A cool new Gibson style that is making waves around the world.
The Gibson Shark Fin is every bit as eye-catching as the original Explorer, which Gibson debuted in 1958, but this sleek axe has a look and feel all its own. Until you take a closer look at this electric guitar, you may not even realize that the Shark Fin is a descendant of the Gibson Explorer guitar. With its rounded "fin," a midsection that looks like it's had a bite taken from it and an inverted headstock, this Gibson guitar is an original that speaks volumes about the tastes of its owner. The Gibson Shark Fin guitar hasn't completely overlooked its predecessor's blueprints, retaining the must-have components that have made the Explorer a bestseller for more than 50 years: a mahogany body, hybrid neck profile, humbucking 496R and 500T pickups, and classic Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece.
The Gibson Shark Fin is comprised of several pieces of the finest mahogany far a round, open, warm tone. The swooping relief cuts that form the guitar's asymmetrical shape are carefully engineered for maximum balance in your hands. The high gloss 90-sheen lacquer finish gives the Shark Fin electric guitar a sleek surface that's smooth to the touch.
The neck of the Shark Fin is constructed from a solid piece of mahogany, the hands-down best choice for guitarists who demand a strong but lightweight neck. The neck on the Gibson Shark Fin has the best of both worlds—slimmer than the '60s profile with a rounded '50s shape. This is the neck of choice for many guitarists because it is neither too fat nor too thin and handles comfortably in hands of all sizes. The Shark Fin is outfitted with a headstock typically used on left-handed Explorers, as to maximize access to the silver tuners.
Each Gibson Shark Fin comes with a classic ebony fingerboard. Born in the jungles of Madagascar and India, this dense and durable wood makes for an extremely balanced and stable fingerboard. Ebony is always rich in tonal response, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The Shark Fin sports 22 frets and has a 12-inch radius that provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates "dead" or "choked out" notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses.
Traditionally included on Explorer model guitars, the 496R and 500T humbucking pickups equip the Shark Fin with outstanding tone and performance. Introduced in the early 1970s, Gibson's 496R and 500T pickups filled the need for more powerful humbuckers and energized the emergence of hard rock and heavy metal. The 496R produces incredible sustain and cutting power with its ceramic magnet while the 500T rocks to the core with its three ceramic magnet structure. This is one of Gibson's most powerful pickup combinations.
The Shark Fin is equipped with Schaller's chrome-plated "Knurled Bob" tuning keys. The "knurled" keys, which are impressed with a diamond pattern, provide optimum grip, a utilitarian look and a tuning ratio of 14:01. The Gibson tune-o-matic and stopbar tailpiece provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields a great union between the strings and body, which results in excellent tone and sustain.
The Shark Fin comes with a Gibson Explorer hardshell case and a 2009 Limited Run series Certificate of Authenticity.
