The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar that made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings, the Flying V which was released the same year, and the Moderne which was designed in 1957 but not released until 1982. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design which years later Gibson marketed under the name Futura.The Explorer's initial run was unsuccessful, and the model was discontinued in 1963.