i'm getting a new guitar soon. i have 3 options:
1) buy a jackson kelly
2) buy a gibson explorer
3) buy a Chandler San Fran explorer

advantages and disadvantages:

1) jackson is better for metal (which is what i'm getting the guitar for) plays nice sounds great and is reasonably priced (i can get it NOW)

2) i've always wanted the explorer, its a sick guitar, plays amazingly, is more versatile than the jackson but not as good for metal and i'll have to save up for a lot longer.

3) the chandler explorer is sick. it plays nice (altho the neck is a bit chunky) and is the same price as the jackson, but the bridge and tailpiece are made poorly and i'd have to replace them.

your thoughts?

I have a 4th option for you. Save up, and buy a Made in Japan Ibanez model. That includes:

Any Prestige Model RG.
The S5470
The SV5470
The Jem
The Universe
Most signature models.


Why? Because They're better for metal than any of the guitars you just listed, play better, and are more versatile aswell due to the epic switching options.

Also:

1 - They do metal very very well, especially RG's and S series. SV series not so much but still easily doable.
2 - They're going to have much better tremolo systems on them than anything you listed above. Especially the S series, as the ZR bridge is my favourite of all time.
3 - The finishing options are very good.
4 - If you're totally in love with the explorer shape, try and find a second hand iceman. They're explorer shaped guitars but I know for a fact ibanez made at least some of them MIJ for a time, which means they'll pretty much destroy everything else out there for the money because people think MIJ is inferior to MIUSA. This is of course a total lie. MIJ guitars IMO are just as good if not better.


Disclaimer: I am the forums resident Ibanez nutjob. I love their MIJ stuff and the MIK stuff isn't bad either. Ask me anything and I'll be able to help.

Disclaimer v2.0: I am also probably the forums most prestigious guitar hardware, construction, and setup nutjob, so if anyone around here is going to know their **** about guitars and which to buy, the advantages and disadvantages of any models put forth, its going to be me...probably...

lol thanks. and yes. i am in love with the explorer body. i have wanted one forever. even if the fact that i own a semihollowbody as my main guitar confuses you.

i looked up those guitars and honestly none of them did much for me. i just never liked those bodies, that cutaway, or the feel even. i have tried all of them before and just didnt fall in love. i mean...if you're gonna buy an expensive guitar, you should get something that feels great, sounds great, and looks great too (to you at least). why buy an expensive thing that looks like junk to you?

not saying any of those guitars are junk. i just dont like them. plus i dislike the cutaway on the top of the back of the guitar. it messes with my playing a lot and also can increase your chances of getting a repetetive motion disorder.

personally, I don't like em...maybe the warrior/xiphos type explorer bodies...

I tend to place a premium on ergonomics and then worry about the other stuff later though, hence why RGs are some of my favourit guitars.

makes sense. i actually dislike the warrior type bodies too. i only like that weird slanted look the kelly and explorer have.

My friend wants a Jackson, he said that they have wide necks and I want to know why that's good for metal.

its good for shred. strings close together works for chordal stuff but you need to be able to place your fingers exactly where they're needed for shredding. Wider string spacing to an extent makes that easier. So do flatter fingerboards.

That said, I'm usually underwhelmed with jackson stuff. Not because its bad, but because ibbys and LTD are usually better for the same money or less.

Disclaimer: I spend most of my guitar playing time shredding like a mother****er. In this, I am a zen master and know what the **** I am talking about. (Bonus points for anyone who knows the reference.)

Alright, thanks for clearing that up. I kinda feel like a tool for asking that question, then again I don't ever have problems with my fingers running into other strings and I don't play metal.

yeah. i learned all of my shredding stuff on a semihollowbody, so it doesnt make a diff to me either. hahaha

The weight of a les paul and the sound quality have a strong correlation... Heavier the better.