The Gibson Explorer is one of the most recognizable solid-body shapes ever made, mahogany body, long sustain, and a distinctly angular silhouette.
14 mods reviewed: 11 drop-in, 2 need verification, 1 needs modification.
The Gibson Explorer is one of the most recognizable solid-body shapes ever made, mahogany body, long sustain, and a distinctly angular silhouette. Its Tune-O-Matic bridge is genuinely Nashville spec, not the narrower ABR-1 found on the ES-335 and ES-339, a distinction confirmed directly by Faber's own Gibson bridge selection guide, which groups the Explorer with the Flying V, Firebird, and Les Paul Classic under the Nashville category. This is a real point of confusion since all of these share the same general Gibson TOM-plus-stopbar look.
Tailpiece
Stopbar
String spacing
52mm (2.05")
Scale length
24.75" (629mm)
Tuner hole size
10mm (25/64")
Nut width
43.05mm (1.695")
Bridge mounting spacing
74.4mm (2.93")
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The manufacturer explicitly confirms this fits USA Gibson guitars like this one, matching the genuine Nashville bridge this guitar ships with.
TonePros' own listing for this bridge explicitly states it fits USA Gibson Nashville-equipped guitars, matching this guitar's confirmed genuine Nashville spec (74.4mm post spacing) directly.
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View at AmazonMatches your guitar's Nashville-spec bridge exactly. Drops into the existing saddle slots, no need to replace the whole bridge.
Saddle-only swap matched to this guitar's confirmed post-2000 Gibson Nashville-spec Tune-o-Matic bridge, per Graph Tech's own bridge-stamp fitment guide (PQ-8501-00). Not a universal TOM saddle, this SKU is specific to the Nashville-post bridge family.
Should fit if your bridge has the original Nashville posts, but some Gibsons made from 2012 on switched to slightly larger posts that this bridge won't seat on. Worth checking your posts before buying, or measuring against Faber's spec.
Faber's own FAQ flags that some Gibson guitars made from 2012 onward use a Nashville-style bridge with larger 5mm thumbwheel posts instead of the original 4.35mm posts the ABRN is built for. Faber has not published which specific models are affected, only that "some" post-2012 Gibsons have the larger posts. This guitar's year falls in the affected range, but the exact post diameter on this model has not been independently confirmed either way. If the larger posts are present, Faber conversion posts (NSWKIT, BSWKIT, or iNsert) are needed.
Help confirm this fit
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Fits the standard humbucker route. A vintage-voiced, aged alternative to the stock pickups. Needs soldering.
Standard humbucker route and mounting, consistent with this guitar's factory humbucker cavity. A vintage-voiced alternative to the stock pickups, aged and lower output rather than a modern hot-output design.
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View at ReverbThe exact pickups found on the USA Gibson Les Paul, direct fit here too. Still needs soldering.
This is literally what Gibson ships in the USA Les Paul, a genuine drop-in for the standard humbucker route this guitar also uses.
Fits the standard humbucker route. A higher-output alternative to the stock pickups for pushing an amp into natural overdrive. Needs soldering.
Standard humbucker route and mounting, consistent with this guitar's factory humbucker cavity. A long-established high-output ceramic-magnet alternative to the stock pickups, aimed at players who want more push into natural amp overdrive.
£89.99 at Andertons
View at AndertonsFits the standard humbucker route this guitar's stock pickups already sit in. You will need to solder it in.
Fits the standard humbucker route this guitar's stock humbuckers already sit in.
£309.99 at Andertons
View at Andertons
Should swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Explorer uses a 6-in-line, non-staggered-post headstock rather than Gibson's usual 3+3, confirmed compatible with generic 6-in-line non-staggered aftermarket tuner sets.
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View at AmazonShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Explorer uses a 6-in-line, non-staggered-post headstock rather than Gibson's usual 3+3.
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View at AmazonShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed. This is one of the few Gibson-family guitars with a 6-in-line headstock rather than 3-per-side.
Explorer uses a 6-in-line, non-staggered-post headstock rather than Gibson's usual 3+3, and Hipshot's own product documentation names the Explorer directly as a reference case for their 6-in-line non-staggered tuner sets.
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View at AmazonShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Explorer uses a 6-in-line, non-staggered-post headstock rather than Gibson's usual 3+3.
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View at ReverbShould swap straight into the existing tuner holes, no reaming needed.
Explorer uses a 6-in-line, non-staggered-post headstock rather than Gibson's usual 3+3.
Built with exactly this kind of tight headstock in mind, and the post size likely matches. Not independently confirmed on a real unit yet, worth checking before buying.
This mod is specifically built for tighter headstocks like Explorer, per its own product description, and 10mm post diameter likely matches. Not independently measured against a real Explorer unit, so this stays at Needs verification rather than Likely drop-in despite the strong fit on paper.
Help confirm this fit
A real modification, not a drop-in. New holes go in the guitar, best left to someone experienced or a tech.
This guitar ships with a fixed stop bar, not a vibrato. Direct-mounting a Bigsby means new holes in the top, no no-drill adapter kit was found specifically for this body shape.
Help confirm this fit
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View at AmazonIf you have fitted any of these to this Gibson Explorer, tell us what you found and we'll update the data.
