Gibson Custom Shop 1958 Korina Explorer

Cooler Than the Other Side of the Pillow

Genius is rarely understood in its own time, so maybe that’s why it took guitar players twenty years to catch on to how cool Gibson Explorers are. Since Explorers are considered so iconic now, it’s hard to believe that they were a total flop when Gibson introduced them in 1958, but initial demand was so low that they only shipped nineteen guitars! Now that we guitar players have collectively figured out that playing an Explorer makes you look ten to twenty percent cooler than you actually are, the value of the original examples has skyrocketed, and their market value hovers around a quarter-million dollars.

Now, to honor the trailblazing legacy of these uber-rare, uber-cool pointy beasts, the Gibson Custom Shop has pulled out all the stops to create a truly magnificent reissue: the 1958 Korina Explorer. Made of the same wood as the original run of 19, these beauties deliver a truly wonderful vintage playing experience. The VOS natural finish highlights the gorgeous grain of the korina body, but the korina is more than a vintage-accurate cosmetic appointment. It also gives these Explorers a slightly livelier response and more harmonic content than mahogany. And, speaking of sweet sounds, the two Custombuckers deliver the fat sounds of the classic PAFs of yore. It looks as authentic as it sounds thanks to its True Historic plastics, and the delightfully chunky '58 Explorer neck profile captures the feel of '58, too.

If you've ever wanted to experience the magic of a korina Explorer, this is a marvelous opportunity to do so! We believe that the 1958 Korina Explorer delivers an awesome vintage playing experience, and we have no doubt it will inspire you to wander its fretboard time and time again.