MusicRadar

PRESS RELEASE: Gibson Guitar, the world's premier musical instrument company and leader in music technology announced the anticipated release of the 7-String Gibson Explorer as part of their Rocktober Celebration.

The Gibson Explorer was the most radical electric guitar ever unleashed upon the unsuspecting music world of 1958. Way ahead of its time, it failed to gain a foothold among the generally conservative players of the day, but became a major rock icon by the late '60s, and has been taken up by countless guitar heroes over the course of the intervening decades such as U2's the Edge, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and the 7-String has become the choice of an increasing number of thrash and nu-metal players, who seek eviscerating tones with the gut-rumbling potential of an added low-B string. Enter Gibson's 7-String Explorer, a natural marriage of rock's most radical shape and the specs demanded by the most adventurous 7-string players on the music scene today. This new addition to the line for Gibson's "Rocktober" celebrations combines the proven tonal advantages of mahogany neck and body with the scorching performance of EMG pickups, all the solid playability of Gibson construction and hardware, and a black gloss Ebony nitrocellulose finish, resulting in an unrivalled package for the heavy rocker.

The body of each 7-String Gibson Explorer is crafted from solid mahogany, a legendary tone wood has yielded some of the most classic tones in the history of rock. The 7-String Gibson Explorer follows the classic lines of the original Explorer, with its radical "lightning bolt" shape and distinctive slanted headstock. In addition to creating a revolutionary look, the Explorer body offers superb upper-fret access due to its high neck/body joint, and contributes to a unique resonance and tonal response.

The neck of the 7-String Gibson Explorer is constructed from solid mahogany, cut using the superior orientation for improved strength and resonance, and glued to the body at a 3.5-degree angle (pitch). Mahogany is the most traditional wood for Gibson electric guitar necks, and offers an outstanding combination of strength and resonance. It makes an excellent sonic and visual partner to the solid mahogany body. Gibson's traditional truss rod, is highly responsive to the individual adjustments which you can make to personalize and optimize string action and sustain. The 7-String Gibson Explorer carries the classic headstock of the original Explorer, but with seven Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners on its upper side. These tuners are recognized as one of the finest in the industry, and represent a high-performance option on any guitar. The headstock of the 7-String Explorer is adorned with a simple Gibson logo, silkscreened in silver at its furthest extent.

Around the web: