Mod™ Collection Explorer Custom, High Five

A Gibson Explorer, but not as you know it In celebration of five years of the Gibson Mod™ Collection, this Explorer™ Custom features some of the most striking modifications of our High Five quintet. Alongside its siblings—an Epiphone USA Coronet, a Gibson Les Paul™ Junior Double Cut, a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s, and a Firebird™ Platypus 10-String—it comes dressed in an exclusive new color-shifting heavy flake sparkle finish. It has also been pimped heavily by the Mod Collection team with some cool pickup choices and hardware. Quite simply, everything about this attention-grabbing axe says “extra.” Back in the late 1950s, the original Gibson Explorer confused and confounded men in horn-rim glasses, crisply pressed shirts, and neckties, but the arrival of longhairs, hulking amplifier stacks, and stompboxes a decade or so later helped create a landscape where the asymmetric six-string beast could prove itself as the undisputed king of the hard-rock jungle. Indeed, there’s never been a safer bet for heavy guitar tones than the unimpeachable combination of a huge slab of mahogany and a humbucking pickup. It also balances rather well when slung low on a strap and pounded in front of legions of adoring fans. This Explorer Custom takes an already bold design and ups the ante somewhat by replacing the usual Stop Bar tailpiece with a Maestro™ Vibrola™ and opting for a Soapbar P-90 in the neck position with a gold cover to match the gold hardware elsewhere. Other custom details include a gold pickguard, truss rod cover, and knurled knobs with inset jewels. Shrinking violets need not apply. In addition to the aesthetic glitz, the combination of that whammy bar and a P-90 neck pickup offers expressive shimmer and twang that you wouldn’t usually get from an Explorer—but flip the pickup selector to the bridge position, and we’ve got you covered when it’s time for powerchords. This visually stunning instrument comes safely housed in a hardshell case and was born ready to turn heads on stage and in music videos. If you think you can handle it, you know what to do. All Gibson instruments go through rigorous QC, but every once in a while, a guitar with outstanding playability and tone doesn’t quite meet the strict cosmetic standards at our craftories. As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, these instruments are sent to the Mod Collection team to use as a blank canvas—and let their imaginations run riot. With a fresh batch of Gibson Mod Collection guitars dropping every week, act fast to get your hands on these one-of-a-kind guitars with unique hardware and electronics customizations, and the wildest finishes in Music City. Gibson Mod Collection products may have minor cosmetic defects which are listed in the Warranty Evaluation for each product. These defects are AS-IS and are not covered under the Gibson Mod Collection's Limited Warranty.