Gibson Custom 1958 Mahogany Explorer Reissue, VOS, Classic White

Mahogany ’58 Explorer in Classic White

This Gibson Custom Select 1958 Mahogany Explorer™ Reissue features a Classic White finish and a black pickguard, a classic combination for an Explorer. Gibson Custom Select offers guitars with unique feature sets that are not found on standard production models. These features can include custom finishes, handpicked electronics, unique inlays, and more. These guitars are designed by Gibson’s experts and are made in small batches at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Explorer debuted in 1958 alongside the Flying V™. While these two guitars are now Gibson icons, they only started to gain more recognition in the late 1960s and early 1970s after the models were discontinued. Part of the reason that these guitars were not adopted by the fanbase upon release was the departure from traditional shapes. Models like the Les Paul™ and the ES-335™ bridged the gap between hollowbody archtop guitars and solidbody and semi-hollowbody guitars. The throughline of design features included carved and molded tops and smooth cutaway designs, while the Explorer and Flying V were angular and far ahead of their time.

Original Flying V and Explorer examples from 1958 had necks and bodies crafted from Korina, an exotic tonewood similar to mahogany. The 1958 Mahogany Explorer Reissue makes the features of the classic Explorer more attainable while still using a premium tonewood. The star customization of this guitar is the Classic White finish. Also featured through the guitar is one coat of antique lacquer, which gives the finish a slightly aged aesthetic. The neck has a 1950s Chunky D profile that is indicative of the era. Underneath the hood lie a set of Custombucker pickups with Alnico 3 magnets, a set of CTS® potentiometers, and a phone book tone capacitor. Another customization on this guitar is the black plastic, including the pickguard and jack plate, which are usually white on standard production guitars.

With all the features of a 1958 Explorer, including iconic attributes like a historic neck profile and gold hardware, this guitar showcases a simple yet striking aesthetic. While rarely seen finished in solid colors, the Explorer is a model that has been played across genres, from psychedelic rock to heavy metal. Included with the guitar is a reissue hardshell case and a Gibson Custom Certificate of Authenticity.