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1958 / 1963 Korina Explorers: best book?

StSpider

StSpider

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Lately I've been on a korina Explorer obsession, browsing pics, threads, and every little bit of info and research available on the subject.

I've always loved the shape, it's so elegantly balanced and elusive, only a stroke of genius could have designed such a radical guitar back in 1957. Plus, the fact that it was a massive commercial disaster (even more so than her flying sister) makes it even more fascinating.

Surely the topic has been debated long enough, so I was wondering if there was some sort of definitive book on the matter. Big plus if there's lots of pictures! Care to recommend anything?

Also, I was wondering: it seems to be quite a popular mod to relocate the strap button on the guitar from the side to the back of the guitar, behind the neck. Clapton did it on both of his guitars, as well as Allen Collins:

clapton_explorer_2.jpg


ECex2.jpg


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And I've seen several others like this..Does anyone understand why? It doesn't seem like he reason would be to counteract the guitar being neck heavy, because even with grovers (which Clapton installed), the body is quite massive. I like the button behind the neck heel myself, but it's because it makes it easier to keep the neck more angled, and I hang my guitar quite a bit lower than mr Clapton.. It's something that always made me wonder.
 
deytookerjaabs

deytookerjaabs

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There's a section on it in Gil Hembree's "Gibson Golden Years" book.

According to Ted McCarty & a few others they via interview (the V & Explorer) weren't a commercial disaster at all. They were made in small batches to be introduced as an eye catching radical design in the wake of Leo's new Jazzmaster. McCarty wanted something a few people would buy to put in the store front to attract some traffic but more importantly he wanted to turn heads at NAMM the same way they do every year with silly guitar designs. Jim Duerloo said they were all made in the pattern shop @ parson's and never moved over to the production floor, many sat unfinished in the factory for years.


Tony Bacon has a book on them, I have it but every time I pick it up I put it right back down for some reason :laugh2:
 
StSpider

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Well for explorers this certainly rings true. They built about 40 of them (38?), which equals a small batch. It's concievable that such a weird guitar was never meant to be a "regular thing". But I've hard a rumor claiming that Gibson bough much more korina for these than what end up being actually used. So much so that when Gibson ownership got pissed off that the korina guitar weren't selling Ted McCarty himself ended up buying most of the wood and used it for a house he was building for himself. Which would be kind of hilarious if confirmed.
 
DrRobert

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If I had to guess, I'd think the strap button on the upper side of the guitar was prone to having the strap pull off, since it's at an angle. Much safer with it squared away at the neck heel.
 
T

tonar8353

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Lately I've been on a korina Explorer obsession
Click to expand...
Me too! For some reason I have been lusting after one. I had one of the Ibanez Destroyer lawsuit copy ones and sold it to buy an nice acoustic in 1978. For some reason I always thought they were crazy cool. I guess it started when I saw the concert for Bangladesh.
 
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StSpider

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That was the same for Clapton I thin! The bottom cut explorer surfaced little time after that IIRC. Leon Russell's tone had to be mighty good that day.

Frankly doesn't sound half bad here!
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eRlkIunIU-c" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Unbound Dot Neck

Unbound Dot Neck

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Don Preston ! nice find Spider

StSpider said:
That was the same for Clapton I thin! The bottom cut explorer surfaced little time after that IIRC. Leon Russell's tone had to be mighty good that day.

Frankly doesn't sound half bad here!
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eRlkIunIU-c" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Click to expand...
 
garywright

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appearently you don't think that way when buying Gustavsson's. :ganz ....it's all preference ..myself, I'd take an Explorer designed guitar be it Gibson or replica over owning yet another Les Paul
 
Black58

Black58

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garywright said:
appearently you don't think that way when buying Gustavsson's. :ganz ....it's all preference ..myself, I'd take an Explorer designed guitar be it Gibson or replica over owning yet another Les Paul
Click to expand...

Hi, Gar. How've you been?
 
garywright

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my friend ..I've been fine ..hopefully you have as well ! ..I've never owned an explorer but I'm really starting to get an itch
 
Black58

Black58

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garywright said:
my friend ..I've been fine ..hopefully you have as well ! ..I've never owned an explorer but I'm really starting to get an itch
Click to expand...

Gar, you name it, and it has gone wrong! EVERYTHING! It is truly comical and I HAVE to laugh, or I'd go nuts. :##
 
garywright

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hopefully that's all behind ya now and you can get back into guitar mode ..I've been meaning to check my original copy of American Guitars to see what Explorers are shown
 
S

Sarahbernstein

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The guitar is really good; I like it. I'm looking for a guitar like that, can anyone give me some suggestions?
 
Shannanorris

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You're right, and it's one of the best books I've ever read; I can say more; I started loving guitar when I read this book. Can I also say that I alone love writing books; here at https://ca.edubirdie.com/dissertation-writing-services, you can read books written by me, there are various topics o I think you will like, dissertation writing services help me with accuracy and editing so I can probably already print these books, I hope soon to appear in bookstores :))
 
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