Ken Lawrence Explorers

[dbsens13]

How can I order one? Is there a website or something? Who else makes rad custom explorers? Thanks

 

[VoodooChild24]

I don't think Kens website is up and running but you can PM one of our forum members
Zombieland and ask for his contact / email info.

You also might want to look at Ran guitars. They make the same headstock shape as a KL.

 

[dbsens13]

I don't think Kens website is up and running but you can PM one of our forum members
Zombieland and ask for his contact / email info.

You also might want to look at Ran guitars. They make the same headstock shape as a KL.

Ya, I really like the Ran guitars. Anyone have any of them? How are they?

 

[Les Zombie]

Ken has a facebook group with his info on it.
I owned 3 explorers and currently still own 2 of them and they are some of my favorite guitars made, kens prices are expensive but he really builds great guitars and he does it himself so he also has long wait times. If you have any questions I will try and answer them.

 

[SuperFlyinMonke]

1. Become Rich
2. Order KL Explorer
3. ?
4. Profit

 

[dbsens13]

Ken has a facebook group with his info on it.
I owned 3 explorers and currently still own 2 of them and they are some of my favorite guitars made, kens prices are expensive but he really builds great guitars and he does it himself so he also has long wait times. If you have any questions I will try and answer them.

Do you have the link to his facebook group? I've heard he had one before and attempted to find it but was unsuccessful. Mainly I just want to know how I can get a hold of him and order one so that I'm ready when I can afford one. I've heard there is about a 2 year wait and it'll run $6-7,000. They look fantastic though and Explorers are my favorite kinds of guitars. How do they sound? I'm used to Gibson's and I really like them. What order would you rank the KL's, Gibson's, and ESP explorers? Thanks

 

[Les Zombie]

Expect to pay 6400 to 7k, wait times are 2 years.
He is a bass builder but also does regular guitars in small batches.
I don't belong to facebook so I don't have the link, couple times I found it searching google for Kenneth Lawrence instruments.
Ken can take a deposit and you can make payments till it's ready.

I think my KL exp are the best built guitars I own, they sound better than the Gibson and ESP explorers I own.
After owning over 100 guitars the red kl is in the top 3 best sounding guitars I ever owned and might be the best. Great attention to detail and a solid feel, he uses some really nice exotic woods if that's what your into. Honestly I can't find any complaints and that's how t should be for a guitar this expensive. I played prs,fender, Gibson, and ESP that cost more money and didn't sound or feel as good.
His prices are expensive but there's alot of other guitars that are in that range.

 

[Les Zombie]

See if this link works for ya

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kenneth-L ... 085?v=info

 

[EXPcustom]

I'm used to Gibson's and I really like them. What order would you rank the KL's, Gibson's, and ESP explorers? Thanks

I own a KL and owned a whole entire shitload of explorers both ESP and Gibson you can go to my photobucket as I have just about photographed every single one I have ever owned.

https://s301.photobucket.com/home/EXPcustom/allalbums

My take is build quality on the KL is the best.

Then it goes to late 80's early 90's ESP explorers as being the best. They used great light woods no multi piece bodies, correct truss rod covers etc. As you the ESP production gets newer the quality goes down IMO but it is still way better than Gibson. Some of these sound better than the KL but just are not built as nice.

As for Gibson they are kind of crappy. I owned around four 84-85 explorers and two were just crap one was great and the last was mediocre. Also the explorers from the early 90's were awesome but had that ugly pickguard.

As "other brands" like Ran I put them between Gibson and ESP. Things are just different on those and they miss a lot of the details that make the KL nice.

Hope this helps.

 

[dbsens13]

I'm used to Gibson's and I really like them. What order would you rank the KL's, Gibson's, and ESP explorers? Thanks

I own a KL and owned a whole entire shitload of explorers both ESP and Gibson you can go to my photobucket as I have just about photographed every single one I have ever owned.

https://s301.photobucket.com/home/EXPcustom/allalbums

My take is build quality on the KL is the best.

Then it goes to late 80's early 90's ESP explorers as being the best. They used great light woods no multi piece bodies, correct truss rod covers etc. As you the ESP production gets newer the quality goes down IMO but it is still way better than Gibson. Some of these sound better than the KL but just are not built as nice.

As for Gibson they are kind of crappy. I owned around four 84-85 explorers and two were just crap one was great and the last was mediocre. Also the explorers from the early 90's were awesome but had that ugly pickguard.

As "other brands" like Ran I put them between Gibson and ESP. Things are just different on those and they miss a lot of the details that make the KL nice.

Hope this helps.

Sweet thanks. I see some ESP explorers on eBay and a lot of them have bolt on necks. Is that always the case?

 

[EXPcustom]

I'm used to Gibson's and I really like them. What order would you rank the KL's, Gibson's, and ESP explorers? Thanks

I own a KL and owned a whole entire shitload of explorers both ESP and Gibson you can go to my photobucket as I have just about photographed every single one I have ever owned.

https://s301.photobucket.com/home/EXPcustom/allalbums

My take is build quality on the KL is the best.

Then it goes to late 80's early 90's ESP explorers as being the best. They used great light woods no multi piece bodies, correct truss rod covers etc. As you the ESP production gets newer the quality goes down IMO but it is still way better than Gibson. Some of these sound better than the KL but just are not built as nice.

As for Gibson they are kind of crappy. I owned around four 84-85 explorers and two were just crap one was great and the last was mediocre. Also the explorers from the early 90's were awesome but had that ugly pickguard.

As "other brands" like Ran I put them between Gibson and ESP. Things are just different on those and they miss a lot of the details that make the KL nice.

Hope this helps.

Sweet thanks. I see some ESP explorers on eBay and a lot of them have bolt on necks. Is that always the case?

No those were made for the USA market in the late 90's, if you look at my photobucket none of my ESP explorers have bolt on necks.

I would not buy a ESP exp with a bolt on neck.

 

[dbsens13]

I'm used to Gibson's and I really like them. What order would you rank the KL's, Gibson's, and ESP explorers? Thanks

I own a KL and owned a whole entire shitload of explorers both ESP and Gibson you can go to my photobucket as I have just about photographed every single one I have ever owned.

https://s301.photobucket.com/home/EXPcustom/allalbums

My take is build quality on the KL is the best.

Then it goes to late 80's early 90's ESP explorers as being the best. They used great light woods no multi piece bodies, correct truss rod covers etc. As you the ESP production gets newer the quality goes down IMO but it is still way better than Gibson. Some of these sound better than the KL but just are not built as nice.

As for Gibson they are kind of crappy. I owned around four 84-85 explorers and two were just crap one was great and the last was mediocre. Also the explorers from the early 90's were awesome but had that ugly pickguard.

As "other brands" like Ran I put them between Gibson and ESP. Things are just different on those and they miss a lot of the details that make the KL nice.

Hope this helps.

Sweet thanks. I see some ESP explorers on eBay and a lot of them have bolt on necks. Is that always the case?

No those were made for the USA market in the late 90's, if you look at my photobucket none of my ESP explorers have bolt on necks.

I would not buy a ESP exp with a bolt on neck.

Ya, I saw that non of yours were bolt-on. Good to know. Does the ESP custom shop still make Explorers like yours? Or are they only doing the ex/fx ones now? It would be great to have a couple made some time in flamed top silverburst and a goldtop one.

 

[Les Zombie]

I'm used to Gibson's and I really like them. What order would you rank the KL's, Gibson's, and ESP explorers? Thanks

I own a KL and owned a whole entire shitload of explorers both ESP and Gibson you can go to my photobucket as I have just about photographed every single one I have ever owned.

https://s301.photobucket.com/home/EXPcustom/allalbums

My take is build quality on the KL is the best.

Then it goes to late 80's early 90's ESP explorers as being the best. They used great light woods no multi piece bodies, correct truss rod covers etc. As you the ESP production gets newer the quality goes down IMO but it is still way better than Gibson. Some of these sound better than the KL but just are not built as nice.

What's the specs on your KL, I couldn't find the pics in the link.
As for Gibson they are kind of crappy. I owned around four 84-85 explorers and two were just crap one was great and the last was mediocre. Also the explorers from the early 90's were awesome but had that ugly pickguard.

As "other brands" like Ran I put them between Gibson and ESP. Things are just different on those and they miss a lot of the details that make the KL nice.

Hope this helps.

 

[EXPcustom]

I'm used to Gibson's and I really like them. What order would you rank the KL's, Gibson's, and ESP explorers? Thanks

I own a KL and owned a whole entire shitload of explorers both ESP and Gibson you can go to my photobucket as I have just about photographed every single one I have ever owned.

https://s301.photobucket.com/home/EXPcustom/allalbums

My take is build quality on the KL is the best.

Then it goes to late 80's early 90's ESP explorers as being the best. They used great light woods no multi piece bodies, correct truss rod covers etc. As you the ESP production gets newer the quality goes down IMO but it is still way better than Gibson. Some of these sound better than the KL but just are not built as nice.

As for Gibson they are kind of crappy. I owned around four 84-85 explorers and two were just crap one was great and the last was mediocre. Also the explorers from the early 90's were awesome but had that ugly pickguard.

As "other brands" like Ran I put them between Gibson and ESP. Things are just different on those and they miss a lot of the details that make the KL nice.

Hope this helps.

Sweet thanks. I see some ESP explorers on eBay and a lot of them have bolt on necks. Is that always the case?

No those were made for the USA market in the late 90's, if you look at my photobucket none of my ESP explorers have bolt on necks.

I would not buy a ESP exp with a bolt on neck.

Ya, I saw that non of yours were bolt-on. Good to know. Does the ESP custom shop still make Explorers like yours? Or are they only doing the ex/fx ones now? It would be great to have a couple made some time in flamed top silverburst and a goldtop one.

In Japan they will but you have to have a Japanese dealer place the order. In the USA they have not made them since 2001 or 2002.

You can get what's called a MXII over there in pretty much any solid color for around 3 grand. Thats a standard set neck ESP explorer. Take a look at the black one titled MX250 in my photobucket. They used to be called the MX250 now its the MXII.

Any thing more is a custom shop order and get ready to pay around 4 to 5k for a ESP explorer with a custom color. They wont do any custom inlays that Hetfield has like the middle fingers etc.

 

[EXPcustom]

What's the specs on your KL, I couldn't find the pics in the link.

I got to upload and take new pics the old pics are on my comcast photoserver which is fubar'd right now.

Its the 90's Hetfield spec KL with Chechen top Red fiber optics and Hunting the beast inlay. I have to talk to Ken about doing a new fretboard for it... I want to do a much cooler hunting scene.

 

[steve_k]

Warmoth also makes a KL headstock neck in various woods as well as EXP bodies if you want roll your own....

http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicSho ... sc,Kenneth


Steve

 

[Les Zombie]

What's the specs on your KL, I couldn't find the pics in the link.

I got to upload and take new pics the old pics are on my comcast photoserver which is fubar'd right now.

Its the 90's Hetfield spec KL with Chechen top Red fiber optics and Hunting the beast inlay. I have to talk to Ken about doing a new fretboard for it... I want to do a much cooler hunting scene.

Did u buy it on eBay, there was 2 of that guitar that sold last year for 5k.
The first one was a guy from the ESP board that was selling, the other one sold either late last year or earlier this year.

 

[dbsens13]

I'm used to Gibson's and I really like them. What order would you rank the KL's, Gibson's, and ESP explorers? Thanks

I own a KL and owned a whole entire shitload of explorers both ESP and Gibson you can go to my photobucket as I have just about photographed every single one I have ever owned.

https://s301.photobucket.com/home/EXPcustom/allalbums

My take is build quality on the KL is the best.

Then it goes to late 80's early 90's ESP explorers as being the best. They used great light woods no multi piece bodies, correct truss rod covers etc. As you the ESP production gets newer the quality goes down IMO but it is still way better than Gibson. Some of these sound better than the KL but just are not built as nice.

As for Gibson they are kind of crappy. I owned around four 84-85 explorers and two were just crap one was great and the last was mediocre. Also the explorers from the early 90's were awesome but had that ugly pickguard.

As "other brands" like Ran I put them between Gibson and ESP. Things are just different on those and they miss a lot of the details that make the KL nice.

Hope this helps.

Sweet thanks. I see some ESP explorers on eBay and a lot of them have bolt on necks. Is that always the case?

No those were made for the USA market in the late 90's, if you look at my photobucket none of my ESP explorers have bolt on necks.

I would not buy a ESP exp with a bolt on neck.

Ya, I saw that non of yours were bolt-on. Good to know. Does the ESP custom shop still make Explorers like yours? Or are they only doing the ex/fx ones now? It would be great to have a couple made some time in flamed top silverburst and a goldtop one.

In Japan they will but you have to have a Japanese dealer place the order. In the USA they have not made them since 2001 or 2002.

You can get what's called a MXII over there in pretty much any solid color for around 3 grand. Thats a standard set neck ESP explorer. Take a look at the black one titled MX250 in my photobucket. They used to be called the MX250 now its the MXII.

Any thing more is a custom shop order and get ready to pay around 4 to 5k for a ESP explorer with a custom color. They wont do any custom inlays that Hetfield has like the middle fingers etc.

where can I find a Japanese dealer w/out going to Japan?

 

[EXPcustom]

What's the specs on your KL, I couldn't find the pics in the link.

I got to upload and take new pics the old pics are on my comcast photoserver which is fubar'd right now.

Its the 90's Hetfield spec KL with Chechen top Red fiber optics and Hunting the beast inlay. I have to talk to Ken about doing a new fretboard for it... I want to do a much cooler hunting scene.

Did u buy it on eBay, there was 2 of that guitar that sold last year for 5k.
The first one was a guy from the ESP board that was selling, the other one sold either late last year or earlier this year.

I got this one years ago from a ESP board member and it was Ansley's first KL I think...

I paid much less than 5k.

 

[DiezelMonster]

the KL explorers look amazing! I'd love for him to build me an ML but I doubt he would ever want to build one, let alone one with a floyd! but still amazing none the less!

C