1981 Gibson Explorer E/2

The first Gibson Explorer models were the Korina bodied examples released in 1958, and with around only 40 of these thought to have been produced, the original Explorer has become one of a few holy grail cornerstones of any top tier guitar collection. The Explorer has been reissued by Gibson in a variety of styles from the mid 1970s onwards, some with a fairly traditional reissue take on the design, and some with a drastically more modern style. When Tim Shaw joined Gibson in the early '80s, one of his first projects was a redesign of both the Explorer and Flying V models. These Explorer E/2 guitars were built slightly more traditionally than the similarly named 'E2' guitars, with a straght cut, un-contoured body.

This 1981 Explorer E/2 is a great example of the model. Manufactured between 1981 and 1984, the body features a flamed Maple top and Mahogany body, with a tobacco sunburst finish that accentuates the grain pattern, along with a highly flamed 3 piece Maple neck. The neck features Ebony fret board and has a comfortable modern tapered Gibson neck profile. This guitar is fitted with the original Dirty Finger humbucker pickups, with a moderately high output that makes them perfect for higher gain playing styles. Other features include all gold hardware and the 'E/2' logo truss rod cover, and cream body binding. This guitar also includes its original fitted hard case.

This guitar has been given a full service & setup by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, who also reset the neck to achieve the optimum playability. This guitar includes a 3 year warranty.