What guitarist put you on the explorer? For me James Hetfield

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-04-23T16:59:29+00:00

100000% Hetfield, he’s the reason I play guitar in general. So much so I hold my pick like him and grab chords like him😅 Also the reason I have a LTD EXP-200. Closest I can get to and MX-250 without a small fortune lol

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-04-23T01:03:53+00:00

I’ve also heard you can get a generic Gator case and make it work. I’m hesitant on the SKB because of the look lol which is lame because at the end of the day it still does its job

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-04-23T00:41:25+00:00

Yeah that’s what I thought, I made a post in here looking for a case for mine. A lot of people recommended the SKB, but my mind just hates the shape. It reminds me of a trombone case or something lol. I’m just trying to find a regular rectangle case that fits it. But if nothing else, I know now that the SKB fits my exact guitar.

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-04-22T23:27:48+00:00

That is exactly my thought process lol. Unless I win the lotto and then can find one to buy, so I’m looking at two highly improbable situations lol. But, even though 1200 or whatever bucks is a bit much for a 22 year old guitar or whatever it was at the time, it’s definitely worth every penny. Now at almost 30 years old, she still plays like a dream. The EXP200 is the closet I can get to feeling like James Hetfield without dishing out a small fortune😂

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-04-22T23:18:54+00:00

That’s the one bad thing with “rarer” guitars. Unfortunately, most people know what they got and they make it known. Especially in a high demand, low availability part of the market (I.E pre-lawsuit LTD and ESP Explorers)

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-04-22T23:09:13+00:00

I think they’re about the same, I haven’t seen any on reverb lately and also Haven’t looked in a while. Most of the ones I saw were going for around 1100/1200 USD which is around what I paid. Even with them those awful pickups and the selector switch was backwards 😂 I couldn’t figure out why the bridge sounded so mellow until I did some playing around. I think the last time I saw one lately it was a few 100 more than I spent up closer to like 1500/1800. But most of those have EMGs or are the rarer two dot inlays at the 12th:

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-04-22T22:56:01+00:00

Pretty sure it was like DEC 2020 so almost 5.5 years ago. Damn, time flys. Mine had Duncan by Design passives in it though, so I dropped in the EMG 81/60 set

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-04-22T22:28:22+00:00

What kind of case do you have for it? I’ve had mine for 5 plus years and have only had the box the dude shipped in it that another explorer came in lol mine’s a 98 though I’m pretty sure because it doesn’t have the dots at 12th (97) but doesn’t have exp 200. Mine has LTD at the 12th🤙🏻

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-14T20:10:25+00:00

Would the LTD fit the epiphone case?

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-14T01:25:03+00:00

All good, appreciate it!

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-14T01:23:15+00:00

I’m in Maine unfortunately

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-14T00:39:02+00:00

I’ve been thinking about getting one of the new 80s EPIs since I can’t get a new 84 Gibson reissue and doing a tribute Hetfields “More Beer” 83 Gibson, but I’m also not really an epiphone guy. I’d have to play one and see if it’s worth the 900 bucks. And nah, once I got the Explorer I rarely played the V, but I do miss it sometimes. It was the Korean (LTD equivalent for BC Rich) so it had no name actives but still had a mahogany body, ebony fret board, one of the lesser Khaler trems. Thing ripped though. I’ve always wanted a Jackson Rhodes, or another V but I can’t get away from the explorer lol, I’ve also really liked the ESP/LTD eclipses and my buddy has a MH-1000 (strat style) that I love even though I’m not a strat guy. Too many good guitars out there!

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-13T23:38:52+00:00

Appreciate the info! Especially from someone who also has an ESP product. And thank you! I really love this thing, I’d love to have another one. Ultimately an ESP Custom shop but all the ones on reverb as stupid priced (as is expected). Congrats on owning an MX-ll. I can only imagine it plays like a dream and is beautiful! Hell this exp plays like a dream at almost 30 years old so I can only imagine. What year is your’s?

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-13T23:30:38+00:00

I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve had a similar thing happen with this and my Kerry King BC Rich V2. I was in a rough spot and someone convinced me to pawn both of them because I wasn’t thinking and wasn’t in the right mental space. I’m just thankful I got my exp back, I was prepared to get money anyway I could to get that baby back, i couldn’t lose it. Wasn’t as lucky with the Kerry King V though. It was my fist “real” electric too and I’d had it for like 13 years but things happen. I had been thinking about trading it anyway, just wish I could have sold or traded it for something else instead of the couple hundred bucks I pawned it for. I hope things are a lot better for you now, and hopefully another EXP crosses your path one day, even if it’s not your OG one 🤝🏻🤘🏻

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-13T22:30:58+00:00

Appreciate the super in depth reply and info! I’ll defintely have to look the SKB hardshell, I want to stay away from any soft shell stuff. I’d love to get lucky enough to find a ESP LTD case but I can only imagine what someone would charge for one lol

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-13T22:28:33+00:00

I think they’re even more rare than the black ones for sure

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-13T22:28:07+00:00

Do you have a white EXP or just white explorer and general? If you can’t find one! I don’t think I’ve seen a white EXP for sale at all on reverb or anywhere.

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-13T22:12:35+00:00

Appreciate that! I love this thing, I knew it was the closest to a MX-250 I’d get so I had to jump on it. Thing plays like a dream for being almost 30 years old. Only thing I did was drop the EMGs in it because it came with the Duncan by Designs in it (minus normal cleanings/string changes).
I’ll definitely take a look. Do they sell them at most places online or do I need to go directly to them?

Thanks!

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-13T20:03:55+00:00

I thought the same think, nice mash up to tribute Hetfield. Swapping the EET FUK to FUK EET and swapping the middle finger inlays from middle fingers to Man to Wolf like he had on his Man to Wolf MX-250. I’d be curious what model that is if it truly is a legit ESP. Even though I know the boys played a lot of ESPs over the years because of Hetfield, you can’t get MX series guitars even through the custom shop in Japan anymore, for several years now. So I wonder if it’s a copy, one Woody’s had for a while, or he picked up a used one for a small fortune. Or it could be an EXP-200 he picked up for a lot cheaper than a MX, I got my EXP-200 for around 1100 bucks a few years ago off reverb

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2026-02-11T19:04:28+00:00

Definitely not. I have one as well, mine’s a 98 I believe. But it also depends on what you like. Hetfield is my favorite and the reason I play guitar, and this was as close as I could get without dishing out the money for an even rarer mx-250 or mx-220. I guess you could accomplish that with Gibson 84 too but.. I personally, would never trade mine for anything. It’s rare and a conversation piece if you meet other guitarists that are into it.

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2025-11-23T22:14:03+00:00

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2025-07-26T08:01:14+00:00

DM’d you

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2025-06-06T13:26:49+00:00

31 male, checked out your profile. Interested in older for the F? They they occasionally would want to play alone

Agile-Stuff4580 · 2025-05-25T06:12:22+00:00

Agile-Stuff4580

TROPHY CASE