GreenMagicMan
Tele-Meister
Full on angst and hand wringing, I missed the memo (somehow) and Epiphone drops the brand new SOLID Korina wood 2 piece Explorer with real Gibson Burstbucker pickups, Mallory cap, and Switchcraft toggle and CTS pots - new THICK neck, and ultra lightweight from reviews I had been reading.
What??
I have been chasing after a Korina Explorer for 6 years, without wanting to spend tons of cash for one. I played a $400 priced MIC '16 with the Korina laminate top of mystery wood (alleged to be Korina scraps - and other things…) Yeah, I know "Korina" is a made up name for a finish, but let's not split hairs and agree this darn wood should properly be actual white African Limba wood to be proper 1958 Gibson Explorer / V spec.
The recent MIC 2016 ‘limited edition’ Epi Explorer guitar had way too thin of a neck - that was the deal killer, and it also didn’t have that yellow tint to it like old ’58 Korina natural models had been. Was more of a dark orange / dark finish and it looked almost exactly like a mahogany natural vintage 70/80s Explorer I already have. Otherwise though, a fine guitar. A fine China built guitar. Impressive. So a let down, and modern MIC were wiped off my radar.
Looked at several MIK 90s Korina laminate Explorers, but they all fell through. Heavier, and not solid bodies. But they do have thicker 'Slim taper D' necks, thicker than more recent MIC models. I have a '04 stable mate, MIK Epiphone Explorer Goth and it's a quite nice guitar. That guitar skates the line of being too thin but being just thick enough for me to feel good.
I was stunned to see this new "Inspired by Gibson" one came out of nowhere, and that it had a big fat neck!!!
I was almost worried it could be too fat…
So I find not 1 but 2 listed in my local NH music store. After this first batch made had all sold out I guess in 3 days. And when I got there, one had been sent back due to neck cracks (unclear if real or simply finish cracks at pocket). They held it overnight for me and I went in with a stack of cash in my pocket just in case. So here it is…
Epiphone 2023 Inspired by Gibson serial # 22xxxxxxxxx Korina new model.
The neck - it’s PERFECT. It’s basically ‘unremarkable’ in the very best way. Very very natural finger and hand feel on the neck. All up the neck. It doesn’t feel ‘thick’ or ‘too thick’. I was worried from the specs it might be ‘too thick’ for even me. Not at all. It’s maybe the most perfect neck profile feel of any guitar I’ve ever felt / played / owned. It’s a joy. If it were up to me every guitar would have this neck!
The body:
Well, first of all the guitar weighs nothing. And to be honest it’s a little off putting, in fact. It almost feels like a toy / balsa wood in hand. The body is so light the headstock dives just a little sitting down. But it’s nothing at all and not noticeable in the least playing it sitting down. No effort whatsoever, and no dive playing and no effort to balance it.
The grain looks very very light. The two SOLID wood pieces are joined very well in the center and the neck joint is great looking / smooth, no stepped heel.
Low action, quite low, very nice. The 2nd fret buzzed on the B and high E string. Didn’t detect other fret buzz but didn’t play the entire neck every note.
I love the two piece solid body description of this guitar and the thick neck. Not a shredder / thin neck guy at all.
You know? This guitar is just a pass for me. It doesn’t feel premium. I’m sorry but I have 3 guitars that blow this away from the feel. Not a cork sniffer - 180 degree the opposite. I only buy low to ultra low priced guitars. I’ve also had some superb luck buying.
My Washburn A20V made in Japan by Yamaki, of course is in whole different league(s) above this one.
The unknown maker two piece mahogany bodied guitar (Vt Mystery) is a much finer guitar.
Even my first real guitar I bought for $100 and flew back from Florida in a towel, the ‘Gig’ Explorer made in Japan bolt on 25” scale guitar has much better craftsmanship / feel.
I really can’t put my finger exactly on that wood and finish. I don’t find the ‘satin’ light poly finish appealing. The wood - how can it weigh so little and have so little grain compared to a Gibson? The $7999 Gibson Korina flying V on the wall - it’s Korina wood / grain / finish was so next level looking.
Also, I'm sorry but that headstock is not right. It's cut too short / small. It's nice, but my MIK '04 Goth has a perfect length longer sweet / evil looking headstock. This is small like the Galitikon Ghosthorse and the Lee Malia Walnut finish Explorer I recently played in Cincinnati this year. Btw, of any option, that Lee Malia is a fine Explorer.
Published figures on past Korina wood Gibsons, Orville by Gibson, and one off makers are all much heavier.
Also, I quickly lapped a IBG Flying V Korina ’23. I thought it looked and somehow felt a little better. Very nice neck. High action. Didn’t spend much time with it at all as I’m not a ‘V’ guy.
Pots and knobs felt very good, very solid and good action.
Guess what did feel good in the shop?!?
Ghosthorse Galaktikon on the rack didnt like the neck, much too thin. Didn’t feel premium. Absolutely no dice.
Epiphone Extura (24 fret, body with wrong proportions)- even worse! Thin neck, skinny neck / nut - i actually couldn’t even play it it was so awful. Fingers all mis-aligned all over the cowboy chords. 100% no way - ever.
Surprise! The humble (****ty) plywood Cort Effector in black marked down to $279 manager’s discount. Actually ! It has nice neck. And wouldn’t you know what? This bolt on neck guitar actually had better sustain than the Epiphone Korina! No, I’m not kidding.
First time handling a cheap Cort Effector. The much maligned, lesser loved plywood guitar.
I don’t remember it feeling particularly heavy.
But what was right - was the neck. It was very good.
Also it was extremely resonant. Much more noticeably than this new Epiphone Korina ’23 !!
Also more so than the Ghosthorse and Extura. Now I know we are comparing a bolt on neck of 25.5” scale vs. the Gibby standard 24.75” But still, it was very noticeable difference.
I toyed with the idea of buying the Effector, and probably will casually look for a cheap copy.
I will try to keep my eye out for other units of the ’23 Korina solid IBG Explorer in case there are better ones. And indeed I read and watched (anything I could find on it) and saw Norm’s Rare Guitars video and they showed 2-3 of these new Epi Korina Explorer guitars and the wood grain looked much much better.
I was near certain I would buy one of these, and was pretty stunned I ruled it out (for now). If they put a real Korina wood (and not maybe the ‘Philippine mahogany’ or Luaun or weird local cheap tree or too young tree or whatever is going on here - I think I’d be in).
My wish list, fix the headstock, make it properly longer, get real grained wood - even making it heavier. Keep that magnificent neck!!! It can't be improved - what I felt. Glossier finish - even poly if need be would be better. The satin black finish on my Goth somehow even looks more impressive / appropriate on that black model than this one - although I would prefer a traditional gloss finish on the Goth as well.
My plan had been to sell the Goth after I score a Korina finish Explorer... but so far I'm holding on to that Goth although it never gets played...
What??
I have been chasing after a Korina Explorer for 6 years, without wanting to spend tons of cash for one. I played a $400 priced MIC '16 with the Korina laminate top of mystery wood (alleged to be Korina scraps - and other things…) Yeah, I know "Korina" is a made up name for a finish, but let's not split hairs and agree this darn wood should properly be actual white African Limba wood to be proper 1958 Gibson Explorer / V spec.
The recent MIC 2016 ‘limited edition’ Epi Explorer guitar had way too thin of a neck - that was the deal killer, and it also didn’t have that yellow tint to it like old ’58 Korina natural models had been. Was more of a dark orange / dark finish and it looked almost exactly like a mahogany natural vintage 70/80s Explorer I already have. Otherwise though, a fine guitar. A fine China built guitar. Impressive. So a let down, and modern MIC were wiped off my radar.
Looked at several MIK 90s Korina laminate Explorers, but they all fell through. Heavier, and not solid bodies. But they do have thicker 'Slim taper D' necks, thicker than more recent MIC models. I have a '04 stable mate, MIK Epiphone Explorer Goth and it's a quite nice guitar. That guitar skates the line of being too thin but being just thick enough for me to feel good.
I was stunned to see this new "Inspired by Gibson" one came out of nowhere, and that it had a big fat neck!!!
I was almost worried it could be too fat…
So I find not 1 but 2 listed in my local NH music store. After this first batch made had all sold out I guess in 3 days. And when I got there, one had been sent back due to neck cracks (unclear if real or simply finish cracks at pocket). They held it overnight for me and I went in with a stack of cash in my pocket just in case. So here it is…
Epiphone 2023 Inspired by Gibson serial # 22xxxxxxxxx Korina new model.
The neck - it’s PERFECT. It’s basically ‘unremarkable’ in the very best way. Very very natural finger and hand feel on the neck. All up the neck. It doesn’t feel ‘thick’ or ‘too thick’. I was worried from the specs it might be ‘too thick’ for even me. Not at all. It’s maybe the most perfect neck profile feel of any guitar I’ve ever felt / played / owned. It’s a joy. If it were up to me every guitar would have this neck!
The body:
Well, first of all the guitar weighs nothing. And to be honest it’s a little off putting, in fact. It almost feels like a toy / balsa wood in hand. The body is so light the headstock dives just a little sitting down. But it’s nothing at all and not noticeable in the least playing it sitting down. No effort whatsoever, and no dive playing and no effort to balance it.
The grain looks very very light. The two SOLID wood pieces are joined very well in the center and the neck joint is great looking / smooth, no stepped heel.
Low action, quite low, very nice. The 2nd fret buzzed on the B and high E string. Didn’t detect other fret buzz but didn’t play the entire neck every note.
I love the two piece solid body description of this guitar and the thick neck. Not a shredder / thin neck guy at all.
You know? This guitar is just a pass for me. It doesn’t feel premium. I’m sorry but I have 3 guitars that blow this away from the feel. Not a cork sniffer - 180 degree the opposite. I only buy low to ultra low priced guitars. I’ve also had some superb luck buying.
My Washburn A20V made in Japan by Yamaki, of course is in whole different league(s) above this one.
The unknown maker two piece mahogany bodied guitar (Vt Mystery) is a much finer guitar.
Even my first real guitar I bought for $100 and flew back from Florida in a towel, the ‘Gig’ Explorer made in Japan bolt on 25” scale guitar has much better craftsmanship / feel.
I really can’t put my finger exactly on that wood and finish. I don’t find the ‘satin’ light poly finish appealing. The wood - how can it weigh so little and have so little grain compared to a Gibson? The $7999 Gibson Korina flying V on the wall - it’s Korina wood / grain / finish was so next level looking.
Also, I'm sorry but that headstock is not right. It's cut too short / small. It's nice, but my MIK '04 Goth has a perfect length longer sweet / evil looking headstock. This is small like the Galitikon Ghosthorse and the Lee Malia Walnut finish Explorer I recently played in Cincinnati this year. Btw, of any option, that Lee Malia is a fine Explorer.
Published figures on past Korina wood Gibsons, Orville by Gibson, and one off makers are all much heavier.
Also, I quickly lapped a IBG Flying V Korina ’23. I thought it looked and somehow felt a little better. Very nice neck. High action. Didn’t spend much time with it at all as I’m not a ‘V’ guy.
Pots and knobs felt very good, very solid and good action.
Guess what did feel good in the shop?!?
Ghosthorse Galaktikon on the rack didnt like the neck, much too thin. Didn’t feel premium. Absolutely no dice.
Epiphone Extura (24 fret, body with wrong proportions)- even worse! Thin neck, skinny neck / nut - i actually couldn’t even play it it was so awful. Fingers all mis-aligned all over the cowboy chords. 100% no way - ever.
Surprise! The humble (****ty) plywood Cort Effector in black marked down to $279 manager’s discount. Actually ! It has nice neck. And wouldn’t you know what? This bolt on neck guitar actually had better sustain than the Epiphone Korina! No, I’m not kidding.
First time handling a cheap Cort Effector. The much maligned, lesser loved plywood guitar.
I don’t remember it feeling particularly heavy.
But what was right - was the neck. It was very good.
Also it was extremely resonant. Much more noticeably than this new Epiphone Korina ’23 !!
Also more so than the Ghosthorse and Extura. Now I know we are comparing a bolt on neck of 25.5” scale vs. the Gibby standard 24.75” But still, it was very noticeable difference.
I toyed with the idea of buying the Effector, and probably will casually look for a cheap copy.
I will try to keep my eye out for other units of the ’23 Korina solid IBG Explorer in case there are better ones. And indeed I read and watched (anything I could find on it) and saw Norm’s Rare Guitars video and they showed 2-3 of these new Epi Korina Explorer guitars and the wood grain looked much much better.
I was near certain I would buy one of these, and was pretty stunned I ruled it out (for now). If they put a real Korina wood (and not maybe the ‘Philippine mahogany’ or Luaun or weird local cheap tree or too young tree or whatever is going on here - I think I’d be in).
My wish list, fix the headstock, make it properly longer, get real grained wood - even making it heavier. Keep that magnificent neck!!! It can't be improved - what I felt. Glossier finish - even poly if need be would be better. The satin black finish on my Goth somehow even looks more impressive / appropriate on that black model than this one - although I would prefer a traditional gloss finish on the Goth as well.
My plan had been to sell the Goth after I score a Korina finish Explorer... but so far I'm holding on to that Goth although it never gets played...
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