Shopping: Explorers and Explorer-type guitars

[Pontiac Jack]

Re: Shopping: Explorers and Explorer-type guitars

Tokai's EX 50 and EX 55 are excellent guitars. I think they feel more like an early Ibanez Destroyer (circa 75-77) than a Gibson. Throw a decent set of Duncan's in it,and you have yourself a killer axe!

Cheers,PJ

 

[dystrust]

Re: Shopping: Explorers and Explorer-type guitars

If you do buy an ESP EX model - keep in mind the neck (thin "U" shape) feels small. Fast with great access but, feels smallish. It's nut width of 42 mm possibly adds to it feeling this way.

Thank you for permanently curing my ESP EX G.A.S; I've never been able to get along with that back shape or a 42mm nut width. My '96 Gibson Explorer has a medium C profile; it's thicker than a slim taper, but not as thick as the 50s profile on my LP Standard.

I'm not familiar with the Deans, but the Epi Explorers I've played have either had a neck very similar to the slim taper, or been really beefy like my 335 Fatneck. Both had a 1 11/16 nut width just like my Gibsons.

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: Shopping: Explorers and Explorer-type guitars

I think the Jackson Kelly looks sweet, especially the old KE1

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[chadd]

Re: Shopping: Explorers and Explorer-type guitars

First of all, glad to hear that you plan on buying something after playing it. That's always the best way to buy a guitar. The low end imports are light years ahead of where they were in the 80s or early 90s. However, corners are cut on wood quality and hardware on many of them. I also find the Gibson bashing to be a bit overboard. I have a handful of post-2000 Gibsons and no real complaints. Some people would scream bloody murder about the switch on my explorer being wired backwards, but it was a 30 second fix.

Go, play as many as you can find and buy the one that speaks to you.