Solid bodyelectric guitarcreated and manufactured by AmericaninstrumentmakerGibsonsince 1958 as the final iteration of theirFuturaprototypes. Made as part of a proposition by Gibson of a line of futuristic designs, the Explorer was part of this trio along with theGibson Flying Vand theModerne, the latter seeing release much later. Much like its closest sibling the Flying V, the Explorer was deemed a failure at the start of its production until it was then picked up by hard rock and heavy metal guitarists where it would gain the worldwide popularity it has today. The most notable Explorer players areMetallica'sJames HetfieldandU2's The Edge
gibson explorer