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I was wondering what brand of guitar makes a good quality explorer shape guitar with korina wood or if i should just custom order it and if so from where. Im just worried if a lesser quallity hardware would affect the tone and ive also heard that some companies korina guitars arent real korina wood. Ive heard that the ibanez lawsuit explorers from the 70s were good quality and obviously the gibsons are good quality but what else is there.

i had a 76 gibson korina wood explorer. I thought it was a great guitar. then I played a hamer explorer. It was a usa model and it killed my Gibson. I never thought I would say that till I played it but it did. It was just a better guitar plain and simple. I dont know how the current usa hamers are. I dont own one. But I will tell you this. If they are anything like the one I played they are the best by far.

I don't know about the quality of them, but Epiphone sells korina guitars, or at least they did. I've only heard of Gibson and Epi selling korina :/


Originally Posted by philthisi had a 76 gibson korina wood explorer. I thought it was a great guitar. then I played a hamer explorer. It was a usa model and it killed my Gibson. I never thought I would say that till I played it but it did. It was just a better guitar plain and simple. I dont know how the current usa hamers are. I dont own one. But I will tell you this. If they are anything like the one I played they are the best by far. You sure that was a Gibson or theat it was from ´76?? IIRC Gibson was only using Mahogany back then, but I may be off...


Originally Posted by ZerberusYou sure that was a Gibson or theat it was from ´76?? IIRC Gibson was only using Mahogany back then, but I may be off...

No you may be right. they told me it was a korina wood gibson explorer when I got it from the guitar store but you are more likely right. I got it used cuz I only had $450 and everybody wanted strats at the time. A few years later I played the Hamer explorer and it was so much better. The neck and fret board was better. The body cutaway up at the higher frets was wider and a little more rounded giveing me better access to the higher frets. It had better sustain. It was the same color as my gibson-just wood tone.

The actual reissues from 1976 were Korina...jes like the original Explorers.

I've seen both Korina and Mahogany quot;76 reissuesquot; (i.e reissues of the 76 reissue) .

The vast majority of production Explorers are Mahogany. Personally I prefer the Mahogany, having owned an actual 76 made of Korina and few Mahogany ones.

Nothin wrong at all w/ current Explorers. Some don't care for the pups, but def a great axe. One of my fave guitars ever was a 1988 pewter Explorer (ebony board) with a SH5b/SH1n...that was one incredible sounding guitar. BUt the neck was HUGE jes like my 76. Newer Explorers have a slimmer neck.

The Hamer Standards are sweet guitars too. But that is comparing apples and oranges. A Hamer USA Standard is a $2500 guitar. A Gibson USA Explorer (barring a custom shop model) is a $1000 guitar.

Regardless, Korina sounds good (and many say jes a variation of Mahogany..same family species), but I prefer Mahogany. If ya want some added brightness get a White Explorer with the ebony board.

since when do white explorers have ebony boards? is it just new this year or what


Originally Posted by ex-250since when do white explorers have ebony boards? is it just new this year or what

Nope..been that way for awhile...V's, Explorers...Musician's Friend even has a exclusive Studio Firebird in White with an Ebony board.

Not sure when they started it, but like I said, my old 88 had an ebony board , and Mathias Jabs' early eighties white explorer (with the black stripes) had one too. Many of Michael Schenker's later V's had them too (the Customs with the block inlays mostly, but even a couple dot inlay quot;standardquot; V's)

Not sure why Gibson does that, other than for a cosmetics issue. They also cost more than a rosewood board version.

The latest MF catalog is advertising both Gibson and Epi Explorers in Korina. Of course, that catalog is so full of mistakes, who knows?

FIRST, KORINA IS A FINISH, LIMBA IS A WOOD, A KORINA FINISH IS USALLY APPLIED TO A PIECE OF LIMBA WOOD
A 1976 Explorer is mahogany unless it was special ordered made from Limba.

The Epiphone V's Explorers and Modernes are made from bleached mahogany and other woods (lots of times it is northeren ash), with a korina stain. I have had a few rants about the quot;Korinaquot; Epi's, do a search if you want more info

Even the 70's Ibanez V's Explorers and Modernes were made from bleached Mahogany and or Ash.

The supply of real limba is going away fast, (Just ask Evan, he got the story from Jol Danzig of Hamer)...if you want a real Limba Explorer I suggest a Hamer or an 80's Gibson 58 reissue...remember Korina is just a finish, if you ask for a Korina Explorer you leave yourself wide open for almost anything, if you look hard you can fina an 80's 58 reissue (the serial number will be stamped in black ink and it will be a letter (either A,B,C,D or E...maybe an F) followed by 3 numbers. Those are from the first set of 58 reissues, they did around 1500 V's less than 1000 Explorers and 143 Modernes (I know all this because I have one of the Modernes and I did lots of research)...good luck with your hunt


Originally Posted by JeffBNope..been that way for awhile...V's, Explorers...Musician's Friend even has a exclusive Studio Firebird in White with an Ebony board.

Not sure when they started it, but like I said, my old 88 had an ebony board , and Mathias Jabs' early eighties white explorer (with the black stripes) had one too. Many of Michael Schenker's later V's had them too (the Customs with the block inlays mostly, but even a couple dot inlay quot;standardquot; V's)

Not sure why Gibson does that, other than for a cosmetics issue. They also cost more than a rosewood board version.well sh!t.....i guess thats why the fretboard on my white explorer is so dark

I may be wrong, but I heard that some of the ibanez exporers from the 70s were made of limba wood. If anyone knows, what years were these limba ones made?

Even the 70's Ibanez V's Explorers and Modernes were made from bleached Mahogany and or Ash


Originally Posted by the guy who invented fireFIRST, KORINA IS A FINISH, LIMBA IS A WOOD, A KORINA FINISH IS USALLY APPLIED TO A PIECE OF LIMBA WOOD
A 1976 Explorer is mahogany unless it was special ordered made from Limba.

The Epiphone V's Explorers and Modernes are made from bleached mahogany and other woods (lots of times it is northeren ash), with a korina stain. I have had a few rants about the quot;Korinaquot; Epi's, do a search if you want more info

Even the 70's Ibanez V's Explorers and Modernes were made from bleached Mahogany and or Ash.

The supply of real limba is going away fast, (Just ask Evan, he got the story from Jol Danzig of Hamer)...if you want a real Limba Explorer I suggest a Hamer or an 80's Gibson 58 reissue...remember Korina is just a finish, if you ask for a Korina Explorer you leave yourself wide open for almost anything, if you look hard you can fina an 80's 58 reissue (the serial number will be stamped in black ink and it will be a letter (either A,B,C,D or E...maybe an F) followed by 3 numbers. Those are from the first set of 58 reissues, they did around 1500 V's less than 1000 Explorers and 143 Modernes (I know all this because I have one of the Modernes and I did lots of research)...good luck with your hunt

WORD!!!!!!!!

How would an ash or mahogany explorer (like the 70s ibanez model) sound (tone wise) compared to a korina explorer. I was really thinking on buying one of those cause i heard they were really good quallity and they are pretty cheap.