Classic (2007-2012)

For over 50 years, Gibson did not make left-handed Explorer guitars.

 

As a left-handed player myself, it was my frustration and feelings of betrayal that drove me to build guitars in the first place. The absence of a left-handed Explorer highly motivated me to do this. I produced a left-handed Explorer to fill this void: the Gaskell Classic. That was in 2007, and it went on to become our flagship model.

 

It was never a clone of the original; it was slightly smaller and rounder to avoid violating Gibson trademarks. From 2007 to 2012, the Gaskell Classic was a factory-made guitar, and in 2013, it became a full Custom Shop model, 100% made in Australia.

 

A "PRO SERIES" option was available for all Gaskell models, allowing guitars to be pre-ordered with variations such as one or two pickups. figured tops, different inlays, and Floyd Rose tremolos. All models could be modified with Custom Shop upgrades, including pickups, custom pickguards, locking tuners, the Buzz Feiten Tuning System, and custom paint—all done here in Australia.

 

The Gaskell Classic was the best-selling Gaskell guitar ever.

 

Eventually, Gibson started making left-handed Explorers. The Gibson offerings are pretty boring—only two colours: "arctic white" or "antique natural." Throw a dog a bone.

 

Gibson sued Dean Guitars in 2022 for making Explorer guitars, despite the fact that Dean had been making them since 1977. I continue to make my Explorer variant as a Custom Shop build, but never again as a production guitar.