A guitarist who uses an Explorer-type (guitar)
From among Gibson’s electric guitars, I’ve compiled a list of guitarists who use the Explorer type.
Its avant-garde design reportedly didn’t make it very popular at first, but these days it’s a well-loved guitar used by many famous musicians.
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Guitarists using the Explorer type (11–20)
The Edge
U2’s guitarist, The Edge, has long favored the Explorer.
In this video, his beloved Explorer is featured, and while the guitar itself is impressive, the towering rack system stacked up behind him is truly something.
You can see him actually playing from around 2:40.
Incidentally, this guitar was sold for $150,000 at an auction in 2008 to support people affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Eric Clapton
Some people might be a bit surprised, but believe it or not, there was a time when Eric Clapton used an Explorer.
He’s strongly associated with the Stratocaster, after all.
Fans who didn’t know this might find it a bit jarring, don’t you think?
Lee Malia
Lee Malia, guitarist of the hugely popular band Bring Me The Horizon.
He also admired James from Metallica and dreamed of owning an Explorer.
This is his signature model released by Epiphone.
It has a traditional look, but he apparently uses quite heavy strings to accommodate low tunings.
Gary Moore
Gary Moore is a hard rock guitarist from Northern Ireland, also known for his work with Skid Row and Thin Lizzy.
While Gary Moore is often associated with playing a Les Paul, he was also a devoted user of the Explorer.
Fredrik Thordendal
Fredrik Thordendal, guitarist of the Swedish metal band Meshuggah, is a pioneering figure in the world of extended-range guitars.
He has released an 8-string signature model with an Explorer shape from Ibanez.
Starting around 2:00 in this video, you can see his Allan Holdsworth-style guitar solo, and many of you probably noticed the wavy frets.
In fact, this is a fret system called True Temperament.