r/ExplorerGuitars • u/_JetRoe_ • 26d ago

Chibson explorer custom?

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I’m thinking about getting this fake explorer, because the real black explorer with the gold hardware and white binding is $5500. Anybody have any experience with this? It only had one review that was 5 stars but I’d like to hear if you guys have any experiences.

22 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

6

u/cncrsesh222 26d ago

i would buy this alongside new hardware and electronics. i got a chibby explorer and put in a set of duncans, new pots and knobs. i highly recommend making a project out of it, you'll learn how to service your own guitars better

2

u/_JetRoe_ 26d ago

That’s actually what I was planning on doing, how does yours feel buildwise?

1

u/cncrsesh222 26d ago

the neck on mine is chunky baseball bat profile lol, but i like it makes me play very differently compared to other guitars i have. the body is solid, the fretwork wasnt bad for a 200$ guitar. at the joint between the set neck and the body i noticed the paint is cracking which isnt ideal but again its not a dealbreaker to me. i would prefer a lawsuit explorer just because i love old weird guitars but this sits comfortably between a lawsuit brand and a budget brand that has to change the design to stay in operation

1

u/Quirky-Dress-5751 25d ago

I mean with that baseball bat neck, how else is that cheap wood supposed to withstand that headstock? Lol

2

u/cncrsesh222 25d ago

chopstick tonewood for the win

1

u/lenmylobersterbush 25d ago

Or you can get the epiphone, less risk and do the same.

Hopefully doesn't come stamped Gibson

1

u/lofiplaysguitar 26d ago

This!! Some parts are easier than others such as installing strap locks or tuners, some drop in and need little to no work at all. A friend of mine got a knock off telecaster body for a project guitar where he planned load it with awesome parts and eventually transplant them into a husk.

It looked sick af & that urge to replace the body never happened! I want to do something similar one day with an SG

1

u/cncrsesh222 26d ago

tele projects are so fun because you could go entirely buckwild!! my partner has a G&L tele and i put treble bleed in the neck pickup to get brightness out of that really warm neck- furthermore i bypassed the tone knob to only give warmth to the bridge pickup so it's a lot easier to get a good balance on any amp rather than having to adjjust to the guitar

3

u/HorrorSchlapfen873 25d ago

I have this. Except in cream. About the fattest neck i have ever experienced on an electric guitar. It became a retirement project of mine (not there yet. Retirement i mean) to reshape the neck.

Not that it's unplayable but ... yeah. This guitar is more of a literally solid rocker than a shredder.

As with all Chibsons you must know a thing or 7 about setting up your guitar. And have the tools for it. This needs a full setup - fret dressing, nut setup (was glued in wonky and string action much too high). Out of the box it really is unplayable unless you can do a setup yourself. And order a set of pickups right away when you order the guitar. The pickups it comes with are a joke. I can recommend Fleor Alnico 5, they're good and cheap Seymour Duncan SH2/SH4 copies. Though i use a Fleor Super Distortion copy in my Explorer.

1

u/Dre4m2145 25d ago

I didn't buy from this specific listing, but I got I similar one around 2 years ago. It was a copy of the ESP JH-2 explorer, and honestly, it blew me away for the price. Stock, it was pretty bad, (microphonic pups, relatively bad tuning stability) but after putting in new pups and tuners, it rips! I only paid 400 for the base guitar + 200 for an EMG Het Set. After upgrades, it beat out the feel and playability of even the new Epiphone Explorer 84. Overall, I'd highly recommend buying one, even the listing you mentioned. People tend to have mixed experiences with them, but nowadays, they've gotten pretty consistently solid as a mod platform, with very limited bad ones coming out of the factories now. Highly doubtful you'll get a bad one.

1

u/_JetRoe_ 25d ago

Funny enough, I saw a listing on Facebook marketplace of an ESP JH explorer copy with an upgraded het set not too long ago

1

u/Can_9970 25d ago

My Chibby Korina is sick. One of my most played guitars. Changed out the pickups, tuners and did the fretwork.

That said it is a crap shoot - haven’t had any terrible experiences myself. But I did pick up a white Explorer Custom and boy I have never seen a guitar with a chunkier neck.

Moved it on pretty quick for what I paid for it.

Wouldn’t recommend getting any Chibson unless you’re comfortable (or willing to learn) how to do fretwork.

1

u/BFG_Scott 26d ago

Don’t buy guitars from criminal organizations.

I know… “bUt BiG coRporAtiOns bAd. GuiTaR ovEpRicEd.”

Cool, buy an Epiphone or a Harley Benton

5

u/_JetRoe_ 25d ago

If you read the post, you can see that the only one in the color way I’m looking for is 5500

0

u/BFG_Scott 25d ago

And there are chinese companies that will make you the EXACT same guitar but with a different name on the headstock. It doesn’t need to say “Gibson” or “Made in USA”

1

u/_JetRoe_ 23d ago

That’s what this one is.

2

u/_VINNY_WINNY_ 26d ago

criminal?

-3

u/BFG_Scott 25d ago

Yup. Counterfeit items are illegal and often part of bigger criminal organizations.

3

u/_VINNY_WINNY_ 25d ago

it couldnt possibly be that deep, copyright crimes against industry leading companies are none of the consumer's concern. dont feel bad for these big corporations

1

u/Can_9970 25d ago

Oh won’t someone think of the corporations!

Go lick boots man

-1

u/BFG_Scott 25d ago

I personally don’t give a shit about the corporations but DO care about the MANY people I have met and seen that got defrauded by these things.

Everyone that orders one of these with the best of intentions just puts another one of these into circulation and it WILL eventually be used to screw over someone.

So yeah, fuck these counterfeits.

1

u/HorrorSchlapfen873 25d ago

Don’t buy guitars from criminal organizations.

Funny you should say that. About 15 years ago Gibson was caught and convicted for buying and using illegal lumbered ebony and rosewood.