Epiphone has unveiled the Lzzy Hale Explorer™ Custom, a new signature guitar designed in collaboration with Halestorm frontwoman, vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale. Combining the instantly recognisable Explorer shape with a striking new finish and a set of high-output ProBucker™ Ignite pickups, the instrument is built to deliver the power, sustain and stage presence associated with Hale’s playing.
Hale has been closely associated with the Explorer for much of her career. Although she initially played Gibson Les Pauls, she developed a particular affinity for the Explorer while recording Halestorm’s self-titled debut album in 2009. She eventually bought her first Explorer second-hand through Craigslist, and the model became a defining part of her guitar identity.
Her relationship with Epiphone dates back to 2019, when the company introduced the limited-edition Lzzy Hale Signature Explorer. That model featured a mahogany body in Alpine White, gold hardware, an ebony fingerboard and Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers. Hale worked directly with Epiphone’s Nashville luthiers on the design, creating an instrument intended to reflect both her aggressive playing style and her distinctive visual identity.
The new Explorer Custom takes that concept in a darker and more contemporary direction. Its mahogany Explorer body features elegant seven-ply top binding and is finished in Gloss Black Diamond Holographic Sparkle, designed to catch the light from the stage. A single-ply mirror pickguard adds another reflective element, giving the guitar a suitably dramatic appearance for one of hard rock’s most recognisable performers.
The mahogany neck uses Epiphone’s SlimTaper™ 60s C profile, providing a fast and comfortable playing feel, while the ebony fingerboard carries 22 medium jumbo frets and pearloid block inlays. The traditional Explorer “hockey stick” headstock is fitted with a raised Epiphone 3D nickel logo, Graph Tech® nut and Grover® Mini Rotomatic® tuners.
Custom detailing includes a two-ply black truss rod cover engraved with a reproduction of Hale’s signature and a black stinger on the rear of the headstock. At the bridge, a LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ and LockTone Stop Bar tailpiece are intended to provide reliable intonation and sustain, important considerations for Hale’s combination of heavy rhythm work, bends and lead playing.
At the heart of the Explorer Custom is a matched pair of Epiphone ProBucker™ Ignite pickups, designed to deliver a combination of power and clarity. Each pickup has its own volume control, while a shared master tone control is topped by a silver Speed knob. A three-way toggle provides straightforward selection between the neck pickup, bridge pickup or both.
The new model continues a long-running creative relationship between Hale and the Gibson family of brands. In 2021, Gibson named Hale its first female brand ambassador, with the partnership extending across Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer instruments. The collaboration subsequently produced the Gibson Lzzy Hale Explorer and the distinctive Explorerbird, which combined an Explorer body and neck with a Firebird-style headstock.
For Hale, the Explorer has become more than simply a signature shape. Its combination of visual impact, high-output tone and physical presence has made it an important part of Halestorm’s live identity. The new Epiphone model retains that connection while offering a different aesthetic from the white-and-gold Explorer that first established her signature relationship with the brand.
The Lzzy Hale Explorer Custom is supplied with a hardshell case, making it ready for the demands of touring as well as studio and stage use. With its holographic sparkle finish, ebony fingerboard, Explorer construction and ProBucker Ignite pickups, it is an instrument aimed squarely at players who want their guitar to make an impact both sonically and visually.
Epiphone Lzzy Hale Explorer Blk Holograph Sparkle
RRP $2199
Available Mid September 2026
Australis Music Group
