, Tele, Ricky 480, Gibson RD and Marauder, etc.) I wanted to ask about where we're standing regarding Vs and Explorers - guitars usually more associated with metal, or even spandex and hairspray.

There are some non-metal people that have been using those (think Husker Dü, U2, The Killers, etc.) and have been "accepted".

...so what's OSGs opinion?
Is somebody here a secret X-guitar user?

I've got mixed feelings, myself.
Somehow, they've always attracted me, but back in Mexico when I had both old/early Ibanez lawsuit (Destroyer and Rocket Roll) ones, I wouldn't dare going onstage with one of them. I the end I sold them... Now they're worth a fortune...

[Larry Mal]

I think they are alright.

Gibson tends to view some of their guitars as being appropriate for one genre of music sometimes. Like, I love Firebirds as you may remember, but when I bought mine it had some super hot ceramic pickups in there and what I've always thought is that Gibson kind of forgot that the Firebird was designed to compete with Fender single coils and wasn't a dedicated blooze guitar or something.

So sometimes they put in kind of hot wound pickups in those guitars.

They don't seem to be right now, though, I just looked and one of the Flying Vs and the Explorer has whatever the fuck "70's Tribute pickups" are, and another V has Burstbuckers.

Other than that, though, I think they are cool guitars. I prefer the Explorer and have considered getting one myself.

I kind of enjoy getting guitars that are associated with one thing and then not doing that thing with it, though.

But, they are Gibsons, and they'll play like Gibsons do (very well), they'll sound like Gibsons do, which can be a lot of things depending on what pickups are in there.

Anyway I'm never going to know what's not cool about this:

[Arthon]

I have a Flying V. I really like this guitar, light and easy to play standing. It's like a SG, but I prefer the shape of the V. Mine have '57 classic, so no hot HB in there.

What I like the most in this guitar, is when people see me grab it and thinks I am gonna play a metal song... and I start playing Indie Rock.

[Jonesie]

They both rule. A Natural Burst Explorer is a dream guitar for me (I'd settle for natural.) They sound like SGs but look way cooler, what is there to hate?

[JackFawkes]

I think Gibson's off-beat guitars are neat! Though I've never played one...
But I do have a Steinberger XP2 bass, which is kinda like a tiny V!

Jack

[Embenny]

I got a Flying V last year and I adore it. It's perfectly balanced on a strap, light as a feather, and the default way of playing it seated is in classical position, which is how I got my start on guitar and feels totally natural to me.

It's by far my favourite Gibson model, currently. I'm probably going to put Firebird pickups in mine, since it came with very overwound humbuckers which are not to my taste.

The Burstbucker-equipped models sound much more up my alley, they're probably great as-is.

[Jaguar018]

I love Vs and Explorers. I had an Explorer in the 90s for a while when I was still figuring out my guitar playing needs. I was too naive to realize it had a twisted neck and too broke to get someone to address it or send it back to Gibson [ I bought the guitar when I was visiting Chicago so sending it back to the store months after I bought it would have been a challenge for a broke college student]. That guitar also, unfortunately, turned me off humbuckers pickups for years. I've since picked up a few guitars with humbuckers, but I still like single coils for most of what I play.

The only thing that prevents me from getting them now is I'm not playing enough nor do I have the liquid funds to give me a good excuse. My annoying taste for guitars the color green and/or sparkle finishes plus neck with blocks and binding means that while I love the shapes I'm probably going to have to commission some $$$$tupid versions.

[panoramic]

I really like explorers a LOT. I have nearly bought one about 70 times and if i see one at a shop i am almost always going to play it, same with v's.
I am not sure if they are "cool" but i love unfettered access to the entire fretboard and both of them are great in that context. Are they ugly? sure, is the SG and evil as fuck looking guitar? YES, do people still love them? YES

[Arthon]

The way they are linked to testosterone douchebag rock is what makes them cool in other context then testosterone douchebag rock.

[Pacafeliz]

The way they are linked to testosterone douchebag rock is what makes them cool in other context then testosterone douchebag rock.

[DrQuasar]

I've had a V for close to 20 years and I love the thing. It's a no-name copy with a bolt-on neck. I think explorers are totally rad too and one of my biggest "one that got away" stories was a Cort Effector explorer that I didn't buy at a thrift shop because it had a strat trem and no pickguard. Mistake.

I think almost all guitars are cool so my opinion shouldn't carrry much weight.

First two electric guitars models I bought were a strat and a few years later a flying V. All because of Jimi Hendrix.

[ThePearDream]

I've never played either type, but I've always loved their look. I love the bold simplicity and futurism of the shapes. If I could afford it, I'd get an explorer just to hang up at work and stare at for inspiration. They are absolutely cool and acceptable. I think they are way cooler than LPs. I'll always love that era of design, but these still stand out to me as especially awesome. I love that 65 years on, these forward looking designs are still too out there for a lot of players. Also, the look of the original run - natural Limba wood, the 5-ply guards, gold hardware, etc. is just so sharp.

[sal paradise]

I just can’t believe they were designed in the 50s.

I don’t remember seeing many 60s bands using explorers?

[Tehz_]

I think they're both extremely cool. I'll forever regret selling my faded Gibson V, got it for $600 about seven years ago and I regularly see them going for twice that or more these days.

There are just as many douchey musicians out there using Jaguars lately are there were using Explorers thirty years ago. Play whatever you want

[DesmondWafers]

I just can’t believe they were designed in the 50s.

I don’t remember seeing many 60s bands using explorers?

I believe somewhere around 50 total were produced in the initial run. They didn't really take off until much, much later.