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Cool custom shop Explorer!

Cogswell

The Duke of Dumbassery
Joined
Mar 19, 2002
Messages
15,717
For that much money it seems the seller may need drugs.
 

plexi69

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
178
Korina should always be left natural, it is such a good looking wood.
 

Humbuck

New member
Joined
Jul 17, 2001
Messages
4,489
I didn't say I was buying it. Besides Korina Explorers and V reissues are always high priced.
 

burstman59

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Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
1,753
I agree Korina should be left natural or at least a see thru color to see the beautiful wood. They done a small run of these I think for Wildwood IRC. They probably had some limba or korina with some worm holes or dark streaks in the wood and decided to paint a few in this color then again Wildwood and a few other high end dealers seem to order custom color runs like this. As far as pricing goes it may seem high but compared to natural finish these are a bargain at least 2 to 3 thousand less.
 

Humbuck

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Jul 17, 2001
Messages
4,489
The price is my point for the re-post. Last time it was offered (in the op), the BIN was 4750...now it's 4100. Maybe it'll come down again?
 

boombox

New member
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
9
otoh, if you're going to paint an explorer, pelham blue is a nice choice, to say the least.
 

Calgary Flametop

New member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
119
"Wo is me" on guitar prices always gets me. If 4K for a beautiful guitar like this is too much then what would be fair, 2K? That makes no sense. With workers, management, sales reps, tools, wood, parts, factories, paint, utlilities, warehouses, etc. do you really think you could get a guitar like that for 2K in America?

The only other company around the world I can think of that could build me the same guitar would be Navigator in Japan and they would charge 10K for a guitar like that. Their non-custom order Les Paul costs 8K so you can't say it is only expensive because it is built in America.

There are lots of little Mom and Pop luthier shops popping up in America selling their LP Historic copies for 7-15K. I am finding the quality of most of these guitars not as nice as Gibson and they don't have anywhere near the overhead Gibson has.

Have you ever checked out the price of a decent violin? I don't see too many people complaining about them. I would love for gas to be a buck a gallon, but when I realize someone has to drill it, refine it, move it and pay all the people involved 4 bucks seems pretty fair. I would love to buy a 70K Porsche for 10k, but I don't go around whining about it.

I am not trying to be rude here, but is 4K really too much for this guitar? I don't think even 6K would be out of line. I have been telling everyone I know that they should be buying guitars right now and that price is well in line for them.

With the Lacey act who knows what the future of Gibson guitars will be. It doesn't look like you are going to be able to get the historics built like they are now. Most definitely you won't have the same fretboard. I even heard rumor that Gibson might stop making them completely. When the economy turns around, which it always seems to do, and you are forced to buy a used Historic Les Paul to get that tone you want what do you think the prices will be then?

There are maybe 15 thousand R9's out there. According to a NAMM Gallup Poll 1 in 10 people play the guitar. That works out to one R9 for every 40,000 guitar players in the world. If you want one of the really accurate R9's from 2007-2011 there is about 1 for every 150,000 players. I know around 20 guitar players really well and at least half of them would like to own a R9. I can only imagine the price with that supply and demand curve.
 

burstman59

New member
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
1,753
Calgary Flametop never really thought about that way but you are make alot of sense. People always putting ESP and Custom built Explorers made in Japan on ebay and always have to mention James Hatfield and asking in the thousands So these very low run Gibson Custom shop korina Explorers should always hold their value.
 

Calgary Flametop

New member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
119
Yes, and if I had to take a wild guess I would pick the turn around for the economy to happen right after all the end of the world parties on Friday December 21st, 2012. LOL. I also heard today of another problem with a stacked fretboard. I am beginning to wonder if Gibson put any R&D into those.
 

Calgary Flametop

New member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
119
I forgot to second your Hetfield comment Burstman59. There is a guy selling regular Gibson Explorers done up like Hetfields White Explorer on ebay. He is regularly getting over 4K for them so why is a nice Korina Explorer not worth that.

I just want to add a quick note here for those looking for a really nice Explorer. I have played or owned tons in the last 25 years. The two best hands down are the 76 Limited Edition Explorer made out of Mahogany and the 83 Limited Edition Custom Shop and Heritage Korina Explorers. The 83 Korina Explorers have that beautiful ring and sustain just like my 50's Gibsons. I think the Korina Gibson found for those guitars is out of this world. It did take 6 years from the advent of the 76 LE Explorer, which Gibson wanted to make out of Korina, for them to find that Korina used on the 83 Explorers. It was worth the wait. I owned a 2008 Historic Korina Explorer for 6 months last year. It was a really nice guitar, but not quite like the 83 Korina's. Maybe the 2008 Historic just needed a bunch more years under its belt, but if you ever come across an 83 Korina Explorer I would highly recommend buying it whatever the cost. Same thing goes for the 76 LE.

What really makes those guitars sing is the same thing as what makes the 50's guitars so special, the really, really, really old growth wood. The wood used today from stumps, small trees, polluted trees, etc. just ain't the same. The deathly old nitro finishes, which are banned in Canada by the way, aren't the same either. I still love any pre 2012 Gibson though. I would like the 2012's too if it weren't for those flakey fretboards, litereally LOL.
 
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