Best Explorer Style Guitars With C Neck Profile in 2024
Here are the top Explorer style guitars with C neck profile. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.
Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.
After comparing the 2000+ guitars in our database, these are the best scoring ones with these characteristics. You can use our filters to the left to narrow down these results, or click on "Compare" to get a deep comparison between them. Our automated scoring system takes into account the ratings from ours users who own the guitar, and dozens of parameters to determine the build quality, playability, pickups quality, value for money, and more.
There are affiliate links on this page that may earn us a commission if you purchase after clicking. We are members of the Amazon Associates Program, and many others. However, we compare each guitar against each other under the same parameters, so this doesn't influence our scoring.
After comparing the 2000+ guitars in our database, these are the best scoring ones with these characteristics. You can use our filters to the left to narrow down these results, or click on "Compare" to get a deep comparison between them. Our automated scoring system takes into account the ratings from ours users who own the guitar, and dozens of parameters to determine the build quality, playability, pickups quality, value for money, and more.
There are affiliate links on this page that may earn us a commission if you purchase after clicking. We are members of the Amazon Associates Program, and many others. However, we compare each guitar against each other under the same parameters, so this doesn't influence our scoring.
1. Schecter E-1 FR S Special Edition
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What our users think
- Neck access to high frets: Very Easy (2 votes)
- Fret edges: Smooth (2 votes)
- Tuning stability: Won't get out of tune (2 votes)
- Weight: Slightly heavy (2 votes)
- Neck profile shape: C (42 votes)
- Neck speed (thickness): Fast (37 votes)
- Pickups noise: Noiseless (3 votes)
- Pickups power: Hot (3 votes)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter E-1 FR S Special Edition
Schecter E-1 FR S Special Edition
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Sustainer Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Retainer Bar
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in South Korea
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
2. Solar E1.6FRLB
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What our users think
- Neck profile shape: C (12 votes)
- Neck speed (thickness): Balanced (7 votes)
- Pickups noise: Noiseless (9 votes)
- Pickups power: Slightly Hot (9 votes)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Solar E1.6FRLB
Solar E1.6FRLB
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
3. Dean Zero Select Floyd Fluence
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What our users think
- Pickups noise: Noiseless (3 votes)
- Pickups power: Slightly Hot (2 votes)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean Zero Select Floyd Fluence
Dean Zero Select Floyd Fluence
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Tremolo
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
4. Harley Benton EX-76 Classic
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What our users think
- Pickups noise: Noiseless (2 votes)
- Pickups power: Slightly Hot (3 votes)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Harley Benton EX-76 Classic
Harley Benton EX-76 Classic
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
5. Gibson 80s Explorer
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What our users think
- Neck profile shape: C (8 votes)
- Neck speed (thickness): Fast (6 votes)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson 80s Explorer
Gibson 80s Explorer
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tri-Sound Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
6. Epiphone Brendon Small GhostHorse Explorer
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What our users think
- Fret edges: Smooth (1 vote)
- Tuning stability: Holds tune well (1 vote)
- Weight: Slightly heavy (1 vote)
- Neck profile shape: D (10 votes)
- Neck speed (thickness): Balanced (7 votes)
- Pickups noise: Noiseless (1 vote)
- Pickups power: Clean (1 vote)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone Brendon Small GhostHorse Explorer
Epiphone Brendon Small GhostHorse Explorer
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom Explorer Custom w/ Ebony Fingerboard Gloss
Gibson Custom Explorer Custom w/ Ebony Fingerboard Gloss
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
8. Schecter E-1 SLS Evil Twin
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What our users think
- Tuning stability: Won't stay in tune (1 vote)
- Neck profile shape: C (15 votes)
- Neck speed (thickness): Fast (12 votes)
- Pickups noise: Noiseless (20 votes)
- Pickups power: Hot (17 votes)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter E-1 SLS Evil Twin
Schecter E-1 SLS Evil Twin
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Compensated Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Made in South Korea
- No Weight Relief
- No Tremolo
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
9. Schecter E-1 SLS Elite
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What our users think
- Neck profile shape: C (15 votes)
- Neck speed (thickness): Fast (12 votes)
- Pickups noise: Noiseless (20 votes)
- Pickups power: Hot (17 votes)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter E-1 SLS Elite
Schecter E-1 SLS Elite
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Compensated Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Neck-Through Build
- Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Made in South Korea
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
All Prices
10. Schecter Balsac E-1 FR
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What our users think
- Neck profile shape: C (15 votes)
- Neck speed (thickness): Fast (12 votes)
- Pickups noise: Noiseless (20 votes)
- Pickups power: Hot (17 votes)
Strengths & Weaknesses
Schecter Balsac E-1 FR
Schecter Balsac E-1 FR
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Multi-Voicing Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Retainer Bar
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock