1958 Korina Explorer Review

It has a ebony finish, tune o matic bridge, rosewood fretboard, korina body, 22 jumbo frets, and 2 alnico classic humbucking pickups. with 2 volume knobs, 1 tone, and a 3 way selector switch. It also came with a lead and an extra set of strings.

Features:	8.7
Sound:	8
Action:	9
Reliability:	9
Impression:	9.3
Overall rating:	8.8
Users rating:	9.3
Comments:	20

overall: 8.6

Featured review by: big-boy-mike, on november 19, 2008

Price paid: £ 350

Purchased from: GuitarGuitar

Features: I bought this guitar in 2007 from guitarguitar (a shop) for £350. It has a ebony finish, tune o matic bridge, rosewood fretboard, korina body, 22 jumbo frets, and 2 alnico classic humbucking pickups. with 2 volume knobs, 1 tone, and a 3 way selector switch. It also came with a lead and an extra set of strings. But it was covered in condensation when taken out the box. Not a good thing. // 8

Sound: It has a really wierd sound for it's pickups, although I like it. I don't use any effects, just a Peavey amp, which it sounds good on, but it gets mushy with distortion at high volumes. The Music I play is led zeppelin, AC/DC, Trivium, twisted sister, and Van Halen. It sounds good for the classic rock stuff, but it really isn't a metal guitar. but that's just an Epiphone thing. But it has a good variety, very good clean tone. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: It was actually quite good when it came out the box, everything was set up fine, no real flaws. But it was covered in condensation, but that's not really the factories fault. Other than that, all's good. but the treble pickup could do with a raise, as it is the same height as the rhythm pickup, but it's raised no real problems so far. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I would definetily gig with this without backup. It's extremely reliable. but the neck strap button is poorly placed, the strap just pops off it. But a straplock sorted that. The hardware is in excellent nick, and will surely last a while. I can really find nothing wrong with it's reliability, it is put together extremely well. // 10

Impression: It's perfectly matches my style of music, and it doesnt't't even compare to my Epiphone SG. I've been playing 2 years now, and it is defo my main guitar, the thing is my pride and joy. And if it were stolen, I would hunt down the guy that stole it, and kill him. The only bad thing is, the protruding edges are easily chipped as they stick out for miles, but it's looking okay right now. So overall, a really nice guitar! the only thing I would swap for it would be the same guitar in a natural finish, which is what I wanted originally, but all they had in stock was ebony. And of course, it being korina, it weighs a ton! Only thing I wish it had was slightly more capable pickups. hoping to get EMG's for it. // 9

overall: 9

Reviewed by: I is be sexy, on july 10, 2009

Price paid: $ 300

Purchased from: ebay

Features: 22 medium jumbo frets (more like medium) on a 24 3/4" scale mahogany set neck, rosewood fretboard with Dot inlays. "Korina" body, supposedly like mahogany, but quite lightweight. Gold hardware, Grover non-locking tuners, Tune-O-Matic bridge, white plastic nut. Two volume, one tone, three way rhythm-both-treble toggle Switch. Two "Alcino Classic" humbuckers. // 9

Sound: I play mostly metal, but also some hard rock and classic rock, and this guitar is awesome for all of those. I've also played blues and even funk on it with pretty good results. Even though I just use a crappy 9-year-old hand-me-down 15 watt Crate starter amp with no effects, it sounds quite good, with a much fuller clean sound and much ballsier distorted sound than my Ibanez RG of comparable price. However, pinch harmonics are kind of hard to pull off, and with tone, volume, and gain turned up it's kinda noisy, so I think I'll switch out the pickups for EMGs or something eventually. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: It has several dents in the finish, but those are obviously due to the fact that I got it used. There was only two flaw I've found in this category, and that might be part of what made it a 2nd: the 20th fret is too high and needs to be filed down, because any bends on the 19th fret fret out. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I've played it Live once, and it held up through the performance, but afterward, one of the strap buttons fell out. However, not only did I get the guitar used, but it was also stamped "2nd", so a new one that wasn't a 2nd would probably hold up better. Plus, I planned to move the strap button to the back, anyway. There were already several dents in it when I got it, but the finish seems good, and even though I've accidentally hit the guitar off a few things, I haven't added any new dents. The neck pickup stopped working once or twice (probably bad wiring from being a 2nd), but if I just hit the strings pretty hard it pops back on. Because of my heavy palm muting, some of the gold plating has worn off of the bridge, but this obviously doesn't affect sound or playability, and I actually think it kinda looks cool. // 8

Impression: As I said earlier, I play mostly metal, and this guitar looks and sounds the part. I've gotten several comments along the lines of "that is the most awesome thing I have ever seen" and "dude, that guitar makes you look totally badass." It also plays very well, with a nice neck and the shortish scale length. There are only three things I wish it had that I can't really change without a major project: neck through, a bigger cutaway, and 24 frets, although a bigger cutaway might make it look awful, and if it had 24 frets without changing the cutaway, they would be hard to reach. I have two guitars, this one and an Ibanez RG320EX (in limited edition blue... aww yeah), and even though the RG is cool, I usually only play the Ibanez when I need a whammy bar, or when I get a hankerin for 24 frets and a giant cutaway. If it was stolen, I wouldn't buy another one, but that's because I'm really poor right now and wouldn't be able to. // 10

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: Edby, on january 09, 2009

Price paid: £ 320

Purchased from: Dawsons Music

Features: Made in India according to a label behind the headstock, this guitar has 23 medium frets, marked with Dot inlays. The fingerboard is dark rosewood, which gives it a classy look and feel. The shape of the Explorer is perfect for me because it gives all (if not more) of the classic style of a V guitar without the fact that you can't really sit down and play v guitars in relative comfort. It is a very showy guitar but it's also incredibly easy to play sitting down as your arm just rests on the upper bout. There are is a volume pick up for each humbucker and a tone knob. It came completely alone when I got it and had to pay an additional 60 quid for a gig bag that would fit it. // 9

Sound: I'm a lead guitarist in a british punk band and among the other guys's cold, steely sounding Jackson guitars this guitars warm tone gives a lovely bit of class to our sound. At highs and lows it delivers a great warm tone. The only fault I can find with it is that while the Jackson guitars are built for full overdrive and cut out all background buzz, it's just a bit of an embarrassing moment when I plug into the amp the other guitarist is using and mine is the only one that buzzes. The buzz isnt loud, it's just present. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was all perfectly set up straight out of the shop. The pickups were at a perfect level straight away and ready for action. There were no major flaws other than the strings were extremely stiff for the first few bends but they soon slackened into a perfect amount of tension. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is one of the most reliably solid and great sounding guitars I've ever played. I'm'always banging it on doorways and stuff and not even a scratch yet. I would definitely use it would it ithout a back up. The strap buttons are at slightly wierd angles so straplocks are essential. // 9

Impression: Though I'm part of a mainly punk band, I play mostly guitar based american rock like Black Sabbath and ACDC. This guitar suits that perfectly. It has very warm sleek tones. My band amp is a beefy Fender one and I can get a great tone out of that for classic rock with the gain just at about 7 or 8ish depending how angry I am. I compared it to a Jackson kelly, an epi SG and one of the cheapest Gibson les pauls. I took this one because it's so easy to play, I accustomed to it in seconds without having to point it up and have the lead digging into my knee like most design guitars it just felt as though it had been made for someone to play. I'm thinking of replacing the humbuckers with better quality ones to get rid of the buzz. // 9

Comments

[fretsonfire74]

Don't like it in yellow, but it's a damn nice guitar.

[deadlydunc]

if it has a rosewood fretboard, what is finished in ebony?

[Underjoggle]

deadlydunc wrote:

if it has a rosewood fretboard, what is finished in ebony?

The body comes in natural Korina or Ebony finishes, it just happened to have the natural picture up.

[trashbeast]

The guitar..? Lol. Ebony=Black

[damskippy]

I've got an Epiphone Korina SG, not terribly fond of it. It has that Yellow Korina finish as well, I added gold hardware and it looks pretty damn cool. If only it played as well as it looks. The tone is kind of ambiguous, but the neck feels really good. But over all since my buddy gave it to me for free I guess I shouldn't bitch.

[Vendim]

The only bad thing .....the only thing I would swap...Only thing I wish it had.....
I guess you wanted to say: There are SOME things...

I've got a Gibson Explorer and it was in a poor condition.... The fretboard wasn't adjustet really good ( but I handed my guiatr the guitar builder and he fixed it), there is a (little)scratch on the headstock and the toggle shwitch doesn't work sometimes... I guess I have to call the guitar-guy again... The guitar was (for a Gibson ONLY) 888 Euro and for that amount of money I expected a better guitar...

[warrenguitar]

Looks like a great guitar, i love the explorer shape! Wat's the difference between normal and jumbo frets?

[Rutherford]

Damn Awsome Guitar

[nowa90]

warrenguitar :
Looks like a great guitar, i love the explorer shape! Wat's the difference between normal and jumbo frets?

the size

[leony03]

nowa90 wrote:

warrenguitar :
Looks like a great guitar, i love the explorer shape! Wat's the difference between normal and jumbo frets?
the size

haha. Jumbo frets are a cheaper way of producing what is known as a “scalloped” fretboard. The idea behind this is to make it so that your fingers don’t have to actually press all the way down onto the neck of the guitar, thus allowing you to have a lighter (and therefore (supposedly) faster) touch. What some guitarists would do is to have the fret board slightly dug out (scalloped) between the frets. Putting slightly higher (or “jumbo”) frets is a lot cheaper than having a scalloped fretboard.

copied and pasted off a website

[sandman-105]

i've been thinking of getting this or the Epi goth for a Brootle Explorer build but since they are the same ecpt the cosmetics i think i will get the goth and save like $100
thanks for the review

[David_Bowie=GOD]

sandman-105 wrote:

i've been thinking of getting this or the Epi goth for a Brootle Explorer build but since they are the same ecpt the cosmetics i think i will get the goth and save like $100
thanks for the review

korina is a better sounding wood

[Bbauer]

ive learned to hate epiphone, ive relized that epiphone to gibson sucks compared to ltd to esp, ltd's are built with more quality and precesion the epis ever will be

[thegrungyhippie]

Bbauer wrote:

ive learned to hate epiphone, ive relized that epiphone to gibson sucks compared to ltd to esp, ltd's are built with more quality and precesion the epis ever will be

XD

[Instant Mash]

Bbauer wrote:

ive learned to hate epiphone, ive relized that epiphone to gibson sucks compared to ltd to esp, ltd's are built with more quality and precesion the epis ever will be

Could that be because Epiphones aren't built specifically for your style of music, which I'm gonna assume is metal?

[Joseph Castro]

Bbauer wrote:

ive learned to hate epiphone, ive relized that epiphone to gibson sucks compared to ltd to esp, ltd's are built with more quality and precesion the epis ever will be

i hate esp's. the fret bars are too high for me

[Edby]

hmm am looking for a crisp clean tone and i can either get this or a jackson JS30KE Kelly. The kellys got really good reviews but im afraid the kelly might go out of fashion whereas this is a timeless classic design!
Help
Help?

[fretman5000]

Joseph Castro wrote:

Bbauer wrote:

ive learned to hate epiphone, ive relized that epiphone to gibson sucks compared to ltd to esp, ltd's are built with more quality and precesion the epis ever will be

i hate esp's. the fret bars are too high for me

i hate esps 2. they are very poor quality that ive played and are overpriced 4 what they r.

[nickofzo]

not bad

[Mannlespaulguy]

Joseph Castro wrote:

Bbauer wrote:

ive learned to hate epiphone, ive relized that epiphone to gibson sucks compared to ltd to esp, ltd's are built with more quality and precesion the epis ever will be

i hate esp's. the fret bars are too high for me

Same here... i've owned both guitars and i prefer the epiphone more that esp