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My list of known original '58 through '63 korina Explorer serial numbers

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cfh

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Jul 31, 2004
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895
Here's more detail on three of them. i owned one of these way back.

8-4536 with nickel parts, maestro
8-4539 with gold parts, no maestro
8-4559 with nickel parts, maestro

MisterMiniMite said:
Cool - we seem to be up to 22. Why do I get the feeling that we might reach over 38 when all is said and done?

8-1008
8-1431
8-2118
8-2142
8-2153
8-3549
8-3850
8-3873
8-3876
8-4096
8-4451
8-4536
8-4539
8-4541
8-4542
8-4543
8-4545
8-4548
8-4549
8-4559
8-4567
9-1715
Click to expand...
 
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burstman59

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MisterMiniMite,
I also am somewhat of an original Explorer fanatic and have been compiling a list of Explorer ser #s for yrs and was going to post them as well but you beat me to it. I have put it somewhere and in cant find it but will compare it to yours when I do. meanwhile here are some I have found in my reference material. a rare 61 # 28012 as well as 27121 both impressed ser #s. I have a very hard to find Guitar World Sept 1983 that has a cool article on Explorers and the Centerfold is ser # 8 4592 once owned buy a guy named Paul Warren. Also just to be clear on 58/63 Explorer ser #s I have disscussed this with George Gruhn yrs ago as well as Tim Kummer when he worked at Guitar Trader. You cant assume Gibson shipped these in sequential order. I have believed for yrs that Gibson made at least one full batch (at least 40) and a few prototype Explorers and shipped maybe half in 58/59 and finished and shipped the others thru 63. In my opinion The Explorers like alot of Gibsons at the time were in various stages of build and most had been numbered before the finish was applied. when the time came to fill a few orders or even one guitar the worker would grab one or ever how many and complete them. this would explain for instance why my old ser # 8 4543 had nickle hardware and a later # like 8 4592 would have Gold hardware. the ones actually completed and sold in 58 would have Gold hardware and Pafs right? then the later build after 1960 would have nickle hardware.As Gruhn and others have stated for yrs these were hand made guitars and each one might have small differences from another but I dont see it exactly that way. The earliest ones probably prototypes with the split peghead only differed in peghead shape. Then came the ones we are most familiar with which had gold hardware, gold bonnet knobs and six individually cut single ring single line klusons and a 50s inked on # and brown case. For whatever reason most likely to cut cost the rest of the build after 1960 had nickle hardware Pat # pickups with cheaper 6 on a strip white plastic button klusons and a black case with yelow lining similar to a Firebird case of the same period. some like mine had the short nickle maestro vibrola as well. Ser # 9 1715 which belonged to a good friend of mine since the 70's was somewhat of an oddball 1st it has the 59 ser # but what makes it more unique is it has the nickle hardware but with original nickle Pafs not pat #s. It also has the brown case so its likely the last one made like that He always told me yrs before he passed away that he thought his Explorer was shipped in 61 or 62 the would explain the pafs. I have heard of a few 50's Vs with 59 ser #s so i'm sure there were a few Explorers with a 59 # also. I'll dig up more info and post later on.
 
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j45

j45

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Jun 14, 2002
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9,081
shuie said:
Clapton's was a '76 wasnt it? I think Collins guitar was a '63.

I would think that anyone doing anything unscrupulous with these guitars would love for this list to made public. I would expect to read about several of the previously uncirculated guitars being 'found' under beds if there were an official list.
Click to expand...


Pretty sure the sawed of Clapton Explorer was a '58.
 
shuie

shuie

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Aug 26, 2005
Messages
3,480
Great pic of 8-2153 in the Duchossoir book. Hockey stick headstock with a big 'G' inlay instead of the 'Gibson' script. Very cool.

I might cry if I learn Clapton's sawed off guitar was a '58.
 
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MisterMiniMite

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Messages
292
Burstman59 - thanks for all the great info! I think we're getting somewhere with our list - maybe we can continue to add to it as we track some more info down :) If you have any more serial numbers, I'd be fascinated to know.

8-3876 was Clapton's sawed-off, and from what I have seen, it appears to be the traditional '58 spec (gold hardware).
 
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MisterMiniMite

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Messages
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burstman59 said:
MisterMiniMite,
I also am somewhat of an original Explorer fanatic and have been compiling a list of Explorer ser #s for yrs and was going to post them as well but you beat me to it. I have put it somewhere and in cant find it but will compare it to yours when I do. meanwhile here are some I have found in my reference material. a rare 61 # 28012 as well as 27121 both impressed ser #s. I have a very hard to find Guitar World Sept 1983 that has a cool article on Explorers and the Centerfold is ser # 8 4592 once owned buy a guy named Paul Warren. Also just to be clear on 58/63 Explorer ser #s I have disscussed this with George Gruhn yrs ago as well as Tim Kummer when he worked at Guitar Trader. You cant assume Gibson shipped these in sequential order. I have believed for yrs that Gibson made at least one full batch (at least 40) and a few prototype Explorers and shipped maybe half in 58/59 and finished and shipped the others thru 63. In my opinion The Explorers like alot of Gibsons at the time were in various stages of build and most had been numbered before the finish was applied. when the time came to fill a few orders or even one guitar the worker would grab one or ever how many and complete them. this would explain for instance why my old ser # 8 4543 had nickle hardware and a later # like 8 4549 would have Gold hardware. the ones actually completed and sold in 58 would have Gold hardware and Pafs right? then the later build after 1960 would have nickle hardware.As Gruhn and others have stated for yrs these were hand made guitars and each one might have small differences from another but I dont see it exactly that way. The earliest ones probably prototypes with the split peghead only differed in peghead shape. Then came the ones we are most familiar with which had gold hardware, gold bonnet knobs and six individually cut single ring single line klusons and a 50s inked on # and brown case. For whatever reason most likely to cut cost the rest of the build after 1960 had nickle hardware Pat # pickups with cheaper 6 on a strip white plastic button klusons and a black case with yelow lining similar to a Firebird case of the same period. some like mine had the short nickle maestro vibrola as well. Ser # 9 1715 which belonged to a good friend of mine since the 70's was somewhat of an oddball 1st it has the 59 ser # but what makes it more unique is it has the nickle hardware but with original nickle Pafs not pat #s. It also has the brown case so its likely the last one made like that He always told me yrs before he passed away that he thought his Explorer was shipped in 61 or 62 the would explain the pafs. I have heard of a few 50's Vs with 59 ser #s so i'm sure there were a few Explorers with a 59 # also. I'll dig up more info and post later on.
Click to expand...


Not to keep repeating myself with this big list, but I figured I'd make it easy and post the entire updated list of presumed original serial numbers, in sequential order, for ease of reference going forward. This now makes a total of 25. Of course, this assumes all of these are genuine and accurate (a big assumption - I know...perhaps more with some of these numbers than others), but at this point, this could possibly be the most comprehensive attempt at ever doing something like this. And perhaps this list might grow even more if Burstman59 identifies more to add from his list - very cool!

8-1008
8-1431
8-2118
8-2142
8-2153
8-3549
8-3850
8-3873
8-3876
8-4096
8-4451
8-4536
8-4539
8-4541
8-4542
8-4543
8-4545
8-4548
8-4549
8-4559
8-4567
8 4592
9-1715
27121 (pressed-in)
28012 (pressed-in)

Regarding your late friend's 9-1715, I think it's very possible that that particular Explorer could have shipped in '62, since apparently the last inked-serial-number Flying V (at least the last one shipped) might have been 9-1704, shipped on 7/18/62.
 
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mirrorimij

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8 1431 has a split peghead and "G" logo instead of saying "Gibson" right.

I saw a 50's V that had a "ghost" outline of a G logo on the peghead but also had a traditional Gibson logo on it. It was the only one I ever saw like that and I'm pretty sure it was original.

BTW, I've seen, handled, played 4 original V's but never even saw an original Explorer in person. For those that have, did they all have one piece bodies? That is a mightly big chunk of Korina and I was wondering if any known 2 piece bodies exists.
 
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MisterMiniMite

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Interesting! - so, in terms of headstock and logo, is this correct for the first five listed above?

8-1008 - hockey stock headstock; Gibson logo (raised plastic)
8-1431 - split headstock; G logo
8-2118 - split headstock; Gibson logo (raised plastic)
8-2142 - split headstock; Gibson logo (?) (raised plastic?)
8-2153 - hockey stick headstock; G logo

If these are correct (please correct me if I'm wrong!), isn't it curious that 8-1008 would have a hockey stick headstock?

Maybe what happened was (?):
I figure anything with a "G" logo was definitely a prototype of some sort (I know, pretty obvious...). Weren't those the ones Gibson intended on showing at the NAMM show, since Gibson ownership was at first cautious/apprehensive about attaching the full Gibson name to the headstocks of these futuristic looking guitars?
Well, maybe Gibson put together a handful of prototypes with various combinations of characteristics (split headstock, hockey stick headstock, G logo, raised plastic Gibson logo, inlaid Gibson logo...), before finally deciding on the hockeystick headstock and inlayed Gibson logo combination as the final, "official" version for production. In this way, Gibson would have worked out these kinks *before* ever officially shipping the *first* Explorer. Then, instead of wasting anything, they sold and shipped all these varying prototypes, perhaps even spread out over the years, even though some were different from the final version.
I know all of this probably sounds obvious to some, but just to explain, I guess I always figured that Gibson (1) designed and settled on the split headstock version as the "official" version; then (2) shipped some of them like that; then (3) got some complaints from dealers about tuning issues, etc. with this design; and then (4) only out of necessity, due to feedback/complaints, went back to the drawing board and came up with the hockey stick headstock version. I guess I just figured that Gibson had settled on the split headstock design, but maybe not: perhaps Gibson already knew that they felt that design was "flawed" before even the *first* Explorer ever shipped, but shipped those handful of split headstock prototypes anyway...
 
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burstman59

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As far as I know all Explorers were 1 pc bodies. thats one thing that makes them unique. I mean think about it. That is one big chunk of white limba. All the Historic series Explorers that I know of are 1 pc as well. I'm sure there are a few forgeries with 1 pc bodies also. Another thing I forgot to metion is the neck heel and finish on these. Original early 58 versions with gold hardware tend to have a more rounded neck heel, Allen Collins version has the largest very rounded neck heel I've ever seen and Gibson duplicated this on the Allen Collins tribute mode. Also some explorers like the one previously mentioned in Gibson elecrtrics with the big G on the headstock and rear peghead stinger had the small round plastic cover plate on the back of the treble Horn to access the toggle switch from the rear if need be. Allen Collins Explorer and the Derringer/Chinnery split head Explorer and the impressed # 28012 has the plate as well. It was printed in the Sept.83 Explorer madness article that the the round cover shows up in alot of the ones shipped in the early 60's but I dont believe this to be the case. I think there were more Explorers shipped without the round cover plate than with. Robb lawrence and I discussed Explorers via email a few times and he sold a very nice one to John Entwistle back in the 70's. I dont know if this is the same one that sold at auction of not. also he told me he interviewed a guy at Kalamazoo yrs ago that sat or worked right next to the unfinished explorers for yrs. I couldnt imagine that. I could hear the guy saying to himself " I wish they would get rid of some of this junk and get it out of my way" . As for the finish a few of the early 60 models seem to have less of a shine to them like they omited some final stage of buffing sorta like what an authentic model looks like today. I could talk Explorers all day long but I'll sign off untill I remember something else.
 
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mirrorimij

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MisterMiniMite,

I believe 8-1008 has an inlaid logo instead of a raised logo.

Could be wrong but the photo I have seen of it doesn't look like raised plastic.

Bob
 
shuie

shuie

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cant see the guitar to well, but here's a shot of Clapton with his

ec_explorer.jpg
 
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MisterMiniMite

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mirrorimij said:
MisterMiniMite,

I believe 8-1008 has an inlaid logo instead of a raised logo.

Could be wrong but the photo I have seen of it doesn't look like raised plastic.

Bob
Click to expand...

Good call - I've never seen any pictures of any with a raised plastic logo and the hockey stick headstock - not sure what I was thinking when I typed that...the raised plastic logo probably wouldn't even fit on there! :) Seems like even with the very earliest ones, the hockey stick headstock went hand-in-hand with the inlaid Gibson logo

Burstman59 - please continue - I love your Explorer posts!!
 
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MisterMiniMite

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From a review of that Japanese page about Explorers linked above, I spotted what appear to be 2 additions:

8-3849
8-4552 (Slash - with Bigsby)

So now, we *might* have 27 (again, some of these are possibly more reliable than others...who knows... some could be replicas, some could be wrong due to incorrect transposing of digits when writing down or misreading a faint serial number, etc...)

8-1008
8-1431
8-2118
8-2142
8-2153
8-3549
8-3849
8-3850
8-3873
8-3876
8-4096
8-4451
8-4536
8-4539
8-4541
8-4542
8-4543
8-4545
8-4548
8-4549
8-4552
8-4559
8-4567
8 4592
9-1715
27121 (pressed-in)
28012 (pressed-in)
 
59gibson

59gibson

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I scanned this pic out of a Japanese book I have. If this piece is righteous it pre-dates all the korinas I've known about with a serial # of 7-3056 or 58.:hmm

39j55hs029.jpg
 
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MisterMiniMite

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Very interesting picture!
Check out the neck tenon in that shot on the bottom right. If I'm not mistaken, the original Explorers had a neck tenon that actually extended so long that it went beyond the neck pickup cavity. The neck tenon on this Futura looks similar to a standard Les Paul tenon of that era, which I think is interesting. I wish I knew more about Futura specs :)
 
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