cliftonclyde Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I am looking at a new Gibson Explorer...of which I think is a good deal. Its a 2016 black model that comes with a gig bag. Anyway...It's a new 2016 Gibson Explorer T, and the shop owner said I can have it for a grand. What is a "T" model? I am turned off at the fact it comes with a gig bag, but I don't travel around much...and a long time ago I had an explorer with a hard case, which was really bulky and heavy. So a bag might not be a bad idea. Any thoughts? Is it a low end guitar? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesh Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I am looking at a new Gibson Explorer...of which I think is a good deal. Its a 2016 black model that comes with a gig bag. Anyway...It's a new 2016 Gibson Explorer T, and the shop owner said I can have it for a grand. What is a "T" model? I am turned off at the fact it comes with a gig bag, but I don't travel around much...and a long time ago I had an explorer with a hard case, which was really bulky and heavy. So a bag might not be a bad idea. Any thoughts? Is it a low end guitar? Thanks! Hello! For 2016; Gibson released 2 ranges; each including guitars like the Flying V, Explorer, SG, Les Paul Traditional, and so on. So there are 2 versions of every model. One will be called the "T", and the other is called the "HP". "T" is for Traditional, while "HP" stands for High Performance. The traditional range is just that; standard-specification guitars similar to those that Gibson have been making for the last decade. These came about after Gibson's 2015 design decisions; every guitar in the 2015 changed and conformed to some more modern features. The high performance range takes some of these 2015 range changes into the guitars offered. So, for example; a 2016 Les Paul Traditional-T will have an AA grade maple cap; standard fretboard width, and the normal features that makes a Les Paul, a Les Paul. The HP variant will have a fretboard which averages about 1mm wider (dubbed by Gibson as a "soloist" neck profile); the nut will be a titanium zero-fret nut over bone or corian; and the neck heel is scalloped to look similar to a Les Paul Axcess (once again, dubbed as a "fast-access" heel). For your Flying V; the differences will be slightly more subtle when comparing a T or HP guitar. The HP variant will have the wider neck and scalloped heel, and the titanium nut. The other difference would be that the HP has mother-of-pearl inlays, while a T range will have pearloid. Not having an included flightcase is a risk; although it is one of the features that helps keep the guitar south of a grand in price. You would be able to buy an aftermarket case, but bear in mind that the 2016 Flying V's are 4% smaller than an older Flying V in body size, so a case might not fit like a glove. Look into a case with a custom interior; these are usually rectangular, but the supplier will ask for a template of your guitar (something simple to make - trace your guitar outline onto paper, and send it to them). From the template they will custom-cut the foam interior. If you need any other information; just shout on here or send me a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliftonclyde Posted December 9, 2015 Author Share Posted December 9, 2015 Thanks so much for replying. OK, I understand now. But I am inquiring about the Explorer. What are the differences with the T Explorer and the HP? Thanks again for explaining it all to me. Hello! For 2016; Gibson released 2 ranges; each including guitars like the Flying V, Explorer, SG, Les Paul Traditional, and so on. So there are 2 versions of every model. One will be called the "T", and the other is called the "HP". "T" is for Traditional, while "HP" stands for High Performance. The traditional range is just that; standard-specification guitars similar to those that Gibson have been making for the last decade. These came about after Gibson's 2015 design decisions; every guitar in the 2015 changed and conformed to some more modern features. The high performance range takes some of these 2015 range changes into the guitars offered. So, for example; a 2016 Les Paul Traditional-T will have an AA grade maple cap; standard fretboard width, and the normal features that makes a Les Paul, a Les Paul. The HP variant will have a fretboard which averages about 1mm wider (dubbed by Gibson as a "soloist" neck profile); the nut will be a titanium zero-fret nut over bone or corian; and the neck heel is scalloped to look similar to a Les Paul Axcess (once again, dubbed as a "fast-access" heel). For your Flying V; the differences will be slightly more subtle when comparing a T or HP guitar. The HP variant will have the wider neck and scalloped heel, and the titanium nut. The other difference would be that the HP has mother-of-pearl inlays, while a T range will have pearloid. Not having an included flightcase is a risk; although it is one of the features that helps keep the guitar south of a grand in price. You would be able to buy an aftermarket case, but bear in mind that the 2016 Flying V's are 4% smaller than an older Flying V in body size, so a case might not fit like a glove. Look into a case with a custom interior; these are usually rectangular, but the supplier will ask for a template of your guitar (something simple to make - trace your guitar outline onto paper, and send it to them). From the template they will custom-cut the foam interior. If you need any other information; just shout on here or send me a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesh Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Thanks so much for replying. OK, I understand now. But I am inquiring about the Explorer. What are the differences with the T Explorer and the HP? Thanks again for explaining it all to me. Explorer T vs Explorer HP Both have 496R and 500T pickups, so are quite hot on the output. Grover machine heads on the T; G-Force autotuners on the HP. Tektoid nut on the T; Titanium zero-fret nut on the HP. Pearloid inlays on the T; Mother-of-Pearl on the HP. Standard Gibson neck width on the T; slightly wider neck on the HP (soloist neck). Standard heel on the T; "fast access" (slimmer) heel on the HP. Standard bridge on the T; titanium saddles on the HP. Regular jack plug on the T; gold-plated double-contact jack on the HP. I also believe the HP comes with a case; while the T comes with a gigbag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliftonclyde Posted December 9, 2015 Author Share Posted December 9, 2015 Thank you very much for following up. I appreciate the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Yes what Pesh said in his very comprehensives answers :) Also one of the most interesting features of the HP series (I think) is that it comes with dip switches in the pickup control cavity which will allow you to change what the picksups are doing.. like choosing which coil to activate etc.. Pretty cool if you ask me. This video shows the difference between the two lines and the dip switches at about 10:40 in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKPPERR Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Yeah, on the Explorer "T", you get a gigbag which is pretty crappy for a $1200-$1300 guitar. Explorers need to have hard cases, Gibson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Yeah, on the Explorer "T", you get a gigbag which is pretty crappy for a $1200-$1300 guitar. Explorers need to have hard cases, Gibson! Agree absolutely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Agree absolutely. Have played one, sans amp. Why they decided to make it 4% smaller than the standard V is beyond me. I'm sure it's a great guitar, but one glance, and I could tell it didn't measure up, size-wise. My two cents. It just didn't look right. To me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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