The Ghosthorse Explorer has been a real joy to play and own since I've gotten it. I have always loved the "explorer" body shape, but didn't like the Explorer prices. Epiphone's entry does the Gibson's its modeled after proud. It has everything you would expect a higher end guitar would have. Solid neck thru mahogany body (which is REALLY resonant BTW), Grover tuners, ebony fret board, FR trim, etc. The matte finish on the back and sides is also super awesome and feels smooth and fast. The pick-ups are Epiphone's version of the Burstbucker 1 and 2's, and they sound like hot rodded PAF's as they should. This provides a balanced tonal palatte that covers lots of ground. The controls are simplied with only 2x vol pots and a selector for the pickups, but they are push/pull pots for single coil tones.As other have noted, more than likely this guitar WILL need a full set up out the box, so consider that when budgeting for this guitar. It's nothing major, but my action was pretty high, the strings were grungy needed replacing, and truss needed adjusting. Now once all that was sorted this is easily one of the best playing and sounding electrics that I own. In terms of overall build quality it is very on par with ESP's LTD-1000 series (which are very highly reguarded).The aesthetics of the guitar should also not be overlooked. Visually it is a stunning guitar. The Smokey grey veneer on the top, the white perf band and the matte black back and sides go really well together. Also with the… read more chrome hardware it makes the axe look aggressive and modern while not spoiling the vintage shape and visuals.

Sound
You get lots of natural sustain from the neck thru mahogany body and the Burstbucker pickups set a PAF type tone foundation, but are hotter so they really cut in a mix. Unique to Epi/Gibson designs is the inclusion of a FR term. This gives the GH explorer a bit more utility for more modern metal and rock. I feel like this guitar blends old school and new school quite well.

Features
The overall construction and body are really high quality. My fret board is smooth and level and the ends of the frets are really well manicured. They don't feel sharp or rough at all. Fit and finish are real good. Once set up the guitar stays in tune amazingly well due to the FR term.The pickups are PAF voiced with more output. I have Gibson's with their Burstbucker's and the main difference is that the Epiphone versions are a bit noisier, but they sound more or less the same. I would imagine some EMI shielding inside under the pickups might help.The controls are solid and I like the option of the push/pull for single coil tones, but it should be noted that there is no tone control. This makes the tonal options somewhat less versatile, but for most things it's ok.

Ease of Use
The Burstbuckers and simple controls mean that it's pretty hard to get a bad tone out of the guitar. Since this axe is sans tone control you'll do most of your dialing in on the amp or pedals. Even though most people won't play unplugged, the acoustic resonance is really nice on this guitar.

Quality
Very well made guitar. Once thing that should be pointed out is that the Explorer, like all Gibson/Epiphone neck through designs, have a headstock that is unique in that it is slightly angled back. This is in part what gives these guitars their special tone, but it is a well know weak point. You should be very careful to not wack your neck into a wall or something since the headstocks are known to break rather easily (compared to other designs). Not a design flaw, but just some Gibson/Epiphone ownership hygiene.

Value
The price for this guitar is a steal. For what you get with this level of fit and finish one would expect to pay $1k+ so the selling price is really good. Just remember that you will almost certainly need a set up when you get it, It very much feels and plays like a much pricier guitar.

Manufacturer Support
Never had to deal with Gibson or Epiphone, but I have no reason to believe that that customer service would be bad.

The Wow Factor
The appeal of this guitar is very high (for me anyways). I think the explorer body shape is the one of the best ever made and the modern twists on the Ghosthorse version give it tons of versatility. Looks great, sounds great, and its for a pretty unbelievable price. You get a pretty nice soft-shell case that fits the explorer too which adds value.

Musical Background:
Melting faces via metal riffs for 20+ yrs

Musical Style:
mostly heavy rock, glam rock, metal, shred metal read less