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

latestarter

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,173
Bump to remind us all about this history....great info from many in this whole thread. Has Mike Bowen been around recently?
 

burstman59

New member
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
1,753
Guys lets revive this thread. One question : Wonder who owns the Derringer Split peg Explorer now that Mr. Chinnery passed a few yrs ago ? I know it was in his collection a few yrs ago. And is there anyone on here that has seen or held the late Allen Collins Explorer ? I would love to see it in person. Korina Explorers are so rare to begin with but his was one of only a handful that had the little round toggle plate on the back of the front horn to access the toggle switch without taking off the pickguard. I'm assuming the reason Gibson may have done this is because Gibson used 2 little blocks of wood to hold the wires in on the bottom route channel to the pickups. If a person were to take the pickguard off it was hard to keep the little wood blocks in place and screw the pickguard back down.
 

richard henry

Banned
Joined
Sep 16, 2015
Messages
733
So, we now have 35 serial numbers. Maybe. No matter what I still think this is a great effort by everyone:

8-1008
8-1431
8-2118
8-2142
8-2153
8-3549
8-3848
8-3849
8-3850
8-3868
8-3872
8-3873
8-3876
8-3882
8-4096
8-4451
8-4536
8-4539
8-4541
8-4542
8-4543
8-4544
8-4545
8-4548
8-4549
8-4550
8-4551
8-4552
8-4559
8-4561
8-4567
8-4592
9-1715
27121 (pressed-in)
28012 (pressed-in)

Any updates on this list?
 

fcsnut

New member
Joined
Sep 15, 2015
Messages
248
Anyone know more about the history of 4545? If it was used professionally or recorded etc?
 

DrRobert

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2003
Messages
6,050
Talked to Dave Rodgers today, he still has the 58 Explorer he bought back in the 80s, hanging alongside the 58 V... If you ever want to see one in person.
 

Luke Gibson

Active member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,324
Talked to Dave Rodgers today, he still has the 58 Explorer he bought back in the 80s, hanging alongside the 58 V... If you ever want to see one in person.

I believe that's the one that had the neck broken in a car wreck and had the neck replaced by Michael Stevens. I've seen a few pics of Michael holding an Explorer without a neck..... I could be wrong but I believe that's it.
 

Brown Recluse

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2006
Messages
1,108
I was looking at some old emails recently and found one from September of 2006 relating to a Max Explorer. The email was from an ebay seller that had listed his Max. He had sent me some pics of his guitar and a pic of a letter from Max that stated:

"This is an exact replica of a 1958 Gibson Explorer. The specs for this guitar were taken from the following original 1958 Explorers: 8-3873, 8-4460, 8-4544 and 8-4554. This guitar was built by me in 1996."

Both 8-3873 and 8-4544 are already included in this thread's list of serial numbers, however, neither 8-4460 nor 8-4554 have been mentioned.
 

Brown Recluse

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2006
Messages
1,108
Hmmmmmm... :hmm



So - good ol' Max says he's seen these originals.. ya think that is good enough to include those on 'the' list....? :hee

8 3873 and 8 4544 are also mentioned in the letter from good ol' Max and they are on the list. I didn't put them there, but they are still on there. Neither did I suggest that 8 4460 and 8 4554 should be on the list. I only stated that Max had also referenced them as being real. Everyone can consider the sources of the information in this thread and come to their own conclusion. Clearly, you have. The same reasoning is why I posted a link in this thread to the 3 pickup Explorer in the Elderly Appraisal video. That owner believes his guitar is real, and it appears he will have an appraisal from Elderly supporting that belief. I'm not suggesting that instrument should be added to the list of real Explorers either, however, reference to it too can now be found in this one thread. An internet search of any of the mentioned serial numbers may now bring a person here. A comparison can then be made between all of the guitars, along with any comments about them, including yours.

This thread is a great source of information on which instruments should be on the list. I also think it can be an equally great source of information on which specific instruments shouldn't be on the list, along with the reasons for their exclusion.
 

Arch D. Bunker

Active member
Joined
Jul 9, 2015
Messages
255
8 3873 and 8 4544 are also mentioned in the letter from good ol' Max and they are on the list. I didn't put them there, but they are still on there. Neither did I suggest that 8 4460 and 8 4554 should be on the list. I only stated that Max had also referenced them as being real. Everyone can consider the sources of the information in this thread and come to their own conclusion. Clearly, you have.

No, I haven't. Did not say that either.

Those guitars may be 100% poifect and legit. Mr B. knows more about these than you and I ever will - but for my 0.02c he has compromised his credibility due to certain actions. So his word alone is not good enough for me. Let's see some more evidence before adding guitars to that list.

As to Elderly: they have misidentified vintage stuff on a number of occasions, including an alleged Gibson korina guitar (in good faith though I would assume).

The knowledge of most vintage dealers is no longer a match for the joined forces of anally obsessed guitar geeks worldwide, as evidenced on many occasions on forums like the LPF.
 
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