Gibson Custom Shop Explorer Custom Ebony

The Gibson Custom Explorer™ Custom with Bound Head Veneer brings everything players love about the standard Explorer Custom, adding a refined three-ply bound headstock that elevates its visual appeal even further.

First unveiled in 1958 alongside the Flying V™, the Gibson Explorer™ broke sharply from the traditional electric guitars of the era. Initially misunderstood, the model’s tiny original run left the early Korina Explorers among the most sought-after vintage electrics in existence. As the years passed, musicians embraced its bold design and powerful voice, and by the 1970s, it reentered the Gibson lineup. Since then, it has become a go-to choice for countless players, especially within rock and metal. With its striking wedge-shaped body and signature “hockey stick” headstock, the Explorer has remained influential and iconic for generations.

This Gibson Custom Explorer Custom with Bound Head Veneer is crafted with a mahogany body framed by multi-ply top binding. Its mahogany neck is joined with a long tenon for exceptional resonance and stability, and carved to a comfortable Medium C neck profile. The ebony fretboard carries 22 medium jumbo frets and is adorned with mother-of-pearl small block inlays.

A matched set of Gibson humbucker™ pickups powers the instrument: a 490R at the neck and a 498T at the bridge. Together, they offer an impressively wide tonal palette, from shimmering clean textures to high-gain aggression. They are hand-wired to individual volume controls and a master tone control and topped with black Speed knobs. A black multi-ply pickguard adds another sleek visual element. Gold hardware appears across the guitar, including the pickup covers, Tune-O-Matic™ bridge, Stop Bar tailpiece, Grover® tuning machines, and strap buttons

With a lineage stretching back to the late 50s, the Explorer has evolved many times. This latest Gibson Custom Explorer Custom with Bound Head Veneer takes the classic aesthetic of the regular model and enhances it with its elegant three-ply bound headstock. Paired with multi-ply body binding, a bound fretboard, and mother-of-pearl block inlays, it presents a particularly upscale look that is sure to turn heads onstage and among fellow players. Each guitar includes a Gibson Custom Certificate of Authenticity and a hardshell case